Lyudmila Lysenko rose to prominence in 1954, when she won her first medal, a silver at 800 metres, at the Soviet Championships and was selected for the 1954 European Championships team, where she won a bronze medal in the 800. Lysenko next competed internationally at the 1960 Olympics, where the 800 metres for women was returned to the program for the first time since 1928. After setting a world record of 2:04.3 two months before the Olympics, she was considered a medal contender. In the Olympic final, Dixie Willis from Australia led from the start to the final homestraight, but then stumbled and pulled of the track. The finish was a close race between Lysenko and another Australian, Brenda Jones, with Lysenko winning and equaling her own world record in the process. After the Olympics Lysenko also competed at the 1962 European Championships, but was eliminated in the heats of the 800 metres. Lysenko won nine Soviet titles – the 400 in 1955; the 800 in 1955-56, 1959, and 1961-62; and cross-country in 1960-62 and 1964. Lysenko worked as an athletics coach in Ukraine after finishing her sports career.
Personal Best: 800 – 2:04.50 (1960).
Soviet Union
Ukraine