Galina Bystrova (1934–1999) — Olympic medalist in the pentathlon.
In the annals of Russian track and field, the name of Galina Bystrova — bronze medalist at the XVIII Summer Olympic Games in the pentathlon and Honored Master of Sport — holds a prominent place. Her ascent to the Olympic podium is a shining example of how dedication, perseverance, and a fighting spirit can carry any athlete to their goal. Galina was born on February 8, 1934, in Nakhchivan. Her father, Pyotr Ivanovich Dolzhenkov, was the commander of a border post on the frontier between the Azerbaijan SSR and Iran. In 1940, a second daughter, Inna, was born into the Dolzhenkov family. Times were difficult — war felt close. And so it came. In 1941, Pyotr Ivanovich left for the front, and his family moved to City of Gorky.
The Dolzhenkovs settled in Kanavinsky District, near the Palace. Through those hard years, Anna Ivanovna did everything she could to keep her daughters healthy and properly fed. Her care was not in vain. Galya was naturally gifted physically — she loved to run, jump, and compete with her friends. By the age of 14 she had already made her mark at district school competitions, winning the high jump. Victories at city and regional championships soon followed. It was there that an experienced coach, Vasily Moiseyevich Bystrov, noticed her — the man who would later become her husband. Bystrov invited Galina to study at the physical culture technical college. The results of the promising young athlete were encouraging. At 18 she became European champion and record-holder in the junior women's pentathlon. Her first major victory came in 1956 in Moscow, at the First Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR. The favorite in the long jump was Galina Popova of Leningrad, the world record-holder. The day before, she had run the 100 meters faster than anyone else, and no expert doubted she would take a second gold medal in the long jump. But the unexpected happened. Twenty-two-year-old Galina Bystrova of Gorky seized the lead with a jump of 6 m 3 cm on her very first attempt. All her rival's efforts to improve on that result came to nothing. And so the athlete from the Burevestnik sports society became national champion for the first time — and simultaneously earned the right to compete at the Olympic Games in Melbourne. For the young athlete, the Olympics proved to be a stern test, but Galina was already prepared for hardship. In the final of the 80-meter hurdles she matched an Australian competitor with the third-fastest time — 11.0 seconds — but after deliberation the judges awarded the bronze medal to her rival. Galina Bystrova was not the kind of athlete to give up in the face of setback. She pressed on boldly and resolutely. Two years later, in Krasnodar, she set a world record in the 80-meter hurdles — 10.6 seconds — and at the European Championships in Stockholm she claimed two gold medals at once. Her second attempt at the Olympic summit came in 1960 in Rome. But once again fortune turned away from her. In the 80-meter hurdles final, Bystrova finished fifth. It is hard to convey what she felt in those moments. Yet even then Galina did not despair or abandon her dream; she continued to train relentlessly and performed successfully in major competitions. In 1962, at the European Championships in Vienna, she won her third gold medal — this time in the pentathlon. Then came 1964. The XVIII Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. The hurdles brought disappointment: she did not make the final. Now all her hopes rested on the pentathlon. And here, once again, her true fighting character showed itself. She performed brilliantly in every discipline of the pentathlon and, with 4,959 points, became an Olympic bronze medalist! Her long-held dream — to stand on the Olympic podium — had finally come true. Competition at the highest level did not prevent Galina Bystrova from completing her studies at the physical culture faculty of the Pedagogical University and being a devoted mother. In everyday life Galina was a modest and reserved person who was not particularly fond of giving interviews. Yet once, when a journalist asked her, "What is the secret of your success?" she answered honestly and frankly: "You have to want desperately to be first!"