Faina Melnik

[bambam1729]

Faina Melnik just died. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...=.404a9d67f8e9 - story does not give a lot of details

[DoubleRBar]

I remember her winning the discus in Munich. It was a few days after the Black September group's murders at the Olympic Village and the same day Frank Shorter won the marathon (final day of competition). Sorry to hear this news.

[Olli]

Perhaps I might also share my memory of Faina Melnik, which was in the early days of my T&F fandom, in Helsinki Olympic Stadium, EC 1971. I was 7 years old and had perhaps never heard about Faina Melnik. But I liked her name and said: "next Faina Melnik will throw a world record" and that indeed did happen. If I only had preserved that talent of clairvoyance, I might have made a fortune through betting. Alas, ...

[bambam1729]

Died 16 December 2016 in Moscow, for those keeping score.

[gh]

only woman discus thrower ever to be TFN's AOY

[mump boy]

Flump and I twice tried to get her to take a photo with us and twice she ran away !!

[El Toro]

Flump and I twice tried to get her to take a photo with us and twice she ran away !!

Your reputations precede you!

But seriously, Melnik also used (pioneered?) the heel turn at the back of the circle. I experimented with this method and got quite good at it but it only got me the same distance as any other approach. I might lace up the old shoes and take a throw in her memory next weekend.