Inga Artamonova

Who was Inga Artamonova?

Inga Grigoryevna Artamonova was a Soviet speed skater, the first four-time Allround World Champion in women's speed skating history. After her marriage in 1959 to fellow speed skater Gennady Voronin, she was also known as Inga Voronina.

At the age of twelve, Inga Artamonova began rowing, becoming Master of Sports of the USSR and winning in the USSR Junior Championships. Later, she began speed skating. Skating for Dynamo in Moscow, Artamonova won the World Allround Speed Skating Championships in 1957, 1958, and 1962, and was second in 1963 and 1964 before capturing her fourth World Championships title in 1965. She also was five times Soviet Allround Champion and 26 times Soviet Champion in individual distances. Over the course of her career, Artamonova set of a number of world records, including four in two days in 1962 when she set new marks on the 500 m, 1,500 m, and 3,000 m, which also resulted in a new world record on the mini combination. She was also eight times winner of the prestigious Kirov Prize, winning all editions between 1958 and 1965.