 Aksana Miankova 2010 on a Belarusian stamp | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Belarusian |
| Born | 28 March 1982 (1982-03-28) (age 43) |
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 85 kg (187 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Belarus |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Hammer throw |
| Club | RTsFVS Mahilyow |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest | 79.12 m (2012) |
Aksana Miankova, also transliterated asOksana Menkova, (Belarusian:Аксана Мянькова, born 28 March 1982) is aBelarusian formerhammer thrower.
Miankova began learning the hammer throw in her late teens. Women's hammer competitions were still a developing sport at that point and she soon won a number of regional competitions. She competed in the qualifying rounds of the2002 European Athletics Championships and, after asilver medal at the2003 European Athletics U23 Championships, she represented Belarus at the2003 World Championships in Athletics. Her health suffered in the winter months during this period, however, and her lack of training time hindered her performance in her early career.[1]
She finished fifth at the2005 Summer Universiade and took part in the2007 World Championships without reaching the final.
Miankova originally won the gold medal at2008 Beijing Olympics with a throw of 76.34 metres, anOlympic record.[2] In 2016, she was stripped of her Olympic medal after a re-analysis of her drug sample tested positive.[3]
On 25 November 2016 theIOC disqualified her from both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games and struck her results from the record for failing a drugs test in a re-analysis of her doping samples from 2008 and 2012.[4]
She missed some of the 2010 season due to taking maternity leave from the sport.[5] She gave birth to a daughter, Arina Menkova, in September that year and she vowed to return to top form in 2011.[6]
Miankova had a personal best throw of 78.19 metres in April 2012 inBrest. This was the third longest throw by a woman. She equalled this feat at the Olympic Champions meeting inMinsk two months later,[7] then improved to 78.69 m in July, moving up to second of all time behindBetty Heidler.[8]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Belarus | ||||
| 2001 | European Junior Championships | Grosseto, Italy | 5th | 59.24 m |
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 27th (q) | 60.13 m |
| 2003 | European U23 Championships | Bydgoszcz,Poland | 2nd | 67.58 m |
| World Championships | Paris, France | 22nd (q) | 64.11 m | |
| 2005 | Universiade | Izmir, Turkey | 5th | 69.09 m |
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 23rd (q) | 62.85 m |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | — | NM |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing,PR China | DSQ | 76.34 m |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | DSQ | 69.58 m |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | DSQ | 74.40 m |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | DSQ | 66.65 m |
