Faina Grigorievna Melnik (, (Faina Hryhorivna Melnyk); 9 June 1945 – 16 December 2016) was a Soviet discus thrower, a 1972 Summer Olympics champion in the discus event. During her career she set 11 world records. Career Melnik was Jewish, and was born in Bakota, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine. At the 1972 Summer Olympics, she broke the Olympic record three times, and set a world record at 66.62 metres. She had already broken the world record, at the 1971 European Athletics Championships, representing the then Soviet Union. In 1976 she had her best ever discus throw of 70.50 m, but finished only fourth at the 1976 Summer Olympics. At those Olympics she also competed in the shot put and finished tenth. She failed to reach the final in the discus event at the 1980 Games. Continuing to throw after the 1980 Olympics, she set the masters world record in the W35 division that has stood since 1980. Melnik graduated from the Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry and later worked as a dentist and athletics coach in Moscow. Her trainees include Natalya Lisovskaya and Svetlana Krivelyova. Melnik was married to Velko Velev, a Bulgarian discus thrower who also competed at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics. She later became the inspiration for Miss Trunchbull in the Roald Dahl children's book Matilda. See also List of select Jewish track and field athletes References External links Sporting Heroes bio dataOlympic profile 1945 births 2016 deaths Soviet female discus throwers Soviet female shot putters Soviet Jews Ukrainian Jews Spartak athletes Olympic athletes of the Soviet Union Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union Ukrainian female discus throwers Ukrainian female shot putters Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics Jewish female athletes (track and field) World record setters in athletics (track and field) People from Bakota, Ukraine Russian people of Ukrainian descent European Athletics Championships medalists Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Burials in Troyekurovskoye Cemetery Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners Universiade gold medalists for the Soviet Union Medalists at the 1973 Summer Universiade Sportspeople from Khmelnytskyi Oblast