Lyudmila Titova
Encyclopedia
Lyudmila Evgenevna Titova (born 26 March 1946 in Chita, Russian SFSR) is a former speed skater
.
sports societies. Skating for the Soviet Union
, Lyudmila Titova made her international debut at the World Allround Championships
of 1966. She finished 18th, not having qualified for the final distance, but she made a very good impression on the 500 m during those championships by finishing 2nd on that distance. The next year, she did not compete very much because she was busy preparing for examinations at the Moscow Aviation Institute
where she studied.
In 1968, Titova became Soviet Allround Champion and two weeks later participated in the World Allround Championships again, winning both the 500 m and the 1,000 m, while finishing 6th overall. Two weeks after that, at the 1968 Winter Olympics
in Grenoble
, she became Olympic Champion on the 500 m and won silver on the 1,000 m, finishing 0.3 seconds behind Dutch
skater Carry Geijssen
who skated a new Olympic record.
Titova became the 1970 World Sprint Champion
(the first time they were held and named ISU Sprint Championships then) and although she loved the sprint distances and found the 3,000 m boring, it did not prevent her from competing in allround events, and she even won silver at the European Allround Championships
in 1971 and bronze at the World Allround Championships that same year.
At the 1972 Winter Olympics
in Sapporo
, Titova won bronze on the 500 m and finished 4th on the 1,000 m, 0.23 seconds too slow for bronze. Later that same year, she won bronze at the World Sprint Championships and became Soviet Sprint Champion. She also participated in the 1,000 m at the 1976 Winter Olympics
, finishing 7th. Titova's last time in a competition was two months later, when she won bronze at the Soviet Sprint Championships.
Together with two other female graduates from the Moscow Aviation Institute, Titova – almost 50 years old then – was part of a skiing expedition team that reached the Geographic South Pole
on 11 January 1996.
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
.
Short biography
She trained at Burevestnik and later at ZenitZenit (sports society)
Zenit was the All-Union Voluntary Sports Society for workers of arms industry, established in 1936. Due to reorganization of sports societies, between 1957 and 1966 physical culture collectives of Zenit were a part of VSS Trud from the Russian SFSR, and other republican sports societies. In 1966...
sports societies. Skating for the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Lyudmila Titova made her international debut at the World Allround Championships
World Allround Speed Skating Championships
The World Allround Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of the world...
of 1966. She finished 18th, not having qualified for the final distance, but she made a very good impression on the 500 m during those championships by finishing 2nd on that distance. The next year, she did not compete very much because she was busy preparing for examinations at the Moscow Aviation Institute
Moscow Aviation Institute
Moscow Aviation Institute is one of several major engineering higher education establishments in Moscow .Although the school is currently offering a wide range of majors and research...
where she studied.
In 1968, Titova became Soviet Allround Champion and two weeks later participated in the World Allround Championships again, winning both the 500 m and the 1,000 m, while finishing 6th overall. Two weeks after that, at the 1968 Winter Olympics
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
in Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, she became Olympic Champion on the 500 m and won silver on the 1,000 m, finishing 0.3 seconds behind Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
skater Carry Geijssen
Carry Geijssen
Carolina Cornelia Catharina Geijssen is a former speed skater from the Netherlands....
who skated a new Olympic record.
Titova became the 1970 World Sprint Champion
World Sprint Speed Skating Championships
The World Sprint Speed Skating Championships are annual speed skating championships. The championships are held over a two day period, with the skaters racing one 500 m and one 1,000 m each day...
(the first time they were held and named ISU Sprint Championships then) and although she loved the sprint distances and found the 3,000 m boring, it did not prevent her from competing in allround events, and she even won silver at the European Allround Championships
European Speed Skating Championships
The European Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of Europe. The International Skating Union has organised the European Championships for Men since 1893 and the European Championships for Women since 1970. The...
in 1971 and bronze at the World Allround Championships that same year.
At the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
in Sapporo
Sapporo, Hokkaido
is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan....
, Titova won bronze on the 500 m and finished 4th on the 1,000 m, 0.23 seconds too slow for bronze. Later that same year, she won bronze at the World Sprint Championships and became Soviet Sprint Champion. She also participated in the 1,000 m at the 1976 Winter Olympics
1976 Winter Olympics
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 4–15, 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria...
, finishing 7th. Titova's last time in a competition was two months later, when she won bronze at the Soviet Sprint Championships.
Together with two other female graduates from the Moscow Aviation Institute, Titova – almost 50 years old then – was part of a skiing expedition team that reached the Geographic South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
on 11 January 1996.
Medals
An overview of medals won by Titova at important championships she participated in, listing the years in which she won each:| Championships | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics Speed skating at the Winter Olympics Speed skating has been featured as a sport in the Winter Olympics since the first winter games in 1924. Women's events were added to the Olympic program for the first time in 1960.-History:... |
1968 (500 m) | 1968 (1,000 m) | 1972 (500 m) |
| World Allround World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women The International Skating Union has organised the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women since 1936. Unofficial Championships were held in the years 1933-1935.-Distances used:... |
1971 | ||
| World Sprint World Sprint Speed Skating Championships for Women The International Skating Union has organised the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships for Women since 1970. The first two years , they were called the ISU Sprint Championships.-Medal winners:-All-time medal count:- References :*... |
1970 | 1972 | |
| European Allround European Speed Skating Championships for Women The International Skating Union has organised the European Speed Skating Championships for Women since 1970, but they were discontinued after the 1974 tournament because of lack of interest... |
1971 | ||
| Soviet Allround | 1968 | 1966 1971 1975 |
|
| Soviet Sprint | 1971 1972 |
1975 1976 |
World records
Over the course of her career, Titova skated 3 world records:| Distance | Time | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 m | 1:29.5 | 9 January 1970 | Medeo Medeo The Medeu , or Medeo , is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. It is located in a mountain valley on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level, making it the highest skating rink in the world... |
| 1,000 m | 1:29.0 | 20 February 1971 | Inzell Inzell Inzell is a municipality in the district of Traunstein in Bavaria, Germany. It is known for the Eisstadion Inzell, an outdoor artificial ice rink that has been used for many international speed skating championships.... |
| 1,000 m | 1:27.7 | 21 February 1971 | Inzell Inzell Inzell is a municipality in the district of Traunstein in Bavaria, Germany. It is known for the Eisstadion Inzell, an outdoor artificial ice rink that has been used for many international speed skating championships.... |
Personal records
| Distance | Time | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 42.35 | 29 March 1975 | Medeo Medeo The Medeu , or Medeo , is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. It is located in a mountain valley on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level, making it the highest skating rink in the world... |
| 1,000 m | 1:24.31 | 16 March 1976 | Medeo Medeo The Medeu , or Medeo , is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. It is located in a mountain valley on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level, making it the highest skating rink in the world... |
| 1,500 m | 2:14.77 | 21 March 1975 | Medeo Medeo The Medeu , or Medeo , is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. It is located in a mountain valley on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level, making it the highest skating rink in the world... |
| 3,000 m | 5:01.89 | 16 January 1972 | Inzell Inzell Inzell is a municipality in the district of Traunstein in Bavaria, Germany. It is known for the Eisstadion Inzell, an outdoor artificial ice rink that has been used for many international speed skating championships.... |