Tamara Bykova

Tamara Vladimirovna Bykova (Russian Тамара Владимировна Быкова, English transcription Tamara Bykova, . Born December 21, 1958 in Rostov-on- Don, Rostov Oblast ) is a former Russian high jumper and Olympic bronze medalist

Tamara Bykova had a long and successful sporting career with three world records. Numerous trophies and medals speak for their successes, even if they, the direct encounter lost to their biggest opponents, the German Ulrike Meyfarth and after its cancellation, the Bulgarian Stefka Kostadinowa mostly.

Career

At the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, she had her first major international appearance but was in such a bad shape that they just jumped the height of 1.88 m, which only reached to a 9th place. 6 weeks later, she won the Soviet Championships with a height of 1.97 m. At the World Cup in Rome in 1981 and Meyfarth they were the only athletes who skipped the 1.96 m. However, there was only enough for a 2nd place. At the European Championships in 1982 in Athens Bykova jumped again the 1.97 m, but again they remained behind Meyfarth only second one since Meyfarth with a new world record skipped the 2.02 m. Then, at the European Indoor Championships 1983 in Budapest she succeeded finally a jump over 2.03 meters, which meant the gold medal and setting a new world record.

At the World Championships 1983 in Helsinki Ulrike Meyfarth and Tamara Bykova the last jumpers were back in the competition. Both had skipped the height of 1.99 m, but Bykova had needed a try more. Then she jumped over 2.01 m, Meyfarth not make it this time, the height and finished in 2nd place. The next meeting of the two was held in London at the European Cup in the stadium of Crystal Palace. This time put Meyfarth ago with a new world record 2.03 m and a few minutes later jumped the Russian the same height, but she needs a more experimental and had to settle back to the 2nd place. Only four days later, the two met each other again, this time in Pisa. And again, the two were the last jumpers. But this time Bykova decided the final battle again in their favor with a new world record of 2.04 m.

At the European Indoor Championships in 1987, she jumped 1.94 meters and won silver behind Stefka Kostadinowa. At the World Indoor Championships in 1987 shortly after Bykova was fourth, with 1.94 m, while Kostadinowa with 2.05 m set a new indoor world record. In the summer at the 1987 World Championships Bykova jumped 2.04 m. Again, she won silver, because Kostadinowa improved the outdoor world record in this competition to 2.09.

At the Olympic Summer Games in Seoul in 1988, she won the bronze medal in the high jump, behind the US-American Louise Ritter ( gold) and Stefka Kostadinowa (silver).

At the World Indoor Championships in 1989, she was again the winner Kostadinowa before Tamara Bykova that here with 2.00 meters two inches less than the Bulgarian jumped. In the summer she was at the European Cup for the fourth time in a row (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989 ) Second. During the subsequent World Cup it was after 1981 and 1985 for the third time in second.

After Bykova the European championship 1990 season had to cancel due to a three -month ban ( ephedrine ), she was there again at the World Indoor Championships in 1991. With 1.97 meters, she won a silver last time, this time behind the German Heike Henkel.

Bykova is 1,79 m tall and weighed about 62 kg competition times.