Career

She is the current world record holder in the Long jump. She has held the record since June 11, 1988. She trained at Burevestnik in Moscow.

Later that year she underwent a knee operation but never returned to her old form.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union she became a Russian citizen. At the end of her career she received Slovak citizenship and represented Slovakia.

This mark was bettered by Dana Velďáková. Married to retired triple jumper Aleksander Beskrovnyi, the couple now lives in Slovakia.

Achievements

• Competing in long jump, Galina Chistyakova won the 1985 European Indoor Championships and a silver medal at the European Championships one year later. In 1988 she managed to win an Olympic bronze medal in Seoul as well as jumping 7.52 metres, the current world record for women. More gold medals at Indoor Championships followed, and in 1990 she even won the first triple jump event held at the European Indoor Championships. She used to hold the Slovak triple jump record with 14.41 metres, achieved in July 1996 in London.