Maria Isakova

Maria Isakova
Medal record
Representing  Soviet Union
Women's speed skating
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1948 Turku Allround
Gold medal – first place 1949 Kongsberg Allround
Gold medal – first place 1950 Moscow Allround
Maria Isakova

Maria Grigoryevna Isakova (Russian: Мария Григорьевна Исакова; 5 July 1918 – 25 March 2011), nicknamed Cinderella of Vyatka, was a World Champion speed skater. She was born in Vyatka (now Kirov), Russian SFSR, and competed for the Soviet Union.

Isakova started skating at a very young age, spending many hours every day on the ice because she liked skating very much. Her speed prompted people in Vyatka to tell her to enter the Soviet Allround Championships. She hesitated but then relented to participate in the 1936 Soviet Allround Championships, pretending to be aged 17 (she was not allowed to compete at her true age of 15); she finished fifth. She would finally win in 1944 a silver all-round medal at the Soviet Championships; gold medals would follow the next five years. She also won the prestigious Kirov prize five times from 1938 to 1951.

Isakova participated in the World Allround Championships three times, winning gold every time. This made her the first female speed skater to become World Champion three times and, since her titles were consecutive, the first female speed skater to become World Champion in three consecutive years. For her achievements, Isakova was awarded the Order of Lenin.

Medals

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An overview of medals won by Isakova at important championships she participated in, listing the years in which she won each:

Championships Gold medal Silver medal Bronze medal
World Allround 1948
1949
1950
Soviet Allround 1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1951
1944
1950

World records

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Over the course of her career, Isakova skated one world record on the old Medeo natural icerink at Alma-Ata:

Event Result Date Venue
1,500 m 2:29.5 12 February 1951 Alma Ata - Old Medeo

Personal records

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To put these personal records in perspective, the WR column lists the official world records on the dates that Isakova skated her personal records.

Event Result Date Venue WR
500 m 47.7 8 January 1952 Alma-Ata - Old Medeo 46.4
1,000 m 1:37.2 16 February 1951 Alma-Ata - Old Medeo 1:38.8
1,500 m 2:29.5 12 February 1951 Alma-Ata - Old Medeo 2:36.7
3,000 m 5:21.7 23 January 1953 Alma-Ata - Old Medeo 5:21.3
5,000 m 9:32.0 1 February 1949 Moscow - TsDKA Stadion 9:28.3

References

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Notes

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Bibliography

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  • Bijlsma, Hedman with Tom Dekkers; Arie van Erk; Gé du Maine; Hans Niezen; Nol Terwindt and Karel Verbeek. Schaatsseizoen '96-'97: 25e Jaargang 1996-1997, statistische terugblik. Assen, the Netherlands: Stichting Schaatsseizoen, 1997. ISSN 0922-9582.
  • Eng, Trond. All Time International Championships, Complete Results: 1889 - 2002. Askim, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 2002.
  • Teigen, Magne. Komplette Resultater Internasjonale Mesterskap 1889 - 1989: Menn/Kvinner, Senior/Junior, allround/sprint. Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 1989. (Norwegian)
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