Raisa Petrovna Smetanina (; born 29 February 1952) is a Komi cross-country skiing champion, representing the Soviet Union and later the Unified Team at the Winter Olympic games. 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.
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.
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).
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) Year Age 5 km 10 km 15 km Pursuit 20 km 30 km 4 × 5 km relay 1976 23 Silver Gold Gold 1980 27 Gold 4 Silver 1984 31 11 Silver Silver 4 1988 35 10 Silver Bronze — 1992 39 — 4 — — Gold
World Championships 11 medals – (4 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze) Year Age 5 km 10 km classical 10 km freestyle 15 km 20 km 30 km 4 × 5 km relay 1974 21 Bronze — Gold 1978 25 Bronze Silver 5 Bronze 1980 27 Bronze 1982 29 15 — Gold Silver 1985 32 8 4 7 Gold 1987 34 4 9 — — 1989 36 5 — 4 — Silver 1991 38 11 — — 27 Gold
World Cup Season standings Season Age Overall 1982 30 21 1983 31 8 1984 32 1985 33 8 1986 34 14 1987 35 10 1988 36 6 1989 37 11 1990 38 13 1991 39 14 1992 40 18
Individual podiums 3 victories 16 podiums No. Season Date Location Race Level Place1 1981–8226 February 1982 Oslo, Norway 20 km Individual World Championships 1st2 1982–83 5 March 1983 Lahti, Finland 5 km Individual World Cup 2nd3 1983–84 9 February 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia 10 km Individual Olympic Games 2nd4 18 February 1984 20 km Individual Olympic Games 2nd5 25 February 1984 Falun, Sweden 10 km Individual World Cup 1st6 3 March 1984 Lahti, Finland 5 km Individual World Cup 2nd7 8 March 1984 Oslo, Norway 20 km Individual World Cup 3rd8 24 March 1984 Murmansk, Soviet Union 10 km Individual World Cup 2nd9 1984–8523 February 1985 Syktyvkar, Soviet Union 20 km Individual World Cup 1st10 1985–86 15 February 1986 Oberstdorf, West Germany 20 km Individual C World Cup 3rd11 22 February 1986 Kavgolovo, Soviet Union 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd12 1986–87 21 March 1987 Oslo, Norway 20 km Individual C World Cup 2nd13 1987–88 19 December 1987 Reit im Winkl, West Germany 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd14 14 February 1988 Calgary, Canada 10 km Individual COlympic Games 2nd15 25 February 1988 20 km Individual FOlympic Games 3rd16 1989–90 14 January 1990 Moscow, Soviet Union 7.5 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
Team podiums
3 victories 9 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammates1 1981–82 24 February 1982 Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay World Championships 2nd Lyadova / Zabolotskaya / Kulakova2 1983–84 26 February 1984 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay World Cup 3rd Markashanskaya / Zimyatova / Burlakova3 1984–8522 January 1985 Seefeld, Austria 4 × 5 km Relay World Championships 1st Tikhonova / Vasilchenko / Reztsova4 1988–89 22 February 1989 Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships 2nd Shamshurina / Tikhonova / Välbe5 12 March 1989 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Lazutina / Tikhonova / Välbe6 1989–90 4 March 1990 Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 2nd Nageykina / Yegorova / Lazutina7 1990–9115 February 1991 Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships 1st Yegorova / Tikhonova / Välbe8 15 March 1991 Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Nageykina / Tikhonova / Välbe9 1991–9218 February 1992 Albertville, France 4 × 5 km Relay C/F Olympic Games 1st Välbe / Lazutina / Yegorova
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