Vera Zozulya (russian: Вера Васильевна Зозуля, lv, Vera Zozuļa; born 15 January 1956 in Talsi,

Latvian SSR The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Latvian SSR), also known as Soviet Latvia or simply Latvia, was a federated republic within the Soviet Union, and formally one of its 16 (later 15) constituent republics. The Latvian Soviet Socialist Rep ...

) is a Soviet

luge A luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-first. A luger steers by using the calf muscles to flex the sled's runners or by exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh for s ...

r who competed during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's singles event at the

1980 Winter Olympics The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lake Placid 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States. Lake Placid was elected ...

in Lake Placid, New York. Zozulya also won a complete set of medals in the women's singles event at the FIL World Luge Championships with a gold in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

, a silver in

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

, and a bronze in

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

. At the FIL European Luge Championships, she won two medals in the women's singles event with a gold in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

and a bronze in

. She won the overall women's singles

Luge World Cup The Luge World Cup season is a yearly competition first organized by the International Luge Federation since 1977–78. The World Cup is the highest level season-long competition in the sport. Men's singles *Medals: Women's singles *Med ...

title in 1981-2. Zozulya later became a coach for lugers in the Soviet Union, Latvia, and Poland. She was inducted into the International Luge Federation Hall of Fame in 2006.

References

External links

Hickoksports.com results on Olympic champions in luge and skeleton.Hickok sports information on World champions in luge and skeleton.

1956 births Living people Latvian female lugers Soviet female lugers Lugers at the 1976 Winter Olympics Lugers at the 1980 Winter Olympics Lugers at the 1984 Winter Olympics Olympic lugers of the Soviet Union Olympic medalists in luge People from Talsi Medalists at the 1980 Winter Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union {{USSR-Winter-Olympic-medalist-stub