Lyudmila IGNATYEVA-SAMOTESOVA

Lyudmila Samotyosova (née Ingatyeva) took up athletics in 1955. An all-around sprinter, Samotyosova was on the Soviet national team from 1959-71. The apex of Samotyosova’s career was at the 1968 Olympics, where she was with the Soviet 4x100 relay team that won bronze. Competing at three consecutive Olympics, starting in 1960, Samotyosova’s best individual finish at the Olympics was fifth in the 200 metres in 1964, She also won a 4x100 bronze at the 1966 European Championships. At the European Indoor Championships Samotyosova won golds in the 1+2+3+4 laps relay in 1969 and 4x200 relay in 1970 and a silver in the 4x1 lap relay in 1969. Samotyosova set three world records during her career – at the Soviet Championships in August 1968 she equaled the 100 metre world record of 11.1 and a day later helped set a world record of 43.9 in the 4x100 relay. Her last world record was set in September 1968, when she was with the Soviet 4x100 relay team that clocked 43.6 in Mexico City, just two weeks before the 1968 Olympics. Samotyosova won seven Soviet titles – 100 in 1968; 1964 and 200 in 1967-68; 400 in 1966-67; and 4x100 relay in 1966.

Personal Bests: 100 – 11.1 (1968); 200 – 23.16 (1968).