9 sex symbols of Soviet sports (PHOTO)

Anna Dmitrieva

An 18-time tennis champion of the Soviet Union in singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. In 1958, she was the first Soviet athlete to participate in the Junior Wimbledon and became a finalist. After her career ended, Dmitrieva became a sports commentator.

Larisa Petrik

The gymnast's had many victories at all-union championships, including gold at the USSR Championship in balance beam and silver in the all-around, vault and floor exercise. Petrik is an ‘Absolute Champion of the Soviet Union’ and a world champion in the team competition. At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, she won gold in the team competition and floor exercise, as well as bronze in balance beam exercises.

Valentina Stenina

At the World Championships in Esterund in 1960, this speed skater became World Champion in the classic all-around and, in the same year, she won silver in the 3,000-meter distance at the Olympics in Squaw Valley. She repeated her success a year later at the World Championships in Tønsberg, Norway, and in 1964 at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck. 

Emma Gapchenko

Fourteen-time USSR record holder in archery, 10-time champion of Moscow. Gapchenko set two world records: In M-1 exercises (sequential shooting at different distances) she scored 1,235 points and, at a distance of 50 meters - 311 points. In 1971, Emma Gapchenko became the absolute world champion and, a year later in Munich, she was the first Soviet archer to win an Olympic bronze medal. 

Larisa Latynina

One of the most decorated female athletes in history: Latynina has 18 Olympic medals to her credit, including nine gold, five silver and four bronze. At the European Championships in Bucharest in 1957, Larisa Latynina won all the gold medals. A year later, she became the triumphant winner of the world championship in Moscow, winning five gold and one silver medal.

Natalia Kuchinskaya

She was called the most beautiful gymnast of the Soviet Union. She made her debut in the USSR Championship in 1964. Two years later, she shone at the World Championships in Dortmund, where she won three gold medals. In 1968, Kuchinskaya competed at the Olympics in Mexico City: she not only won the balance beam exercises and the team competition, but also won the hearts of fans. They called her the ‘Bride of Mexico’ and the son of the country's president even proposed to her.

Ekaterina Gordeeva

The spectacular pair of Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov have charmed fans all over the world. Together, they have shone at major figure skating championships: they have victories at the European and World Championships under their belt. The pair's free skating program to the music of Mendelssohn, Mozart and Chopin remains one of the most impressive performances in the history of figure skating.

Yolanda Chen

Chen took her first steps in sports in figure skating, moved on to pentathlon and then chose the long jump and triple jump. In 1988, she made a jump of 7.16 meters. And, in the post-Soviet era, in 1995, she set a world record in the indoor triple jump - 15.03 meters. After finishing her sports career, Chen became a sports commentator.

Natalia Annenko

This bright blonde made a name for herself in the early 1980s, becoming world junior champion. Together with her partner Henry Sretensky, she competed in the European Championships - they won one silver and three bronze medals.