Irina Press
Irina Natanovna Press was a multitalented Soviet athlete who competed at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics. In 1960 she won a gold medal in the 80 m hurdles and finished fourth in the 4 × 100 m relay. In 1964 she finished fourth in the hurdles and sixth in the shot put, but won gold in the newly introduced pentathlon event.
Together with her elder sister Tamara, Irina set 26 world records between 1959 and 1966. Both Press sisters ended their careers abruptly when gender verification was introduced. Some have suggested that the Press sisters were male or intersex. Another allegation was that they were being injected with male hormones by the Soviet government in order to make them stronger.
After retiring from competitions Press earned a degree in physical education and coached at her club Dynamo Moscow. She also took various posts in the Soviet sports administration, such as department head of the Soviet and later Russian State Committee on Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism. From 2000 and until her death in 2004 she headed the Moscow Committee of Physical Culture and Sports.
