Galina Bukharina

Galina Petrovna Bukharina is a former Soviet track athlete and subsequent coach who is now a US citizen. She competed mainly in the 100 m and 4×100 m relay.

Personal life

Galina was born on 14 February 1945 in Voronezh during the Soviet era. In 1989, she moved to the United States where she initially worked as an elder care aide and house cleaner. During her US stay, Galina wanted to return home after her daughter's recovery. The [Dissolution of the Soviet Union|Soviet Union|USSR's collapse] convinced her to prolong her stay. She later became a US citizen.

Career

Athlete

Bukharina trained at the Armed Forces sports society in Moscow. She competed for the Soviet Union in the 1968 Summer Olympics in the 4×100 m. She won the bronze medal with her teammates Lyudmila Zharkova, Vera Popkova and Lyudmila Samotyosova. She participated at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Coach

She started coaching in the Soviet Union, and worked with the national setup for about 17 years. "I've competed in the Olympics myself but as a coach I have been more successful. I used to coach the women's 4×400 m team. They still hold the world record set under 3.15.17", she said. The record was set at the 1988 Games.
She coached for Texas State University, winning them various NCAA meets until 2011.
At 72, she was appointed as the head coach of 400 m and relay athletes of India, at National Institute of Sports from 2018 to 2022. She coached Hima Das to become 2018 World Junior Champion and set national records. Her student Muhammed Anas also won medals at various international platforms and set national records.