PRESS Irina Nathanovna

Born March 10, 1939 in Kharkov. Father - Press Nathan Isayevich, in 1941 went to the front, in 1942, died in Leningrad. Mother - Press Lidia.

Sixtiers ... This definition means a lot. The dramatic changes in society, a new atmosphere of life, new ideals, idols. Khrushchev and Gagarin, Plisetskaya, Yuri Vlasov, Larissa Latynina, Valery Brumel, Irina and Tamara Press. These names - politics? 1, the first cosmonaut, an outstanding dancer, great athletes, each of which was the strongest, fastest, most agile in the world.

. Popularity Irina Press in 1960 was boundless, and the glory - a deafening and everywhere
. Her name "was in the air". Almost every day for a good ten years, the name sounded in reports on the radio, did not leave the pages of newspapers and magazines. Yes, and with might and main television broadcast Intra and international competitions. Irina and her sister Tamara Press, in fact, not lost them since 1958.

Thanks to the stadiums to collect thousands of Army fans. Look on the two-time Olympic champion, Beat or repeated almost every competition world records, went, as if in a theater for the premiere of prima donnas.

. Began as a "star" tops Irina hot Samarkand, where the family moved to press the war from his native Kharkov captured by the fascists
. Then many of the evacuees were pulled in the "grain" of the city of Central Asia. Bread family of the deceased on the front of the breadwinner is not always enough, and the mother of young daughters on his hands could not earn a lot of. However, had its charms: the hot sun, cheap fruit, melons famous Samarkand. And the stadium close to home - you want to, attend all year round: winter, as such, in understanding the natives of Ukraine, there was.

The older sister Tamara sports carried away a little earlier. Irina followed her. Her coach, Konstantin I. Kapustiansky tried to find her own "trail", defining the track.

. At 16 years old Irina for the first time took part in the All-sports day students, . performed in two adult level in running the 400 meters, . a year later, . in 1956, . tried his "crown" in the future pentathlon and won the right to participate, along with Tamara in Sports Day I of the USSR.,

. In 1957, Irina, again following the example of her elder sister, she moved to Leningrad, where he was admitted to the Institute of Railway Engineers, began to train at the famous school of Victor I. Alekseev
. And then he glorified his high school: won the regular-Union junior sports day in all-around and in the shot put.

The next two years brought new joy: Irina became the master of sports, first in the hurdles, and then - in the pentathlon. Symbolically, his first world record Irina Press found at All-Union competitions Dynamo at the end of 1959/60 season, having garnered 4880 points. It is in this sportobschestve still "young Dinamo" she began in athletics and has never cheated on him. Since then, until 1966, inclusive, of any protocol without the names of the biggest competitions Press the top line is not treated. Full Press has become synonymous with the word "victory".

In 1960, to improve their achievement even three times, Irina Press won Olympic gold in Rome ... in the run up to 80 meter hurdles. (Pentathlon competitions comprised entirely of Olympics species, while not yet been conducted.) A few months later, she was the first in the world won five thousandth rush, bringing in this discipline by acquiring points to 5137.

Over the past five years since the debut in the big sports Irina Press has achieved outstanding results: it was already ten times the champion of the country, the same time became the world record-holder. But in 1962, speaking at the European Championships, she seriously injured. On a year dropped out of the system - an injury would not allow her to train. Irina someone advised: "You already took my - the Olympic Games in Rome, won. Now think about tuition - graduate studies. And the sport will only keep you from science ". Irina half listened to - was admitted to the graduate of Moscow Institute of Railway Engineers and moved to Moscow. But the sport to leave and never thought. Continuing correspondence training with the remaining in Leningrad VI. Alexeyev, she was preparing for future Olympic starts.

It was a time, painstaking, carefully thought-out rehabilitation fitness. Her coach VI. Alekseev developed a series of exercises for it, found a sequence of lessons, their rhythm. All of this was to heal the damaged leg and maintain the minimum fitness level, without which it rapidly in order not return. And the task was daunting: not only come to the old world record in the pentathlon, but also to surpass it.

The main trump Irene in pentathlon - Men's 80 meter hurdles. Sure, she had felt in the "smooth running, and jumping, but in the form of athletics, where she performed his sister Tamara, who - in the shot put, the results were not so high. When in 1961 she set a world record in the pentathlon (5137 points), its core has flown 15 meters 26 centimeters. When, after a long break Irina again going to be in operation, and VI Alekseev decided to change her style in the shot put. According to his calculations, it is a purposeful work in the sector to push the nucleus had to help her set a new world record in the pentathlon. The very same athlete expected to overcome in the shot put 17-meter mark.

