The Press Sisters: The Russian champions who inspired a 'gender conspiracy' in the 60s

Two extraordinary athletes
A chaotic childhood
Two different types of athlete
A life dedicated to sport
First major wins
Three medals in Rome!
Sport and politics
A Cold War conspiracy
Five world records in four years
The Press raid
The 1966
A suspicious withdrawal
The
A shady retirement
Work after sport
A 32-year 'tradtion'
Two extraordinary athletes

In some sports, some athletes dominate their discipline so much that they start to arouse suspicions. In the 1960s, two sisters would find themselves at the center of a controversy as the press and public started to raise doubts over their respective genders. We're talking about Irina and Tamara Press.

A chaotic childhood

Elder sister Tamara, was born in 1937 in Karkhov, two years before Irina. As The New York Times recounted, the girls had a difficult childhood following their father's death in World War II.  Together with their mother, they fled to Samarkand, a city in Uzbekistan.

Two different types of athlete
Both sisters were later admitted to the University of Leningrad, where they quickly distinguished themselves in athletics. Tamara gravitated toward throwing events, while her younger sister proved highly versatile, with a particular talent for hurdling.
A life dedicated to sport
In 1955, they began training under Viktor Alekseyev, focusing their efforts on preparing for the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
First major wins
In 1958, Tamara Press made her first major impact by winning two medals at the European Championships in Stockholm: a gold in the discus throw and a bronze in the shot put, as reported by The New York Times.
Three medals in Rome!

Following years of rigorous training, the two sisters arrived in Rome with resolute determination. Irina captured gold in the 80-meter hurdles, while her older sister claimed gold in the shot put and silver in the discus, as documented by the official Olympics website. Three medals in a single Olympics!

Sport and politics

Amid the Cold War, the two athletes were hailed as heroines by the Eastern Bloc. However, in the West, the media raised questions about the genetics and physique of the sisters. Tamara, the thrower, stood at 1.80 meters tall and weighed nearly 100 kg, while Irina measured 1.68 meters and weighed almost 74 kg, according to Britannica.

A Cold War conspiracy

Magazines, such as Life, published photographs of the sisters, comparing them to other female athletes of the time. Rumors circulated, alleging that they were both hermaphrodites or that the Soviet government was injecting them with testosterone as part of a state-sponsored doping program.

Five world records in four years

Between 1960 and 1964, Tamara Press dominated all athletic competitions, but particularly in the discus throw where, upset at having been defeated in 1960, she broke the world record for the discipline five times.

The Press raid

In 1964, at the Tokyo Olympics, the champions returned and swept the board: Irina took gold in the pentathlon, while Tamara achieved a double with gold in the discus and shot put, as documented by the Olympics site.

The 1966 "femininity test"

This time, it was too much for the Western bloc. The matter was so bad that in 1966, for the 1966 European Athletics Championships, Hungarian officials introduced a "femininity test". It aimed to determine which, if any, female athletes were in fact intersex.

A suspicious withdrawal

This is where things took a completely different turn. At the last moment, the two sisters withdrew from the competition, stating they had to be with a sick relative, as Britannica documented.

The "Press brothers"

From 1968 onwards, "femininity tests" became mandatory in athletics competitions. Critics eagerly awaited the return to the track of the two Presses, whom they nicknamed the "Press brothers".

A shady retirement
However, this return never materialized, as the two champions retired from the sport. Naturally, this decision only fueled the rumors and, for some, seemed to confirm their doubts.
Work after sport
After retiring from their respective careers, the two sisters completely transformed their lives. Irina joined the KGB, while Tamara pursued a career as a civil engineer. Eventually, they reunited at the Russian sports office.
A 32-year 'tradtion'

The case of the Press sisters would go on to change history, as it led to the implementation of "femininity tests" for female athletes. These tests remained mandatory for 32 years, from 1968 until the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.

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