Ludmila Kondratieva Track and field athlete Date of Birth: 11.04.1958 Country: Russia

Biography of Lyudmila Kondratyeva

Lyudmila Kondratyeva was a Soviet athlete specializing in sprinting. At the age of 11, she entered the world of sports, and after 11 years of training, she became the 11th Olympic champion in the 100-meter race. Her life was compressed into eleven victorious seconds.

Before that day, Lyudmila Kondratyeva had held many prestigious titles, but she had yet to achieve the most important one in sports. And she earned it through honest competition, accomplishing a feat that would undoubtedly be recorded in sports history, as one report on her victory at the 1980 Moscow Olympics stated.

Life rushes forward swiftly. Today's events quickly overshadow yesterday's memories, pushing them further into the corners of our minds. In the years that separated us from the Moscow Olympics, many significant events took place in Lyudmila Kondratyeva's life. She got married to Yuri Sedov, gave birth to a daughter, and acquired new interests and responsibilities. However, the memories of that remarkable day, July 26, 1980, when she became an Olympic champion in the 100-meter race for the first time, will likely never fade from her memory.

Before that memorable day, Lyudmila's life was divided into two equal parts - at the age of 11, she started her journey in athletics, and 11 years later, she became an Olympic champion. Interestingly, the number 11 played a significant role in Kondratyeva's sports career. At the age of 11, she entered the world of sports, and after 11 years, she ran the distance in 11 seconds to become the 11th Olympic champion in the 100-meter race.

Kondratyeva was one of those naturally talented athletes. "Her talent was evident, striking to the eye," recalled one of her mentors. She was described as a "charged spring," capable of instantaneous action. Every coach dreams of having athletes like her. Her character was competitive, sometimes stubborn, but it is said that it is difficult to turn a docile person into a champion.

Lyudmila took her first steps in athletics in her hometown of Shakhty under the guidance of L.I. Pavlenko. Her training was diverse, as she enjoyed both running and jumping. At the age of 14, she achieved the first-class rank in the 500-meter race, and at the age of 16, she became a candidate for the Master of Sports in high jump.

In 1972, Kondratyeva moved to Rostov, where she trained under N.V. Lazarchenko at a specialized athletics sports school. Her coach was tempted to make her a heptathlete. She was fast in running, including hurdle races, and excelled in high and long jumps. However, Lazarchenko recognized her potential as an excellent sprinter. In 1973, at the age of 15, Kondratyeva made her debut in international competitions, winning the 100-meter race in a match between the USSR and the USA. In the same year, she became a Master of Sports in sprinting.

The following year marked another milestone in her career. At the age of 16, Kondratyeva reached the final in the adult national championship, earning her a spot in the main squad of the Soviet national team. However, her greatest achievements were yet to come.

Kondratyeva's peak performance occurred during four seasons - 1978-1980 and 1982. During this time, she won three gold medals at the Summer Championships, five top awards at the Winter Championships of the Soviet Union in the 60m, 100m, and 200m races, became a two-time European champion, and emerged as the victor at the Moscow Olympics. She also set six national records, one of which surpassed the world record.

Her "golden" four years began in 1978 when she won the European Championships in Prague. For 24 years, no Soviet athlete had won the 200-meter race at the continental championship, and the Soviet relay team had not won at these tournaments for the same period. Kondratyeva ended this drought by winning the gold medal in the 200m race and the relay event. She continued her success in 1979, winning all major competitions she participated in as part of her Olympic preparations.

Then came that memorable day in July 1980 when Lyudmila Kondratyeva ascended to the highest pedestal of honor on the track of the Central Lenin Stadium. Photos of the slender, beautiful Lyudmila with tears in her eyes circulated in almost every newspaper worldwide. It was her shining moment, and shortly after the 1980 Olympics, she was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples.