Russian former track and field sprinter
Olga Antonova (Russian: Ольга Антонова; née Nasonova; born 16 February 1960) is a Russian former track and field sprinter who competed for the Soviet Union. She represented her country at the World Championships in Athletics in 1983 and 1987, winning a relay medal at the latter edition. She was a bronze medallist over 200 m at the 1984 European Athletics Indoor Championships and was a two-time Soviet indoor champion over 60 metres.
Career
Antonova won her first international medal at the 1981 Universiade, where she was the 100 metres bronze medallist.[1] Her first full senior outing came at the 1981 IAAF World Cup, where as part of the Soviet 4×100 metres relay team (alongside Olga Zolotaryova, Lyudmila Kondratyeva and Natalya Bochina) she won a further bronze medal.[2]
A run of 11.24 seconds for the 100 m earned her a place at the inaugural 1983 World Championships in Athletics. She reached the semi-finals of the event and was the fastest athlete not to reach the final.[3] Antonova established her indoor pedigree by taking her first national title in the 60 metres at the Soviet Indoor Athletics Championships in 1984.[4] She opted for the longer 200 metres distance at the 1984 European Athletics Indoor Championships and came away with the bronze medal (although she was almost a second slower than the winner Jarmila Kratochvílová).[5]
Antonova slipped back in the national rankings after 1984 and only returned to the national team in 1987, after a lifetime best run of 11.19 seconds for the 100 m in Chelyabinsk.[2] She was chosen to run the anchor leg of the relay in a Soviet women's team including Irina Slyusar, Natalya Pomoshchnikova, and Natalya German. The team ended up a clear third place behind the American and East German women.[6]
Antonova did not compete internationally after 1987, though she achieved a second national title in the 60 m in 1988, setting a lifetime best of 7.25 seconds for the distance.[4]
Personal bests
National titles
International competitions
References