Aleksandra CHUDINA

An all-around athlete, Aleksandra Chudina excelled in track & field athletics and volleyball. Chudina was the most dominant female Soviet athlete during the 1940s and 50s and is considered as the most dominant female Soviet athlete ever. Chudina started her sports career in 1937 at age 14 with the women’s bandy team Krasnaya Roza Moskva and from 1943-47 played bandy with Dynamo Moskva, winning Soviet Cups with them in 1945 and 1947 and Moskva championships in 1945-46.

As a track & field athlete, Chudina excelled at every track & field event women competed at that era. At the 1952 Olympics, Chudina won silvers in the long jump and javelin throw and bronze in the high jump. At the European Championships, Chudina won the pentathlon title in 1954, high jump silver in 1946 and long jump silver in 1954. Chudina also set four world records during her career – high jump (1.73) in 1954; pentathlon in 1953 (4,704) and 1955 (4,750); and 4x200 relay in 1950 (1:40.6). At the Soviet Championships, Chudina won a record 39 Soviet titles between 1945-56 – 400 in 1945; 80 hurdles in 1949-51; 4x100 relay in 1948-51 and 1953; 4x200 relay in 1948, 1950 and 1953; high jump in 1946-47, 1949-51, and 1953-54; long jump in 1947-51, and 1953-54; javelin throw in 1948, 1953, and 1955-56; and pentathlon in 1946-51 and 1953-55.

However, Chudina’s best sport was probably volleyball. From 1945-63 she played volleyball with Dynamo Moskva and from 1949-60 was with the Soviet national team, serving as team captain in the 1950s, when the Soviet team dominated women’s volleyball. Chudina was a World Champion in volleyball in 1952, 1956, and 1960; and European Champion in 1949-51 and 1958, while taking silver at the 1955 European Championships. She also won seven Soviet titles, in 1947, 1951, 1955-56, 1960, and 1962-63; and won the Soviet Cup three times, in 1950-51 and 1953. After finishing her sports career, Chudina worked as an athletics and volleyball coach and sports administrator with Dynamo Moskva.

Personal Bests: HJ – 1.73 (1954); LJ – 6.24 (1953); JT – 52.75 (1953).