| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Тамара Владимировна Быкова |
| Full name | Tamara Vladimirovna Bykova |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Born | (1958-12-21)December 21, 1958 (age 67) |
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 59 kg (130 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Soviet Union (1980–1991) |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | High jump |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest | 2.05 m (1984) |
Medal record | |
Tamara Vladimirovna Bykova (Russian:Тамара Владимировна Быкова; born December 21, 1958) is a Russian formertrack and field athlete who represented theSoviet Union and competed in thehigh jump. She is the1983 World Champion, the1987 World Championship silver medallist, the1988 Olympic bronze medallist, and is a former world record holder, with clearances of 2.03 and 2.04 metres in 1983 and 2.05 metres in 1984. She also won silver medals at the1982 European Championships, the 1989 and 1991World Indoor Championships, and three times at theWorld Cup (1981, 1985 and 1989).
Bykova was born inAzov,Rostov,Russia and first came to international attention at the1980 Olympic Games inMoscow, where she finished ninth in the final with 1.88 meters. Six weeks later she won the Soviet championship with a jump 1.97 meters. At the 1981 World Cup inRome, she cleared 1.96 m to finish second to West Germany'sUlrike Meyfarth, who set a new world record with a jump of 2.02 meters. At the 1982 European championship inAthens, Bykova cleared 1.97 m to again finish second to Meyfarth. Then at the 1983 European Indoor Championship in Budapest, she cleared 2.03 meters to win the gold medal and set a new world indoor record.
At the1983 World Championships inHelsinki, Bykova and Meyfarth were the only to jumpers to clear 1.99 meters, but only Bykova could manage the next height of 2.01 meters, to become the inaugural world champion. The next meeting between the two came one month later at the European Cup inCrystal Palace inLondon. This time Meyfarth set a new world record by jumping over 2.03 meters, but only a few minutes later the Russian jumped over the same height to equal the world record, however she had needed one more attempt than the German and had to settle yet again for second place. Only four days later the two met again, this time inPisa. This time though, Bykova came out on top with a new world record of 2.04 meters.
In June 1984, Bykova once again broke the world record with a clearance of 2.05 metres. This height would remain her lifetime best. The record would stand for only a month, as Bulgaria'sLyudmila Andonova cleared 2.07 metres in July. Bykova was prevented from competing at the1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles due to the Soviet boycott.
In 1987, Bykova won a silver medal at theWorld Championships in Rome, with a clearance of 2.04 metres. The winner wasStefka Kostadinova of Bulgaria, with a new world record of 2.09 metres. At the1988 Olympic Games inSeoul, Bykova won the bronze medal with 1.99 metres, behind the American gold medal winnerLouise Ritter and the silver medallist Kostadinova.
Bykova received a three-month ban when she tested positive for the drug ephedrine at the Goodwill Games in 1990, and missed the European Championships held later that year.
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Women's High Jump World Record Holder August 25, 1983 – July 20, 1984 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Women's High Jump Best Year Performance 1983 | Succeeded by |
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