Galina Kulakova
Kulakova at the 1968 Winter Olympics
Country	Soviet Union
Full name	Galina Alexeyevna Kulakova
Born	(1942-04-29) 29 April 1942 (age 82) Logachi, Udmurtia, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Ski club	Trud Prokofyevsk Trud Izhevsk
World Cup career
Seasons	1 – (1982)
Indiv. starts	3
Indiv. podiums	0
Team starts	1
Team podiums	1
Team wins	0
Overall titles	0 – (22nd in 1982)
Medal record Women's cross-country skiing Representing the  Soviet Union Olympic Games 1972 Sapporo 5 km 1972 Sapporo 10 km 1972 Sapporo 3 × 5 km relay 1976 Innsbruck 4 × 5 km relay 1968 Grenoble 5 km 1980 Lake Placid 4 × 5 km relay 1968 Grenoble 3 × 5 km relay 1976 Innsbruck 10 km Disqualified 1976 Innsbruck 5 km World Championships 1970 Vysoké Tatry 5 km 1970 Vysoké Tatry 3 × 5 km relay 1974 Falun 5 km 1974 Falun 10 km 1974 Falun 4 × 5 km relay 1980 Falun 20 km 1982 Oslo 4 × 5 km relay 1970 Vysoké Tatry 10 km 1978 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay

Galina Alexeyevna Kulakova (Russian: Галина Алексеевна Кулакова, born 29 April 1942) is a Soviet-Russian former cross-country skier, arguably the best skier on distances shorter than 10 km in the early 1970s. She won four Olympic golds, two individual in 1972 and two relay golds in 1972 and 1976. She was the most successful athlete at the 1972 Winter Olympics, along with Ard Schenk of the Netherlands. Competing in the World Championships, she won three individual golds, two in 1974 and one in 1970, and also two relay golds in those years. Kulakova also won the 10 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 1970 and 1979. Galina Kulakova was also 39 times Champion of the USSR between 1969 and 1981.^[1]

For her achievements she was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Badge of Honour. She was also awarded the silver Olympic Order in 1984 by the International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch. Galina Kulakova ended her sports career in 1982.

At the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Kulakova finished third in the 5 km event, but was disqualified due to a positive test for banned substance ephedrine. She claimed that this was a result of using the nasal spray that contained the substance. Both the International Ski Federation and the International Olympic Committee allowed her to compete in the 10 km and the 4 × 5 km relay.^[1]

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).^[2]

• 8 medals – (4 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)

• 10 medals – (5 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze)

• 1 podium

No	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place	Teammates
1	1981–82	24 February 1982	Oslo, Norway	4 × 5 km Relay	World Championships[1]	2nd	Lyadova / Zabolotskaya / Smetanina

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of multiple Winter Olympic medalists

• Galina Kulakova at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
• Holmenkollen winners since 1892 – click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file (in Norwegian)