Raisa Smetanina

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).

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

Team podiums

3 victories 9 podiums

Note: Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.