Irina Mikitenko

Irina Mikitenko, daughter-in-law of Leonid Mikitenko, started her Olympic career representing her birth country Kazakhstan at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She was eliminated in the 5,000 metres heat on that occasion. As she had German ancestors, she moved to Germany the same year as a late repatriate, and in 1998 she adopted German nationality.

Mikitenko then represented Germany at three of the next four Olympic Games, finishing fifth in 2000 and seventh in 2004 over 5,000 metres. At Beijing in 2008 she could not start due to a pelvic injury, but by London 2012, she had moved up to the marathon and finished 13th.

In 1998 Mikitenko was German national champion over 10,000 metres, and won the Silvester Run of Trier. The next year, she won the national title over 5,000 metres. In 2003, she won the Eastern Run of Paderborn and the Silvester Run of Bietigheim.

In 2005, Mikitenko gave birth to her first child and returned to professional running the following year. In 2007, she was German national champion in the half-marathon and came second at the Berlin Half-Marathon and Berlin Marathon. In 2008 and 2009 she won the London Marathon, and also the Berlin Marathon in the first of those years. In 2009, she finished second in the Chicago Marathon but was declared the winner in 2015 after the disqualification of Liliya Shobukhova due to doping violations.

In 2011, Mikitenko finished second again at the Berlin Marathon. In 2013, she placed third both at the Tokyo and the Berlin Marathons. She retired the following year. In 2008, she was named German Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Her husband Alexander was her coach.

Personal Bests: 5000 – 14:42.03 (1999); Mar – 2-19:19 (2008).