Maria Ivanovna Gusakova (russian: Мари́я Ива́новна Гусако́ва; 2 February 1931 – 8 May 2022) was a

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

cross-country skier who competed from the late 1950s to the early 1960s for VSS Spartak. She won a complete set of Winter Olympic medals with a gold in the 10 km (1960), a silver in the 3 × 5 km relay (1960), and a bronze in the 10 km (1964). Gusakova also earned a complete set of medals at the 1962 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with a gold in the 3 × 5 km relay, a silver in the 10 km, and a bronze in the 5 km. Her husband

Nikolay Gusakov Nikolay Nikolayevich Gusakov (russian: Никола́й Гусако́в; May 14, 1934 – December 14, 1991) was a former Soviet nordic combined skier who won a bronze in the individual event at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. H ...

also competed at the 1960 Winter Olympics and claimed bronze in Nordic combined event.

Biography

She was born in the village of

Timoshkino Timoshkino (russian: Тимошкино) is a rural locality (a village) in Florishchinskoye Rural Settlement, Kolchuginsky District, Vladimir Oblast, Russia. The population was 7 as of 2010. Geography Timoshkino is located 27 km west of Ko ...

Shilovsky District Shilovsky District (russian: Ши́ловский райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #128-ZS and municipalLaw #102-OZ district (raion), one of the twenty-five in Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located in the center of the oblast. The area of the d ...

Ryazan Oblast Ryazan Oblast ( rus, Рязанская область, r=Ryazanskaya oblast, p=rʲɪˈzanskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities ...

Career

She made her international debut at the 1958 World Championships and placed at tenth position in 10 km event. She made her Olympic debut representing

Soviet Union at the 1960 Summer Olympics The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

and during when she made her Olympic debut, she wasn't considered as the top Soviet skier and wasn't a favorite or contention to win a medal at 1960 Olympics. But much to everyone's surprise, she defied the odds to win gold in the cross-country skiing women's 10km event at the 1960 Winter Olympics and managed to outclass her fellow Soviet skiers including Lyubov Kozyreva,

Radya Yeroshina Radya Nikolayevna Yeroshina (russian: Радья Николаевна Ерошина; 17 September 1930 – 23 September 2012) was a Soviet cross-country skier who competed in the 1950s and 1960s, training at Lokomotiv in Moscow. She won fo ...

and

Alevtina Kolchina Alevtina Pavlovna Kolchina (russian: Алевти́на Па́вловна Ко́лчина alternate spelling: Alevtina Koltsjina; 11 November 1930 – 1 March 2022) was a Soviet cross-country skier who competed during the 1950s and 1960s for ...

with a strong finish. She was actually trialling around 23 minutes behind the leader at the halfway point but managed to claim the gold in dramatic finish.https://www.olympic.org/mariya-gusakova This eventually also marked the first instance for Soviet Union for a podium finish at an Olympic event with Soviet skiers clean sweeping the 10 km event. She also added another medal to her tally at 1960 Olympics by claiming a silver 3 × 5 km relay event. She made her second Olympic appearance representing

Soviet Union at the 1964 Winter Olympics The Soviet Union (USSR) competed at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. Medalists Alpine skiing ;Men ;Men's slalom ;Women Biathlon ;Men Cross-country skiing ;Men ;Men's 4 × 10 km relay ;Women ;Women's 3 ...

. During the

1964 Winter Olympics The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games (german: IX. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Innsbruck 1964 ( bar, Innschbruck 1964, label=Austro-Bavarian), was a winter multi-sport event which was celebr ...

, she won the bronze medal in the women's 10 km event; her third and final Olympic medal of her career. She won a total of six Soviet national titles in her career including 10 km in 1960 and 1961, 5 km in 1960 and relay in 1958, 1962 and 1966.

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Olympic Games

* 3 medals – (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)

World Championships

* 3 medals – (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gusakova, Maria 1931 births 2022 deaths People from Shilovsky District Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Soviet female cross-country skiers Olympic cross-country skiers of the Soviet Union Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union Olympic bronze medalists for the Soviet Union Cross-country skiers at the 1960 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1964 Winter Olympics Spartak athletes Olympic medalists in cross-country skiing FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in cross-country skiing Medalists at the 1960 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1964 Winter Olympics Sportspeople from Ryazan Oblast