Raisa Petrovna Smetanina (Russian: Раиса Петровна Сметанина; born 29 February 1952) is a Soviet, Komi and Russian cross-country skiing champion. She is the first woman in history to win ten Winter Olympic medals.

Raisa Smetanina
Smetanina on a 2013 Russian coin
Country Russia
Born29 February 1952 (1952-02-29) (age 72)
Mokhcha, Komi ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Ski clubVSS
World Cup career
Seasons11 – (19821992)
Starts52
Podiums16
Wins3
Overall titles0 – (2nd in 1984)
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing  Unified Team
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1992 Albertville 4 × 5 km relay
Representing Soviet Union Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1976 Innsbruck 10 km
Gold medal – first place 1976 Innsbruck 4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place 1980 Lake Placid 5 km
Silver medal – second place 1976 Innsbruck 5 km
Silver medal – second place 1980 Lake Placid 4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1984 Sarajevo 10 km
Silver medal – second place 1984 Sarajevo 20 km
Silver medal – second place 1988 Calgary 10 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 1988 Calgary 20 km freestyle
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1974 Falun 4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place 1982 Oslo 20 km
Gold medal – first place 1985 Seefeld 4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place 1991 Val di Fiemme 4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1978 Lahti 10 km
Silver medal – second place 1982 Oslo 4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1989 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 1974 Falun 5 km
Bronze medal – third place 1978 Lahti 5 km
Bronze medal – third place 1978 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 1980 Falun 20 km

Career

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Smetanina took part in five Olympics, representing the Soviet team four times and the Unified Team once. In particular, Smetanina won two gold and one silver medals at the 1976 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there, along with Rosi Mittermaier of West Germany.[1]

In the 1992 Winter Olympics, at the age of 39, Smetanina won a further gold medal competing for the Unified Team in the 4 × 5 km relay, becoming the first woman to win ten Winter Olympic medals and at that time the oldest woman to win a Winter Olympic gold.

Smetanina also had successes at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, winning four golds (20 km (1982), and 4 × 5 km relay (1974, 1985, and 1991), three silvers (10 km (1978), and 4 × 5 km relay (1982, 1989)), and four bronzes (4 × 5 km relay (1978), 5 km (1974, 1978), and 20 km (1980)). She also won three times at the Holmenkollen ski festival, once in the 10 km (1975) and twice in the 5 km (1975 and 1979).

In 1979 Smetanina received the Holmenkollen medal (shared with Erik Håker and Ingemar Stenmark).[1] She was also awarded Order of Friendship of Peoples (1984).[2]

Cross-country skiing results

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All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[3]

Olympic Games

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  • 10 medals – (4 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   20 km   30 km   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
1976 23 Silver Gold Gold
1980 27 Gold 4 Silver
1984 31 11 Silver Silver 4
1988 35 10 Silver Bronze
1992 39 4 Gold

World Championships

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  • 11 medals – (4 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km 
 classical 
 10 km 
 freestyle 
 15 km   20 km   30 km   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
1974 21 Bronze Gold
1978 25 Bronze Silver 5 Bronze
1980 27 Bronze
1982 29 15 Gold Silver
1985 32 4 7 Gold
1987 34 4 9
1989 36 5 4 Silver
1991 38 11 Gold

World Cup

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Season standings

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 Season   Age  Overall
1982 30 21
1983 31 8
1984 32  
1985 33 8
1986 34 14
1987 35 10
1988 36 6
1989 37 11
1990 38 13
1991 39 14
1992 40 18

Individual podiums

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  • 3 victories
  • 16 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1 1981–82 26 February 1982   Oslo, Norway 20 km Individual World Championships[1] 1st
2  1982–83  5 March 1983   Lahti, Finland 5 km Individual World Cup 2nd
3  1983–84  9 February 1984   Sarajevo, Yugoslavia 10 km Individual Olympic Games[1] 2nd
4 18 February 1984 20 km Individual Olympic Games[1] 2nd
5 25 February 1984   Falun, Sweden 10 km Individual World Cup 1st
6 3 March 1984   Lahti, Finland 5 km Individual World Cup 2nd
7 8 March 1984   Oslo, Norway 20 km Individual World Cup 3rd
8 24 March 1984   Murmansk, Soviet Union 10 km Individual World Cup 2nd
9 1984–85 23 February 1985   Syktyvkar, Soviet Union 20 km Individual World Cup 1st
10  1985–86  15 February 1986   Oberstdorf, West Germany 20 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
11 22 February 1986   Kavgolovo, Soviet Union 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
12  1986–87  21 March 1987   Oslo, Norway 20 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
13  1987–88  19 December 1987   Reit im Winkl, West Germany 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
14 14 February 1988   Calgary, Canada 10 km Individual C Olympic Games[1] 2nd
15 25 February 1988 20 km Individual F Olympic Games[1] 3rd
16  1989–90  14 January 1990   Moscow, Soviet Union 7.5 km Individual C World Cup 2nd

Team podiums

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  • 3 victories
  • 9 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammates
1  1981–82  24 February 1982   Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay World Championships[1] 2nd Lyadova / Zabolotskaya / Kulakova
2  1983–84  26 February 1984   Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay World Cup 3rd Markashanskaya / Zimyatova / Burlakova
3 1984–85 22 January 1985   Seefeld, Austria 4 × 5 km Relay World Championships[1] 1st Tikhonova / Vasilchenko / Reztsova
4  1988–89  22 February 1989   Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships[1] 2nd Shamshurina / Tikhonova / Välbe
5 12 March 1989   Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Lazutina / Tikhonova / Välbe
6  1989–90  4 March 1990   Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 2nd Nageykina / Yegorova / Lazutina
7 1990–91 15 February 1991   Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships[1] 1st Yegorova / Tikhonova / Välbe
8 15 March 1991   Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Nageykina / Tikhonova / Välbe
9 1991–92 18 February 1992   Albertville, France 4 × 5 km Relay C/F Olympic Games[1] 1st Välbe / Lazutina / Yegorova

Note: 1 Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Raisa Smetanina". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
  2. ^ Panorama of the 1984 Sports Year (in Russian). Moscow: Physical Culture and Sports publisher. 1985. p. 38.
  3. ^ "SMETANINA Raissa". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
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Records
Preceded by
Herself
Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics
14 February 1998 – 17 February 1998
With: Bjørn Dæhlie
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Herself with   Sixten Jernberg
Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics
17 February 1992 – 14 February 1998
Succeeded by
Herself with   Bjørn Dæhlie
Preceded by Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics
25 February 1988 – 17 February 1992
With: Sixten Jernberg
Succeeded by
Herself