Itkina, Maria (1932—)

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Itkina, Maria (1932—)

Russian runner. Born in 1932.

Won the 200-meter race at the European championships (1954); won the 400-meter race at the European championships (1958, 1962).

The first 400-meter specialist and the first to successfully combine the 400 meter and the 200 meter, Maria Itkina was a formidable competitor from 1952 to 1962, winning three European titles. In 1960, with the 400 meter still absent from the Olympic agenda, Itkina had to run in the 200, placing fourth. (In both 1956 and 1960, her team placed fourth in the 4×100 meter relay.) The 400-meter race was first introduced as an Olympic event in 1964 in Tokyo. By that time, Itkina was 32. She placed fifth.