They worked, counting each movement. Alekseev constantly inventing exercises. Irina trained with spirit, enthusiasm. In this risk - they are the first to comprehend the world in the pentathlon unknown loads. Meanwhile, the core of falling farther and farther ..

. During preparations for the Olympics in Tokyo, Irina Press thrice repeated personal world record in the hurdles (10, . 5 seconds), . met standards, . gave the right to play for the USSR, . became the winner of the primacy of the country on smooth sprint,
. At an Olympic medal could claim, and in shot put: its result in the shot put - 17 meters 21 centimeters - was the fifth in the world and depart from the highest attainment of all the sisters on meter.

Every pentathlon as she confirmed the glory of "jack of all trades" - her performance, few could outdo and out of narrow specialists.

At the Olympics in Tokyo, VI. Alekseev still feared for his leg Irina - could let them know about me its trauma ... But she sped to victory as the wings and set a world record! Typically, the Olympics are rarely set world records in such debilitating events, as all-around. But Irina nobody could stop. No strong rival, or injury ...

Even Victor was not suspected in any patient with his back to act within two days Irina Press. A week before the start of training in Kyoto, she gripped the arm so that she could not straighten. Rescued her masseuse team Evdokia Matveyevna Stepanova. She - fairy massage - has done much for the successful performance of Irene.

In Tokyo, she won a gold medal with a fantastic result in her Crown Pentathlon. It is, moreover, took the sixth place among the shot-putter, bringing our football team of the USSR important point. New world record Irina Press - 5246 points - remained "eternal". After her departure from the sport has changed women's all-around, becoming a heptathlon. The same story with the barrier distance, when Irina Press brought the bar up to world record 10.3 seconds, the female barrier distance increased to 100 meters.

As in sports have come and gone from his sister's Press simultaneously. Undefeated, not even opened all the possibilities in their prime. Irina turned only 27. But life in the Soviet sports was like a movement in the near train with short stops. Stopping them, could completely fall behind in their flight.

In 1967 Irina Press enrolled in graduate school VNII physical education and began working in the Central Office of the All-Union Society "Dinamo". In 1972 she defended her dissertation for the degree of candidate of pedagogical sciences. In his native sportobschestve uniting frontier and internal troops, the bodies of internal affairs and state security, Irina Nathanovna consistently led the charge plots. Directed the department and administration, and later became chairman Rossiyskogo Board, Deputy Chairman of the Central Council Dynamo. Its certified officer, and after 20 years of distinguished service, she received the rank of colonel of internal service.

All these years, her daily life was devoted to working with staff and the education of future champions. And this at a time when "Dinamo", in fact, is the most representative source of acquisition of the Olympic teams and national teams in many sports. Their pets Irina Nathanovna all the time trying to keep the most promising helped to move forward. The same Alex Malyukov, with the participation of Irina Press ensnared in the Olympic Training Center, then he headed it, too, rose to colonel's stars. Present vice-president SFRM Russia, Doctor of Legal Sciences police colonel Yuri Filippovich Podlipnyaka 30 years ago, Irina Nathanovna also identified in this Center. After the stages of a great sport, then he had long labored under its very beginning, the deputy chief in the department of winter and the mass sports CA Dynamo. Worked with her and Olympic champions: the wrestler Nikolai Balboshin, gymnasts Mikhail Voronin, Valery Karasev, Grigory Kosykh arrows and many others.

Following the resignation of Irina Press were invited to the State Committee for Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism, to head the department, where she worked until November 2000. She is currently working as a Head of the Committee of Physical Culture and Sports of the Government of Moscow.

Honored Master of Sports of the USSR I.N. Press - two-time Olympic champion (1960, 1964), repeated the world record holder and European (7 times in 1959-1965), a multiple champion of the USSR (13 times in 1959-1967, respectively) in the hurdles and athletics pentathlon. Her outstanding sporting achievements awarded two Orders of Honor "(1961, 1965), the Order of Friendship (1997), medals.

November 4, 2001 by Presidential Decree VV. Putin I.N. Press was given the honorary title "Honored Worker of Physical Culture of Russia".

Lives and works in Moscow.