Yolanda Chen
Yolanda Chen (Russian: Иоланда Чен; born July 26, 1961 in Moscow) is a retired Russian athlete. She started as a pentathlete, but decided to specialize in long jump. In 1988 she achieved a personal best of 7.16 metres, a good result, but from 1992 she switched in triple jump instead, a relatively new event for women. Inspired by her father , who was among the world elite in the 1950s, she managed to jump 13.72 metres in 1992. Her great-grandfather was Eugene Chen.
In 1993 Iolanda Chen improved to 14.97 metres, a new outdoor record which would also remain her personal best. Her record was beaten at the World Championships the same year by fellow Russian Anna Biryukova, who jumped 15.09m. In 1995 Chen appeared at the World Indoor Championships and won the gold medal with 15.03 metres, a new world indoor record. This was a huge improvement from the previous championship record of 14.47m. Unfortunately she did not follow up this success, finishing 11th at the World Championships the same year.
Chen married pole vaulter . She now works as a commentator for the Russian Eurosport.
International competitions[]
Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing the Soviet Union | ||||||
1983 | Universiade | Edmonton, Canada | 5th | Long jump | 6.52 m | |
1989 | European Indoor Championships | The Hague, Netherlands | 2nd | Long jump | 6.86 m | |
Universiade | Duisburg, West Germany | 1st | Long jump | 6.72 m | ||
1990 | European Championships | Split, Yugoslavia | 5th | Long jump | 6.90 m | wind: +0.8 m/s |
Representing Russia | ||||||
1993 | World Indoor Championships | Toronto, Canada | 2nd | Triple jump | 14.36 m | |
World Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | 2nd | Triple jump | 14.70 m | ||
1994 | European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 4th | Triple jump | 14.48 m | w (+2.2 m/s) |
1995 | World Indoor Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 1st | Triple jump | 15.03 m | WR |
World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 11th | Triple jump | 14.05 m |
See also[]
- List of World Athletics Championships medalists (women)
- List of IAAF World Indoor Championships medalists (women)
- List of European Athletics Indoor Championships medalists (women)
References[]
- 1961 births
- Living people
- Athletes from Moscow
- Russian sports journalists
- Soviet female long jumpers
- Soviet female triple jumpers
- Russian female triple jumpers
- Russian female long jumpers
- Universiade gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Universiade gold medalists for the Soviet Union
- Medalists at the 1989 Summer Universiade
- World Athletics Championships athletes for Russia
- World Athletics Championships medalists
- World Athletics Indoor Championships winners
- Russian Athletics Championships winners
- Russian sportspeople of Chinese descent
- Soviet people of Chinese descent