Larissa Latynina celebrates her 90th Birthday

Immediately after Christmas, on 27 December 2024, the world's most successful female Olympian celebrates her 90th birthday: Larissa LATYNINA was the absolute Olympic champion in 1956 in Melbourne and 1960 in Rome. She also won the gold in the team contest at the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympics. All in all she has nine golds, five silvers and four bronzes won at three Olympic Games in a row!
Latynina was born on December 1934 in the city of Kherson, Ukraine. She won her first gold medals in 1953, at competitions accompanying the World Festival of Youth and Students in Bucharest. In 1954, at the world championships in Rome Latynina won her first of her altogether nine world titles in the team competition. Ten years after her Olympic successes in Melbourne, at the age of 32 years, she won silver with the Soviet women's team - her last great international medal.
What an extraordinary career!

When her sports career was over, Latynina took command of the Soviet women’s gymnastics team to have spent three Olympic cycles at the helm.By the number of Olympic medals Latynina is second only to US swimmer Michael Phelps, with his 18 gold, two silver and two bronze awards, even if Latynina was put under heavy pressure in Paris 2024 by the now nine-time swimmer Katie Ledecky (USA) who is now also a nine-time gold medallist, but remained just behind her this time with ‘only’ four silver and one bronze, which is certainly not the last word from the 27-year-old exceptional swimmer.
* You will find more about Larissa Latynina on our > German speaking website