14 Facts About Lyudmyla Blonska

Lyudmyla Blonska was given a lifetime ban from competition after failing a drug test at the 2008 Summer Olympics, her second doping offense.

Lyudmyla Blonska then moved to Brovary with fellow athlete Serhiy Blonskyy, whom she married.

Lyudmyla Blonska then switched to basketball and later judo and cycle racing.

In 1993, Blonska participated in the Ukrainian Youth Championships in Odesa, entering the heptathlon competition for the first time.

Lyudmyla Blonska recalled crying out of fear before the 800m event, but then falling in love with heptathlon after scoring good results.

In 1995, after finishing school, Lyudmyla Blonska moved to the capital, Kyiv, to begin training as member of the Ukrainian youth team.

Lyudmyla Blonska found herself without a trainer and had to coach herself for a year and a half, while working at night to make ends meet.

In 1998, Lyudmyla Blonska achieved third place in the national championships with 5554 points and, in 1999, improved her personal best to 5765.

In May 2002, a year after becoming a mother, Lyudmyla Blonska won the national championship with a PB of 6039 and qualified for the European Championships in Munich.

Lyudmyla Blonska served a two-year ban before returning to the sport.

Lyudmyla Blonska won the gold medal at the 2005 Summer Universiade and finished fifth at the 2006 European Championships.

Lyudmyla Blonska won the gold medal at the 2006 World Indoor Championships in the pentathlon.

At the 2008 Olympics, Lyudmyla Blonska won silver in the women's heptathlon, but she was quickly disqualified and lost her medal after she tested positive for the anabolic steroid methyltestosterone.

Lyudmyla Blonska had qualified for the long jump final, but the International Olympic Committee decided to expel her from the Games completely.