Raisa Smetanina - Russian 'Queen of trails "

There is no person who would have lived in the era of the Soviet Union and did not know about the one who such Raisa Smetanina. His last medal in skiing this legendary athlete won the age of forty. This can be called a kind of record, more than that, he holds and today.

Raisa Smetanin left the sport almost immediately after the Soviet Union collapsed. Last time she performed at the Olympics in the French Albertville in 1992. It was there that Raisa Smetanin won the relay race as part of the Joint Team of former Soviet republics with Lazutina, Vyalbe and Yegorova. Immediately after that, she decided to end his career athlete.

Smetanin Raisa: biography

Born this legendary skier twenty-ninth of February 1952 in Izhevsk region of Komi republic in the small village Mohchi. In her family from generation to generation all became hereditary herders. Ski girl learned to walk very early. Smets had a large family: together with Raya grew another sister and five brothers. Since around it was tundra, travel by foot on which it was unreal, skis and sticks very quickly became familiar to the children. Moreover, they have inherited from the older children, the youngest. Soon it is time for skiing were in hand for the future Olympic champion.

I must say that in the far northern edge of vengeance was in full swing sports life. Director of two local secondary schools themselves were avid cross-country skiing, and therefore are attached to them and the children. Periodically arranged in the area of ​​competition, even to shoot the film. Over the weekend, they will take the child to the nature and eventually infected by his enthusiasm almost all the children from both schools. I do not stay aside and the girl of Paradise. She's since childhood differed strength of character and perseverance.

The first successes in sport

In addition to cross-country skiing hobbies, Raisa Smetanina in childhood often fishing, other than that, she periodically went to the hay with the other guys from his village. His first victory of the legendary athlete won the Junior national championship, held in Perm. Here she took second place.

Immediately after graduation, she enrolled in the teachers' training school. At the same time she became professionally engage in skiing. In Syktyvkar, where she studied Raisa Smetanin, she coached her German Kharitonov. Since 1970, the girl was included in the squad sportobschestva "Harvest". Future Olympic champion was lost during training in the morning until late at night. Apparently, therefore, it has only four years Raisa Smetanina was included in the national team. Almost in the same year she became a world champion, winning the team relay. At the same time, she won a bronze medal in the individual race at five kilometers.

As later told Raisa Smetanin, with the team she was very lucky: their mentor was Victor Ivanov, who at that time was considered the best coach in the country. A sponsorship of a young debutante immediately took the more experienced skier and a good man Galina Kulakov. Very soon the girls became close friends.

Sports achievements

In 1976 at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck, this Soviet skier has won just three medals, two of which were gold. And only in the five-kilometer race athlete conceded Finke Helene tech, which was the first at the finish. As a result, rival won the gold medal, and was only the second Smetanin. At the world championship in 1978, which was held in Lahti, Finland, Raisa much as four times rose to the podium. Although, in fairness it should be said that to get her then never succeeded on the first step.

Total Raisa Smetanina participated in as many as five Olympic Games. And nowhere is she was left without a medal. The seven-time medalist of world championships, "queen" in a sport like skiing, this amazing athlete has in its collection of twenty-six international awards. But, according to Raisa itself, for it is the main prize of Pierre de Coubertin - the founder of the modern Olympic Games. This cup is awarded to athletes for following the principles of fair competition and the Olympic movement.

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Awards

The popularization of sport and physical education of young people investing all their energies Raisa Smetanina. Personal life of this legendary athletes also inextricably linked to the cross-country skiing. Today she is a female Russian national team mentor. Personal best Raisa Smetaninoj were marked by many high state awards. "Queen of the door," was awarded the Order "Badge of Honor" Red Banner of Labor, Friendship of Peoples, the October Revolution, Lenin. It is named after the Republican stadium, which has international status, which are cross-country skiing.

Boat future of the country

After retiring from the big door, Raisa Smetanin now pass on their knowledge and experience with young athletes. Like their coaches, who raised her from the gold unrivaled star, legendary woman invests a lot of time and effort in the process of educating the younger generation. Raisa Smetanin works mentor team ski women's team.

Interesting Facts

Together with Italian Stefania Belmondo, our legendary skier divides the world record for the most medals in the history of the Winter Olympics. Each of these ten awards of different denominations. But the other, personal, our athletes a record no one will ever surpass. Raisa Smetanina - first among women and men in skiing, who was able to win at the Olympics as many as five medals in a row.

It is interesting, but life had played a joke skier. Her birthday falls on February 29, so it celebrates it once every four years.

Smetanin lives in Syktyvkar in a beautiful house in the orbital area. But few know that the most titled skier "of all time" living in a family house on the contract of employment, renting it from the state.