 Sylvia Burka in 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Sylvia Burka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 4, 1954 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 68 kg (150 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Speedskating and track cycling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Sylvia Burka (Latvian: Silvija Burka; born May 4, 1954, in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a former ice speed skater and track cyclist from Canada of Latvian descent,[1] who represented her native country at three consecutive Winter Olympics, starting in 1972 in Sapporo, Japan.[2] She was the first person in history to win a World Championship in both Allround and Sprint disciplines (1976 and 1977). She never won an Olympic medal, with her best Olympic result being the fourth place in 1000 m in 1976.[2]
In 1977, she was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.[3] In 1983 she was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. She was married to Jocelyn Lovell, an Olympic cyclist.[2]
