Inessa KRAVETS

Inesa Kravets was among the most prominent female triple jumpers in the early 1990s. Also a competent long jumper, she débuted internationally at the 1988 Olympics, finishing 10th in long jump, and then won a long jump silver medal at the 1992 Olympics. She also won the long jump at the 1990 Goodwill Games and the 1991 Universiade. She won the 1992 European Indoor Championships triple jump, the event’s début at a major international. At the 1993 World Indoor Championships, Kravets won the triple jump, but had to miss her favorite event’s début at the 1993 World Championships due to a three-month doping ban for use of stimulants. Kravets won the long jump at the 1994 World Cup, followed by long jump silver and triple jump bronze at the 1994 Europeans. In 1996, she became the first female Olympic champion in the triple jump. Kravets won the 1995 World title with a world record 15.50, which, as of 2014, still stands. Previously she had been the world record holder from June 1991 to June 1993 with 14.95.

After the 1996 Olympics, Kravets competed at the 1997 and 1999 World Championships, with no success, and then tested positive for anabolic steroids in early 2000 and received a two-year competitive ban. She returned in 2003, winning long jump silver at the World Indoor Championships, but then retired from sports after not being selected for the 2004 Ukrainian Olympic team. Kravets was the Soviet long jump champion in 1988 and 1990, Soviet triple jump champion in 1991, CIS long jump champion in 1992, and Ukrainian triple jump champion in 1995.

Personal Bests: LJ – 7.37 (1992); TJ – 15.50 (1995).