Irena Szewińska was a Polish sprinter who was one of the world's foremost track athletes for nearly two decades, in multiple events. She won a total of seven Olympic medals including three golds. She is the only athlete in history, male or female, to have held the world record in the 100 m, the 200 m and the 400 m events. She was voted the Polish Sports Personality of the Year four times. In 2016, she was awarded Poland's highest decoration, the Order of the White Eagle.
Brigitte Heike Meissner is a retired German athlete. She competed mainly in the 400 metres hurdles, but also spent two seasons specializing in the 800 metres. Notable achievements include a silver medal at the 2002 European Championships, medals in 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1994 European Championships and the 1997 World Indoor Championships and a fourth place at the 1995 World Championships.
Nikolina Pavlova Shtereva is a retired Bulgarian middle-distance runner who specialised in the 800 and 1500 metres. She is best known for her silver medal in 800 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics, and at the European Indoor Championships she won gold medals in 1976 and 1979 and a bronze medal in 1981. She won fourteen national titles in Bulgaria, and is still the Bulgarian record holder in the 800 metres.
Doina Ofelia Melinte is a retired Romanian middle-distance runner. She competed at four Olympics (1980–92), and won a gold medal in the 800 metres and a silver medal in the 1,500 metres in 1984. She won the world indoor title in 1987 and 1989 and the European indoor title in 1985, 1988 and 1990 in the 1,500 m. Her world indoor mile record of 4:17.41 in 1990, stood for 26 years.
Yekaterina Ilyinychna Podkopayeva is a retired middle-distance runner who represented the USSR and later Russia. She gained international recognition in 1983, when she won two bronze medals at the World Championships. The same year she managed an 800 m time of 1:55.96. She resurfaced in 1992, winning the European Indoor Championships and placing 8th in the Olympics. More victories in European and World Indoor Championships followed until she retired after the 1998 season. When she won the 1500 metres at the 1997 World Indoors, she was 44, the oldest World Indoor champion ever.
Lidia Chojecka-Leandro is a retired Polish middle- and long-distance runner who mainly competed in the 1500 metres and 3000 metres. She won bronze medals in the 1500 m at the 1997 and 1999 World Indoor Championships, and for the 3000 m at the 2006 World Indoor Championships. Chojecka is a six-time European Indoor Championships medallist in the 1500 m and 3000 m events, earning three golds and three silvers. She took the double at the 2007 European Indoor Championships, becoming the first runner, male or female, to win both events at the same championships. She had been one of the most consistent middle-distance runners in Europe throughout the 1990s, and finished fifth and sixth in back-to-back Olympic 1500 m finals in 2000 and 2004.
Ulrike Bruns is a retired East German athlete who competed mainly in the 1500 metres and 3000 metres.
Zdzisław Hoffmann is a retired triple jumper from Poland. He is best known for winning the gold medal at the inaugural 1983 World Championships, for which he was named Polish Sportspersonality of the Year at the end of the year.
Totka Nikolaeva Petrova is a retired female middle distance runner who represented Bulgaria in the 1970s and the early 1980s. She specialized in the 800 and 1500 metres, and won numerous international medals. She is still the Bulgarian 1500 metres record holder.
Svetla Stefanova Zlateva is a retired Bulgarian sprinter and middle-distance runner who specialized in the 400 and 800 metres. She is a former world record holder in the latter event. In 1973, she was the winner of the first Balkan Athlete of the Year award.
Vesela Yatsinska (Bulgarian: Весела Яцинска, née Tasheva is a retired Bulgarian middle-distance runner who specialized in the 800 and 1500 metres.
Henryk Jan Szordykowski was a Polish runner who specialized in the 800 metres and 1500 metres.
Angelika Cichocka is a Polish athlete who specializes in middle-distance running. She won the silver medal in the 800 metres at the 2014 World Indoor Championships, a gold in the 1500 metres at the 2016 European Championships, a silver for the same event at the 2015 European Indoor Championships, and a bronze for the 800 m at the 2021 European Indoor Championships.
Tamara Aleksandrovna Sorokina is a Russian former Soviet middle-distance runner who competed in both the 800 metres and the 1500 metres. She set personal bests of 1:56.6 minutes and 3:58.89 minutes for the events, respectively.
Regine Berg is a Belgian former track and field sprinter who specialised in the 400 metres. Born in Ostend, she represented her country at the Summer Olympics in 1976 and 1980. Berg won five national titles over 400 m and also two over 800 metres later in her career. She was a silver medallist at the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games and participated three times at the European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Mirosław Żerkowski is a retired Polish middle- and long-distance runner. He represented his country at the 1980 Summer Olympics as well as one outdoor and one indoor World Championships. In addition, he won a bronze medal at the 1981 European Indoor Championships.
Martina Steuk is a German former track and field athlete who represented East Germany. She competed in the 800 metres and occasionally the 400 metres.
Elizabeth Ann "Liz" Barnes is an English former middle-distance runner. She represented Great Britain in the women's 800 metres at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and won a bronze medal in the 800m at the 1980 European Indoor Championships.
Elżbieta Anna Krawczuk-Trylińska was a Polish athlete who specialised in the high jump. She won silver and bronze medals at the 1981 European Indoor Championships and 1987 European Indoor Championships respectively. She also represented her country at the 1980 Summer Olympics narrowly missing the final.
Pia Skrzyszowska is a Polish athlete specialising in the sprint hurdles. She won gold medals in the 100 metres hurdles at the 2022 European Championships and 2021 European Under-23 Championships.
Bielsko-Biała, Poland 
