In the USSR, great attention was paid to the development of swimming. One of the outstanding Soviet athletes was Natalya Ustinova. She took part in two Olympics and won the bronze medal at the 1964 Olympics. European Swimming Champion in 1966.
Natalya Andreevna Ustinova is a famous Soviet swimmer, bronze medalist of the 1964 Olympics. She made a huge contribution to the development of the swimming school in the USSR.
Biography
ON THE. Ustinova was born in the city of Tashkent, Uzbek SSR. Here she began to study swimming. At first she was engaged in the pool as an amateur, and later she moved to a professional level. She studied swimming with the coach A. E. Shpolyansky, it was he who saw in her a huge sports potential. She posed for the Tashkent club "Trudovye Rezervy". There she was noticed and invited to train in the USSR Olympic team. The hard training continued for several years. Natalia worked literally for wear and tear, not sparing herself. I did everything to achieve the best sporting results. And she was honored to represent our country at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo (Japan).
At this Olympics, she lived up to the hopes of her coaches and won the bronze medal in the mixed relay. It was a great success. At her second 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, she did not reach the final 100 meters. It was her fatal mistake, which cost her defeat. At the European Championships, the Soviet team, together with Natalya, became the champion in the 4x100 m freestyle relay. At the USSR championships, she became the champion in the 4x100 m freestyle relay, and in the individual 100-meter race in 1964 and 1968.
She was also a sixteen-time record holder of the USSR (in 1962-1968). She became champion in 1964, 1968 - 100 m; 1963 - relay race 4x100 m / s. Silver: 1962, 1963 - 100 m; 1966, 1968 - 200 m; 1964 - 400 m And bronze: 1965, 1966 - 100 m; 1967 - 200 m; 1963.
Best athletic performance
100 m (in freestyle swimming) - 1, 02.3 (in 1966),
200 m (also freestyle) - 2, 17.9 (1968)
Life after sports
Natalia completed her sports career in 1968. After graduation, she worked as a coach in the Olympic pool. Now she is retired, brings up her grandchildren and enjoys reading books, knitting and gardening. Now no one from the people even recognizes the former famous athlete and Olympic champion in an ordinary pensioner. She practically does not differ in appearance from her peers.
Personal life and family
Natalia has been married for many years, she has two children, a son and a daughter. When faced with a choice of family or career, she chose marriage and having children. She gave birth to them after leaving the big sport. Although she taught them to swim from childhood, they never became athletes. The son works as an engineer, and the daughter as a doctor. They are adults, they have their own families and children.
