Faina Melnik

Faina Grigorievna Melnik (Russian: Фаина Григорьевна Велева-Мельник, Ukrainian: Фаїна Григорівна Мельник (Faina Hryhorivna Melnyk); 9 June 1945 – 16 December 2016) was a Soviet discus thrower, a 1972 Summer Olympics champion in the discus event. During her career she set 11 world records.[1][2]

Faina Melnik
Faina Melnik at the 1972 Olympics
Personal information
NationalitySoviet
Born9 June 1945
Bakota, Kamianets-Podilskyi Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died16 December 2016(2016-12-16) (aged 71)
Moscow, Russia
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight88 kg (194 lb)
Sport
Country Soviet Union
SportDiscus throw, shot put
ClubSevan Yerevan (1969–73)
Spartak Moscow (1976–80)
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)DT – 70.50 m (1976)
SP – 20.03 m (1976)
Medal record
Representing the  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1972 MunichDiscus
IAAF World Cup
Gold medal – first place1977 DüsseldorfDiscus
European Championships
Gold medal – first place1971 HelsinkiDiscus
Gold medal – first place1974 RomeDiscus
Universiade
Gold medal – first place1973 MoscowDiscus

Career
Faina Melnyk on a 2010 Armenian stamp

Melnik was Jewish, and was born in Bakota, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine.[2] At the 1972 Summer Olympics, she broke the Olympic record three times, and set a world record at 66.62 metres. She had already broken the world record, at the 1971 European Athletics Championships, representing the then Soviet Union.[3] In 1976 she had her best ever discus throw of 70.50 m, but finished only fourth at the 1976 Summer Olympics. At those Olympics she also competed in the shot put and finished tenth. She failed to reach the final in the discus event at the 1980 Games.[1]

Continuing to throw after the 1980 Olympics, she set the masters world record in the W35 division that has stood since 1980.[4]

Melnik graduated from the Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry and later worked as a dentist and athletics coach in Moscow. Her trainees include Natalya Lisovskaya and Svetlana Krivelyova. Melnik was married to Velko Velev, a Bulgarian discus thrower who also competed at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics.[1]

She later became the inspiration for Miss Trunchbull in the Roald Dahl children's book Matilda.[5]

See also

References
  1. Faina Melnik. Sports-reference.com.
  2. Paul Taylor (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics : with a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 236–. ISBN 978-1-903900-87-1.
  3. "Soviet Woman Sets World Discus Mark". New York Times. 13 August 1971. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  4. Records Outdoor Women Archived 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine. world-masters-athletics.org
  5. "16 Seemingly Competent Movie Villains Who Were Foiled By Kids". Ranker.
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