Faina Melnyk

Faina Melnik Grigoryevna (Russian Фаина Григорьевна Мельник, Ukrainian Фаїна Григорівна Мельник, scientific transliteration Faina Grigorjevna Mel'nik; born September 6, 1945 in Bakota, Ukraine) is a former Soviet- Ukrainian discus thrower.

From 1977 to 1979 Faina Melnik was married to the Bulgarian discus thrower Welko Welew and was called at this time Faina Welewa.

In the European Championships 1971 in Helsinki she won with a world record distance of 64.22 meters and more than two meters ahead of Liesel Westermann from the Federal Republic of Germany. Prior to the 1972 Olympics in Munich Melnik had initially raised the world record to 65.48 meters ( on 24 June 1972 at Rosenau Stadium in Augsburg). Six weeks later, on August 4, 1972, they threw in Moscow with 66.76 meters world record again. Shortly thereafter she won in Munich with 66.62 meters and half a meter ahead of the Romanian Argentina Menis. In 1973 she won at the Universiade with 64.54 meters.

1974 at the European Championships in Rome won Faina Melnik with 69.00 meters. Argentina Menis won silver with 64.62 meters. At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal was Faina Melnik fourth in the discus with 66.40 meters in the fourth attempt. My fifth attempt of 68.40 meters was first given invalid, then measured to protest but ultimately and then not counted. This distance would have been enough to silver behind Evelin Schlaak from the GDR. Three days after the final in discus throw Melnik appeared also in the shot put and was tenth with 18.07 meters.

As Faina Welewa it was with 62.30 meters fifth at the European Championships 1978 in Prague. At the Olympic Games in 1980 Faina Melnik was eliminated in the qualifying.

Between 1971 and 1976 she was able to improve the world record 11 times, most recently at 70.50 m. So it was ( at the 10th world record of 70,20 m), the first woman to break the " sound barrier" of 70 m.