Tatyana Zelentsova

Tatyana Petrovna Zelentsova (; born 5 August 1948) is a former Soviet Russian hurdler. She set two world records in the women's 400 metres hurdles and won the European Championship in 1978. After her athletic career she remained active in the sport as a coach.

Biography

Zelentsova was born in Novorossiysk on 5 August 1948. Early in her career, Zelentsova competed mostly in the 100 metres hurdles, an event in which she did not reach the international top level; when the women's 400 metres hurdles became a mainstream event in the mid-1970s, she switched to the new event and adapted to it rapidly. She was then sidelined by kidney problems, which required hospitalization and threatened her career; she recovered and returned in top shape. Two weeks before the 1978 European Championships Zelentsova broke the world record in Podolsk, running 55.31. then placed third at the 1979 Soviet Spartakiad; the winner, Marina Makeyeva, broke her world record. Zelentsova's students in Tashkent included relay world champion Sergey Lovachov. She continued coaching in America; her pupils in Arkansas have included LaVonna Martin, who won silver in the 100 metres hurdles at the 1992 Summer Olympics, as well as Russian runners Ekaterina Kostetskaya and Anastasiya Kapachinskaya.

National titles Soviet Athletics Championships 400 metres hurdles: 1976, 1978

International competitions