Uljana Semjonova

Uļjana Semjonova
Stefania Passaro boxing out Semjonova in 1982
Personal information
Born(1952-03-09)9 March 1952
Zarasai, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union
Died8 January 2026(2026-01-08) (aged 73)
Riga, Latvia
Height213 cm (7 ft 0 in)
Weight127 kg (280 lb)
Sport
SportBasketball
ClubTTT Riga
Medal record
Representing  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1976 Montreal Team
Gold medal – first place 1980 Moscow Team
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1971 BrazilTeam
Gold medal – first place1975 ColombiaTeam
Gold medal – first place1983 BrazilTeam
European Championships
Gold medal – first place1968 ItalyTeam
Gold medal – first place1970 NetherlandsTeam
Gold medal – first place1972 BulgariaTeam
Gold medal – first place1974 ItalyTeam
Gold medal – first place1976 FranceTeam
Gold medal – first place1978 PolandTeam
Gold medal – first place1980 YugoslaviaTeam
Gold medal – first place1981 ItalyTeam
Gold medal – first place1983 HungaryTeam
Gold medal – first place1985 ItalyTeam

Uļjana Larionovna Semjonova (Russian: Ульяна Ларионовна Семёнова; 9 March 1952 – 8 January 2026) was a Soviet-Latvian basketball player.[1][2] Her career lasted from 1968 until 1989. She was known for playing with TTT Riga and the Soviet Union national women's team. She won two Olympic gold medals: one in 1976 and another in 1980.

Career

Her height was 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in).[3] Semjonova was the leading women's basketball player in the world in the 1970s and 1980s. She was known for having the largest feet ever in women's basketball.[4][5]

She mainly played for TTT Riga, which was part of Daugava Voluntary Sports Society. With TTT, she won 15 championships in the Soviet Union and the European Champion's Cup 15 times. Semjonova also won two Olympic gold medals while playing for the USSR in 1976 and 1980 and never lost a game in official international competition.[2]

In 1976, Semjonova was honored with the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.[6] In 1993, she became the first non-U.S. woman honored into the Basketball Hall of Fame.[7][8] She was also the first member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, when she was honored in 1999.[9]

Later life

In 2017, she had heart surgery and was hospitalized for a fall.[10] In 2022, she had her leg amputated and her health got worse.[11]

Semjonova died on 8 January 2026 in Riga, Latvia at the age of 73.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Semjonova, Uļjana; Kresa, Inita (1996). Kad es biju laimīga. Rīga: Latvijas Olimpiskā komiteja. p. 8. ISBN 9984-10-001-4.
  2. 1 2 Uļjana Semjonova Archived 2020-04-18 at the Wayback Machine. sports-reference.com
  3. ↑ Tancredi Palmeri: Semionova sempre gigante "Dico solo grazie allo sport" (http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport_Vari/Basket/Estero/Primo_Piano/2009/01/03/semionova.shtml). La Gazzetta dello Sport, retrieved 26 April 2011
  4. ↑ Gazzetta dello Sport, Photoserie Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Comparison with Bill Russell's footprint (size 16 US / size 52 EU),Photoserie Archived 8 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Khavin, Boris (1979). Всё об олимпийских играх [All About Olympic Games] (in Russian) (2nd ed.). Moscow: Fizkultura i sport. p. 578.
  7. ↑ "Uljana Semjonova". Retro Seasons. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Hall of Famers". Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 22 April 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  9. ↑ "WBHOF Inductees". WBHOF. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  10. ↑ Анна Козина (2007-10-05). "Высокое искусство". Российская газета. Archived from the original on 2008-08-16.
  11. ↑ "Ульяна Семенова передвигается в инвалидном кресле—ей ампутировали ногу". Delfi. 2023-03-29. Archived from the original on 2024-05-08.
  12. ↑ "Sēru vēsts: mūžībā devusies Latvijas un pasaules basketbola leģenda Uļjana Semjonova" (in Latvian). 8 January 2026. Retrieved 8 January 2026.

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