Raisa Petrovna Smetanina (; born 29 February 1952) is a Soviet, Komi and Russian cross-country skiing champion. She is the first woman in history to win ten Winter Olympic medals.

Career

Smetanina took part in five Olympics, representing the Soviet team four times and the Unified Team once. In particular, Smetanina won two gold and one silver medals at the 1976 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there, along with Rosi Mittermaier of West Germany.

Raisa Smetanina

In the 1992 Winter Olympics, at the age of 39, Smetanina won a further gold medal competing for the Unified Team in the 4 × 5 km relay, becoming the first woman to win ten Winter Olympic medals and at that time the oldest woman to win a Winter Olympic gold.

Raisa Smetanina

Smetanina also had successes at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, winning four golds (20 km (1982), and 4 × 5 km relay (1974, 1985, and 1991), three silvers (10 km (1978), and 4 × 5 km relay (1982, 1989)), and four bronzes (4 × 5 km relay (1978), 5 km (1974, 1978), and 20 km (1980)). She also won three times at the Holmenkollen ski festival, once in the 10 km (1975) and twice in the 5 km (1975 and 1979).

Raisa Smetanina

In 1979 Smetanina received the Holmenkollen medal (shared with Erik Håker and Ingemar Stenmark). She was also awarded Order of Friendship of Peoples (1984).

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Olympic Games

10 medals – (4 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze)

World Championships

11 medals – (4 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze)

World Cup

Season standings

Individual podiums

3 victories

16 podiums

Team podiums

3 victories

9 podiums

Note: Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

See also

List of multiple Winter Olympic medalists

List of multiple Olympic medalists

References

External links

Holmenkollen medalists – click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file

Holmenkollen winners since 1892 – click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file

1952 births

Living people

People from Izhemsky District

Cross-country skiers at the 1976 Winter Olympics

Cross-country skiers at the 1980 Winter Olympics

Cross-country skiers at the 1984 Winter Olympics

Cross-country skiers at the 1988 Winter Olympics

Cross-country skiers at the 1992 Winter Olympics

Holmenkollen medalists

Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners

Olympic cross-country skiers for the Unified Team

Olympic cross-country skiers for the Soviet Union

Russian female cross-country skiers

Soviet female cross-country skiers

Olympic medalists in cross-country skiing

FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in cross-country skiing

Medalists at the 1984 Winter Olympics

Medalists at the 1976 Winter Olympics

Medalists at the 1980 Winter Olympics

Medalists at the 1988 Winter Olympics

Medalists at the 1992 Winter Olympics

Olympic gold medalists for the Unified Team

Olympic bronze medalists for the Soviet Union

Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union

Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union

Komi people

Sportspeople from the Komi Republic