Career
At the age of twelve, Inga Artamonova began rowing, becoming Master of Sports of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics and winning in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Junior Championships. Later, she began speed skating. Over the course of her career, Artamonova set of a number of world records, including four in two days in 1962 when she set new marks on the 500 m, 1,500 m, and 3,000 m, which also resulted in a new world record on the mini combination (500 m – 1,000 m – 1,500 m – 3,000 m.
The distances then in use at the World Allround Championships for women).
Her husband Gennady, who could not deal with all Artamonova"s successes, had by this time become an alcoholic and seen his own speed skating career vanish. Murdered by Gennady at the age of 29, Artamonova was interred in the Vagankovskoye Cemetery in Moscow.
She is the author of the book "I Am Learning to Go on the Ground" (Russian: «Я учусь ходить по земле»), which was published after her death, in 1967. Over the course of her career, Artamonova skated 5 world records:.