Tetyana Apaycheva (née Khamitova, Divorced Samolenko and Dorovskykh, ua, Тетяна Володимирівна Апайчева, née Хамітова, born 12 August 1961) is a Ukrainian retired

middle-distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1 ...

who represented the

Soviet Union 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, ...

until 1991, the Unified Team in 1992, and later

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. She is the 1988 Olympic champion in the 3000 metres.

Career

As Tetyana Samolenko, she was the leading female middle-distance runner of the late 1980s. She is the 1988 Olympic champion at 3000 metres, the 1987 World champion at both 1500 metres and 3000 metres, and the 1987 World Indoor champion at 3000 metres. At 1500m, she also won Olympic bronze (1988), World Indoor silver (1987), European silver (1986) and the 1986 Goodwill Games title. Having given birth in 1990, she returned to competition in 1991 competing as Tetyana Dorovskikh, and retained her

World title A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

at 3000 metres, as well winning a silver medal in the 1500 metres final behind Hassiba Boulmerka. Her last major competition was the 1992 Olympic Games, where she won a silver medal in the 3000 metres and finished fourth in the 1500 metres final. Her previous performances were somewhat soured when she tested positive for drug use in June 1993, which effectively brought an end to her career.

Personal life

She was born in a village called Sekretarka in Severny District, Orenburg Oblast, Russia, and grew up in

Zaporizhzhia Zaporizhzhia ( uk, Запоріжжя) or Zaporozhye (russian: Запорожье) is a city in southeast Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is the administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zaporizhzhia has a populat ...

, Ukraine. Her second husband was the race walker

Viktor Dorovskikh Viktor Dorovskikh (russian: Виктор Доровских; born 19 October 1950) is a race walker who represented the Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental cou ...

. Her third husband is the former Olympic decathlete

Oleksandr Apaychev Oleksandr Valentynovych Apaychev (russian: Александр Валентинович Апайчев; ua, Олександр Валентинович Апайчев; born 6 May 1961) is a former Soviet Ukrainian decathlete. His personal be ...

Personal bests

*800 metres - 1:58.56 - Donetsk 1985 *1500 metres - 3:57.92 - Barcelona 1992 *3000 metres - 8:26.53 - Seoul 1988

International competitions

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorovskikh, Tetyana 1961 births Living people People from Severny District, Orenburg Oblast Soviet female middle-distance runners Ukrainian female middle-distance runners Olympic athletes of the Soviet Union Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union Olympic bronze medalists for the Soviet Union Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics World Athletics Championships athletes for the Soviet Union World Athletics Championships medalists European Athletics Championships medalists Doping cases in athletics Ukrainian sportspeople in doping cases Soviet sportspeople in doping cases Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR Recipients of the Order of Princess Olga, 3rd class Ukrainian people of Russian descent Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for the Unified Team Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field) Goodwill Games medalists in athletics Soviet Athletics Championships winners World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists World Athletics Indoor Championships winners World Athletics Championships winners Competitors at the 1986 Goodwill Games