Olga Kaniskina

Olga Kaniskina

Kaniskina at Osaka 2007
Personal information
Born	(1985-01-19) January 19, 1985 (age 32)
Height	1.59 m (5 ft 2 1⁄2 in)
Weight	43 kg (95 lb)
Sport
Country	Russia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	20km Race Walk
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 0 World Championships 1 0 0 European Championships 1 1 0 Total 3 1 0 Summer Olympics 2008 Beijing 20 km walk World Championships 2007 Osaka 20 km walk European Championships 2010 Barcelona 20 km walk 2006 Gothenburg 20 km walk

Olga Nikolayevna Kaniskina (Russian: О́льга Никола́евна Кани́ськина; born January 19, 1985 in Napolnaya Tavla, Kochkurovsky District, Mordvin ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union) is a Russian coach and former race walker. She won the silver medal in the 20 km walk at the 2006 European Championships, the gold medal at the 2007 World Championships, and the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She also won the 20 km walk at the 2008 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, setting a Championship record of 1:25:42. She was disqualified from several years of competition due to doping.

At the 2006 IAAF World Race Walking Cup Kaniskina finished in fifth place and won her first major medal, a silver, at the 2006 European Athletics Championships later that year. She won her first global title the following year, taking the gold in the women's 20 km walk at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics, beating compatriot Tatyana Shemyakina to the finish.

The 2008 season saw Kaniskina break her first world record in the 20 km Walk at the Russian Championships. She lowered the mark set by her compatriot Olimpiada Ivanova in August 2005. However, IAAF rules dictate that 3 official judges must be present at the race for a world record to be ratified, making it unlikely that this record would be ratified, as there were not 3 judges present. She went on to set the 20 km championship record at the 2008 IAAF World Race Walking Cup held in Russia, finishing with a time of 1:25:42.