They conquered not only sporting heights and world records but also the hearts of fans around the globe. Anna Dmitrieva 18-time Soviet Union tennis champion in singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. In 1958, she became the first Soviet athlete to compete at the Wimbledon Juniors, reaching the final. After retiring, Dmitrieva became a sports commentator. Larisa Petrik The gymnast boasts numerous victories in national competitions, including gold at the USSR Championship on the balance beam, silver in the all-around, vault, and floor exercises. Petrik was the Absolute Champion of the Soviet Union and a world champion in team events. At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, she won gold in the team event and floor exercises, and bronze on the balance beam. Valentina Stenina At the 1960 World Championship in Östersund, the speed skater became world all-around champion and took silver in the 3000 meters at the Squaw Valley Olympics. She repeated her success at the 1961 World Championship in Tønsberg, Norway, and at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics. Emma Gapchenko A 14-time USSR archery record holder and 10-time champion of Moscow. Gapchenko set two world records: in the M-1 event (shooting at different distances), she scored 1235 points, and at 50 meters – 311 points. In 1971, she became the world absolute champion, and a year later in Munich, she became the first Soviet archer to win Olympic bronze. Larisa Latynina One of the most decorated athletes in history, Latynina won 18 Olympic medals, including nine gold, five silver, and four bronze. At the 1957 European Championships in Bucharest, Latynina won all the gold. A year later, she triumphed at the World Championships in Moscow, winning five gold and one silver medal. Natalia Kuchinskaya Dubbed the most beautiful gymnast in the Soviet Union, Kuchinskaya debuted at the USSR Championship in 1964. Two years later, she dazzled at the World Championships in Dortmund, winning three gold medals. In 1968, she competed at the Mexico City Olympics, where she won gold on the balance beam and in the team event, capturing the hearts of fans. They called her “Mexico’s Bride,” and the son of the country’s president even proposed to her. Ekaterina Gordeeva The stunning pair of Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov charmed fans worldwide. Together, they shone at major figure skating championships, winning European and world titles. Their free program set to the music of Mendelssohn, Mozart, and Chopin remains one of the most impressive performances in figure skating history. Iolanda Chen Chen began her sports career in figure skating, moved to pentathlon, and eventually chose long jump and triple jump. In 1988, she jumped 7.16 meters. In 1995, she set a world record in the indoor triple jump with a leap of 15.03 meters. After retiring, Chen became a sports commentator. Natalia Annenko The striking blonde made a name for herself in the early 1980s, becoming the junior world champion. Together with her partner Heinrich Sretensky, she competed at the European Championships, earning one silver and three bronze medals.