Natalya LISOVSKAYA

Nataliya Lisovskaya took up athletics in 1975 and was the most dominant female shot putter in the later 1980s. Her major titles include the 1988 Olympics, 1987 World Championships, the 1985 and 1987 World Indoors, and the 1992 European Indoors. She also won the 1984 Friendship Games with 21.96, a mark which was almost 1½ metres better than the 1984 Olympic winning mark of Claudia Losch. Lisovskaya also won many silver and bronze medals at lesser internationals. She set three world records during her career – 22.53 in 1984 and 22.60 and 22.63 in 1987, and as of 2014, her last world record still stands. She won Soviet titles in 1981, 1983, 1985-86, 1988-90 and 1992.

Lisovskaya retired from sports after the fall of the Soviet Union and married double Olympic hammer throw champion Yuriy Siedykh. Their daughter Alexia Siedykh also became an international level hammer thrower, winning gold at the 2010 Youth Olympics.

Personal Best: SP – 22.63 (1987).