Exactly 70 years ago, on 17 May 1946, a little girl was born who should turn out to be the greatest handball player of the 20th century. At the age of 13, Zinaida Turchyna was introduced to handball and started her handball career as a player for HC Spartak Kyiv, 13-time European Cup winners between 1970 and 1988.

Turchyna competed for the Soviet Union in all major handball tournaments from 1973 to 1988. In this period, she won three Olympic and five world championship medals. After her husband, Igor Turchyn, died in 1993, she took over his coaching positions at Spartak Kyiv and the Ukrainian women’s national team. She retired from coaching in 1996 but she did not leave Spartak – until today, she is President of the club. Turchyna is still very committed to the sport not only on club level but as Vice-President of the Ukrainian Handball Federation she puts her efforts in the development and promotion of handball in the Ukraine as well.

The International Handball Federation wish her all the best and every success in her tasks and challenges ahead.