Yelena Sipatova (Russian: Елена Сипатова; born 7 June 1955) is a retired long-distance runner from the Soviet Union, and a former winner of the Rome City Marathon (1995)[1] and the Istanbul Marathon (1993).
She was the first IAAF-recognised women's world record holder in the 10,000 metres with her time of 32:17.20 minutes. She also set an unrecognised world best in the 5000 metres, with 15:24.6 minutes in 1981.[2]
Her first successes came under her maiden name, Yelena Chernysheva (also transliterated Elena Chernyshova),[3] and she was the individual bronze medallist and team gold medallist at the 1980 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.[4] She repeated that same feat at the 1981 event and won a third and final team title at the 1982 edition (leading the Soviet women in seventh).
On the track she competed in the 3000 metres. She won a silver outdoors at the 1981 European Cup, then won a bronze medal at the 1982 European Athletics Championships.[5] She was a gold medallist at the 1983 European Athletics Indoor Championships.[6]
| Representing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | World Cross Country Championships | Paris, France | 3rd | Senior race | 15:52 |
| bgcolor=gold | 1st | Senior team | 15 pts | ||
| 1981 | World Cross Country Championships | Madrid, Spain | 3rd | Senior race | 14:22 |
| 1st | Senior team | 24 pts | |||
| European Cup | Zagreb, Yugoslavia | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | 3000 m | 8:49.99 |
| 1982 | World Cross Country Championships | Rome, Italy | 7th | Senior race | 14:51.9 |
| 1st | Team | 44 pts | |||
| European Championships | Athens, Greece | 3rd | 3000 m | 8:34.06 | |
| 1983 | European Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 1st | 3000 m | 9:04.40 |
| World Cross Country Championships | Gateshead, England | 21st | Senior race | 14:21 | |
| 2nd | Team | 41 pts | |||
| 1986 | World Cross Country Championships | Colombier, Switzerland | 49th | Senior race | 15:54.9 |
| 7th | Senior team | 140 pts | |||
1995 (2:32:57)