Zhanna Pintusevich-Block

Ukrainian sprinter From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

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Zhanna Pintusevich-Block
Personal information
Native nameЖанна Пінтусевич-Блок
Birth nameZhanna Tarnopolskaya
Full nameZhanna Pintusevich-Block
NationalityUkrainian
Born (1972-07-06) 6 July 1972 (age 52)
Nizhyn, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Sport
SportTrack and field
Event(s)Sprint; 60 metres, 100 metres, and 200 metres
Coached byMark Block
Achievements and titles
Highest world rankingWorld champion (60 m, 100 m, 200 m)
Personal best100 metres: 10.82 seconds
Medal record
Women's Athletics
Representing  Ukraine
World Championships
1997 Athens200 m
2001 Edmonton100 m
1997 Athens100 m
Disqualified2003 Paris100 m
World Indoor Championships
DisqualifiedBirmingham 200360 m
Toronto 199360 m
European Championships
1994 Helsinki100 m
1994 Helsinki200 m
1998 Budapest200 m
Goodwill Games
2001 Brisbane4 x 100 metres
1998 New York City100 m
1998 New York City200 m
2001 Brisbane100 m
European Cup
1994 Birmingham100 m
1994 Birmingham4 x 100 metres
1993 Rome100 m
IAAF World Cup
1998 Johannesburg200 m
Representing  Unified Team
European Indoor Championships
1992 Genoa60 m
Representing  Soviet Union
European Junior Championships
1991 Thessaloniki100 m
1991 Thessaloniki200 m
1991 Thessaloniki4 x 400 metres
Updated on 7 July 2015
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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

Summarize
Perspective

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

She was 1997 World 200m Champion and 2001 World 100m 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 x 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

References

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