Lydia Skoblikova Biography

1939-

Russian speed skater

Before American speed skaters Eric Heiden and Bonnie Blair raced to fame as Olympic champions, Soviet speed skater Lydia Skoblikova set a standard of excellence. She was the first athlete, man or woman, to win six gold medals in Olympic competition and remains the only woman to win four gold medals in a single Winter Olympic Games. Along the way, she debunked stereo-types about women athletes, Soviets in particular. Three decades later, despite the lack of widespread name recognition, her accomplishments still stand among the greatest in the sport.