Lidiya Skoblikova facts for kids

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Lidiya Skoblikova

Lidiya Skoblikova in 1967
Personal information
Full name	Lidiya Pavlovna Skoblikova
Born	(1939-03-08) 8 March 1939 (age 86) Zlatoust, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight	59 kg (130 lb)
Sport
Sport	Speed skating
Club	Burevestnik Chelyabinsk, Lokomotiv Moscow
Medal record Representing the  Soviet Union Olympic Games Gold 1960 Squaw Valley 1500 m Gold 1960 Squaw Olympics 3000 m Gold 1964 Innsbruck 500 m Gold 1964 Innsbruck 1000 m Gold 1964 Innsbruck 1500 m Gold 1964 Innsbruck 3000 m World Championships Gold 1963 Karuizawa Allround Gold 1964 Kristinehamn Allround Silver 1962 Imatra Allround Bronze 1959 Sverdlovsk Allround Bronze 1960 Östersund Allround Bronze 1961 Tønsberg Allround

Lidiya Pavlovna Skoblikova, born on March 8, 1939, is a famous retired Russian speed skater and coach. She competed for the Soviet Union in the Winter Olympic Games of 1960, 1964, and 1968. She won an amazing six gold medals during her career. This record is now shared with Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst.

Lidiya was the first athlete ever to win six gold medals at the Winter Olympics. She was also the first to win four gold medals in a single Winter Games. She was the most successful athlete at both the 1960 Winter Olympics and the 1964 Winter Olympics. She also won many gold medals at world championships and national championships.

Skoblikova at the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in the Olympic Park of Sochi.

Lidiya Skoblikova's Amazing Career

Lidiya Skoblikova was born in Zlatoust, a city in the Soviet Union. She started training with sports clubs like Burevestnik and Lokomotiv. At just 19 years old in 1959, she joined the Soviet team. She quickly showed her talent by finishing third in the national championships.

Early Success and Olympic Debut

In 1960, Lidiya was ready for the Olympics. She competed in three events. In the 1500 meter race, she broke the world record and won her first gold medal. She just missed another medal in the 1000 meter race, finishing fourth. But then, in the 3000 meter race, she won her second gold medal. She was very close to breaking another world record!

Becoming a World Champion

After her Olympic success, Lidiya kept working hard. She competed against her teammates to become the world champion. In 1961, she won a bronze medal for the third time in a row. The next year, 1962, she won a silver medal. Finally, in 1963, she achieved her dream. She won the world championship title! In Karuizawa, Japan, she won all four races. She even set a new world record in the 1000 meter race.

Dominating the 1964 Winter Olympics

The 1964 Winter Olympics were held in Innsbruck, Austria. Lidiya qualified for all four speed skating distances. And guess what? She won every single one of them! This made her the first Winter Olympian to win four individual gold medals. Only Eric Heiden later beat this record in 1980 by winning five speed skating events. Just two weeks after the Olympics, Lidiya repeated her amazing performance. She won all four distances at the world championships again.

Life After Skating

Lidiya took a break from speed skating for two seasons. She returned in 1967 and even set a new world record in the 3000 meter race. She competed in her third and final Olympics in 1968. After retiring in 1969, Lidiya moved to Moscow. She became a speed skating coach at Lokomotiv. She also studied and earned a degree in teaching. Later, she even got a PhD in history and became a professor.

Lidiya was a member of the Soviet Olympic Committee. She received a special award called the Olympic Order. For 12 years, she was the president of the Russian Skating Federation. In the 1990s, she was the head coach of the Russian team. In 1996, she was honored in the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame. On February 7, 2014, she was one of six people who carried the Olympic flag. This happened during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Lidiya Skoblikova's Family Life

Lidiya grew up in a working-class family. She had three sisters and one brother. She married Aleksandr Polozkov, who was also an athlete. He was a competitive racewalker and part of the national team. Aleksandr was a talented coach and even trained Lidiya during some parts of her career. Their son, Georgy, born in 1965, also helped coach the national speed skating team in the 1990s. Georgy's first wife, Natalya Polozkova, was also a speed skater. She competed in the Winter Olympics in 1992, 1994, and 1998.

Lidiya Skoblikova's Records

Lidiya Skoblikova set many impressive records during her career.

See also

In Spanish: Lidia Skoblikova para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists