Zhanna Pintusevich-Block

Zhanna Pintusevich-Block (Ukrainian: Жанна Пінтусевич-Блок; née Tarnopolskaya; born 6 July 1972) is a Ukrainian former world champion sprinter who competed in the Olympic Games.

Zhanna Pintusevich-Block

Personal information
Native name	Жанна Пінтусевич-Блок
Birth name	Zhanna Tarnopolskaya
Full name	Zhanna Pintusevich-Block
Nationality	Ukrainian
Born	(1972-07-06) 6 July 1972 (age 52) Nizhyn, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Sprint; 60 metres, 100 metres, and 200 metres
Coached by	Mark Block
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking	World champion (60 m, 100 m, 200 m)
Personal best	100 metres: 10.82 seconds
Medal record Women's Athletics Representing  Ukraine World Championships 1997 Athens 200 m 2001 Edmonton 100 m 1997 Athens 100 m Disqualified 2003 Paris 100 m World Indoor Championships Disqualified Birmingham 2003 60 m Toronto 1993 60 m European Championships 1994 Helsinki 100 m 1994 Helsinki 200 m 1998 Budapest 200 m Goodwill Games 2001 Brisbane 4 × 100 metres 1998 New York City 100 m 1998 New York City 200 m 2001 Brisbane 100 m European Cup 1994 Birmingham 100 m 1994 Birmingham 4 × 100 metres 1993 Rome 100 m IAAF World Cup 1998 Johannesburg 200 m Representing  Unified Team European Indoor Championships 1992 Genoa 60 m Representing  Soviet Union European Junior Championships 1991 Thessaloniki 100 m 1991 Thessaloniki 200 m 1991 Thessaloniki 4 × 400 metres
Updated on 7 July 2015

Early life

Zhanna Pintusevich-Block comes from a Jewish family. She was born in Nizhyn, Soviet Union and raised by her mother after her father left when she was three. They lived in a one-room house with no running water and used a coal stove for heat.^[1][2]

Track career

In 1991, Block won the 100 metres and 200 metres at the European Junior Championships, along with a silver in the 4 × 400 metres relay while representing the USSR. In 1992, Block won the European Indoor Championships for 60 m and in 1993 won the bronze medal in the same even at the World Championships in Toronto.

She was 1997 World 200 m Champion and 2001 World 100 m champion. She also won 2 World silvers and 3 European silvers in the sprints. In 2001, she was named Person of the Year in Ukraine for Sports, ahead of former heavyweight champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko and footballer Andriy Shevchenko.^[3]

Block was identified by Victor Conte as allegedly having taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs supplied by Conte in the BALCO scandal.^[4] In 2011, she was handed a two-year ban from sports for doping violation without a hearing. While never being convicted of using illegal drugs, her results from 30 November 2002 onward were disqualified.^[5] Her husband and coach, Mark Block, was given a 10-year ban from sport for receiving performance-enhancing drugs as part of the BALCO scandal.^[5][6]

She took part in the 100 and 200 metres races at both the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2000 Summer Olympics, reaching the final three times. She also took part in the 100 m and 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2004 Olympics. However, she failed to progress to the finals. She has never won an Olympic medal but she managed to finish in fourth place in the 100 m final in Sydney. Her 100 metres personal best time of 10.82 seconds was set in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on 6 August 2001.

Personal life

She has been married to her coach, Mark Block, since 1999 and has one daughter named Anna Block. Anna also runs track and competes at the national level. Anna is all-state in cross country and currently one of the best in the country.^[7]

See also

• List of select Jewish track and field athletes