Aksana Miankova

Aksana Miankova

Aksana Miankova 2010 Belarusian stamp.jpg
Personal information
Born 28 March 1982 (age 33)
Krychaw, Belarus
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 85 kg (187 lb)
Sport
Country  Belarus
Sport Athletics
Event(s) Hammer throw
Club RTsFVS Mahilyow

Aksana Miankova, also transliterated as Oksana Menkova, (Belarusian: Аксана Мянькова, born 28 March 1982) is a Belarusian hammer thrower. She won the gold medal at 2008 Beijing Olympics with a throw of 76.34 metres, an Olympic record.[1] Her personal best of 78.69 m ranks her as the second best woman of all-time.

Miankova began learning the hammer throw in her late teens. Women's hammer competitions were still a developing sport at that point and she soon won a number of regional competitions. She competed in the qualifying rounds of the 2002 European Athletics Championships and, after a silver medal at the 2003 European Athletics U23 Championships, she represented Belarus at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics. Her health suffered in the winter months during this period, however, and her lack of training time hindered her performance in her early career.[2]

She finished fifth at the 2005 Summer Universiade and took part in the 2007 World Championships without reaching the final. She missed some of the 2010 season due to taking maternity leave from the sport.[3] She gave birth to a daughter, Arina Menkova, in September that year and she vowed to return to top form in 2011.[4]

She had a personal best throw of 78.19 metres in April 2012 in Brest. This was the third longest throw by a woman. She equalled this feat at the Olympic Champions meeting in Minsk two months later,[5] then improved to 78.69 m in July, moving up to second of all time behind Betty Heidler.[6]

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing  Belarus
2001 European Junior Championships Grosseto, Italy 5th 59.24 m
2002 European Championships Munich, Germany 27th (q) 60.13 m
2003 European U23 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 2nd 67.58 m
World Championships Paris, France 22nd (q) 64.11 m
2005 Universiade Izmir, Turkey 5th 69.09 m
2006 European Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 23rd (q) 62.85 m
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan — NM
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, PR China 1st 76.34 m
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 13th (q) 69.58 m
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 7th 74.40 m
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 22nd (q) 66.65 m

References

  1. ↑ Oksana Menkova. sports-reference.com
  2. ↑ Dubitski, Mikhail (28 July 2008). Focus on Athletes – Aksana Miankova. IAAF. Retrieved on 14 June 2012.
  3. ↑ Dubitski, Mikhail (5 June 2010). Karolchyk-Pravalinskaya puts 19.95m; Pchelnik 73.03m in Minsk. IAAF. Retrieved on 6 June 2010.
  4. ↑ Oksana Menkova gets ready to return to the ring. European Athletics (25 October 2010). Retrieved on 28 October 2010.
  5. ↑ Dubitski, Mikhail (14 June 2012). Ostapchuk improves to 21.13m, Menkova hammers 78.19m in Minsk. IAAF. Retrieved on 14 June 2012.
  6. ↑ Dubitski, Mikhail (19 July 2012). National records and world leads for Miankova and Ostapchuk in Minsk. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 July 2012.

External links