Mariya Dzhumabaevna Pinigina (born 9 February 1958) is a retired athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres

400 metres

The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...

, training at Spartak

Spartak (sports society)

Spartak is the International Fitness and Sports Society of Nikolai Starostin.-Overview:Spartak was the first and the largest All-Union Voluntary Sports Society of workers of state trade, producers' cooperation, light industry, civil aviation, education, culture, health service etc...

 in Kiev

Kiev

Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

. She represented 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....

.

Pinigina competed for USSR

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....

 in the 1988 Summer Olympics

1988 Summer Olympics

The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...

 held in Seoul

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 in the 4 x 400 metres where she won the gold medal with her team mates 400m hurdles silver medalist Tatyana Ledovskaya

Tatyana Ledovskaya

Tatyana Mikhailovna Ledovskaya is a retired athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres hurdles. She represented the Soviet Union, training in Minsk....

, 400m bronze medalist Olga Nazarova

Olga Nazarova

Olga Nazarova is a retired athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres. She represented the Soviet Union.She competed for the USSR in the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea in the 400m where she won the bronze medal...

 and olympic 400m champion Olga Bryzgina

Olga Bryzgina

Olha Bryzhina is a retired athlete who represented USSR and later Ukraine. She trained at Dynamo in Voroshilovgrad. Competing in the 400 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay, she was a particularly successful Olympian with three gold medals and one silver. At the 1988 Olympics the Soviet relay team...

. That USSR relay team set a new world record of 3:15.17 minutes which is still unbeaten.

She also won a bronze medal at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics

1983 World Championships in Athletics

The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....

.

Mariya Pinigina is the wife of the Olympic wrestling champion Pavel Pinigin

Pavel Pinigin

Pavel Pinigin is a former Soviet wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling. He is also three times world champion in freestyle wrestling.-Olympics:...

. They have three sons.