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The Olympic Fate of Raisa Smetanina

At the1976 Winter Olympic Games in the Austrian city of Innsbruck , first-time Olympian Raisa Smetanina from the Soviet Union lost to famed Finnish skier Helena Takalo in a five-kilometre race. In her next event, a ten-kilometre race, Smetanina decided to take revenge, doubling her lead in the middle of the event only to lose by seconds as her opponent pulled ahead at the last moment. The one time Soviet skier no longer has the chance to claim such victories, however refuses to surrender until the last second. Tune in to this RTG film and learn how a country girl from a family of reindeer herders managed to become a four-time Olympic champion and the best Nordic skier of the 20th century.

Year 2015

Duration 00:27:07

At the1976 Winter Olympic Games in the Austrian city of Innsbruck , first-time Olympian Raisa Smetanina from the Soviet Union lost to famed Finnish skier Helena Takalo in a five-kilometre race. In her next event, a ten-kilometre race, Smetanina decided to take revenge, doubling her lead in the middle of the event only to lose by seconds as her opponent pulled ahead at the last moment. The one time Soviet skier no longer has the chance to claim such victories, however refuses to surrender until the last second. Tune in to this RTG film and learn how a country girl from a family of reindeer herders managed to become a four-time Olympic champion and the best Nordic skier of the 20th century.

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