Valentina Prudskova

{{Short description|Soviet fencer (1938–2020)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Valentina Prudskova

| image = Valentina Prudskova 1960.jpg

| caption = Prudskova at the 1960 Olympics

| birth_name =

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| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|12|27|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Yershov, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|08|23|1938|12|27|df=y}}{{Cite web|author=Simonova, Olga|date=23 August 2020|title=Умерла олимпийская чемпионка по фехтованию Валентина Прудскова|url=https://www.saratov.kp.ru/online/news/3987588/|access-date=23 August 2020|website=saratov.kp.ru }}

| death_place = Saratov, Russia

| height = {{convert|1.59|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|51|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| website =

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| sport = Fencing

| event =

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| club = Burevestnik Saratov

| team =

| turnedpro =

| coach = Mikhail Sazonov

| retired = 1968

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| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{URS}} }}

{{MedalOlympic}}

{{MedalGold|1960 Rome|Foil, team}}

{{MedalSilver|1964 Tokyo|Foil, team}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Fencing Championships}}

{{MedalGold|1958 Philadelphia|Foil, team}}

{{MedalGold|1961 Turin|Foil, team}}

{{MedalGold|1965 Paris|Foil, team}}

{{MedalGold|1966 Moscow|Foil, team}}

{{MedalSilver|1959 Budapest|Foil, team}}

{{MedalSilver|1962 Buenos Aires|Foil, team}}

{{MedalBronze|1965 Paris|Foil, individual}}

| show-medals = yes

}}

Valentina Aleksandrovna Prudskova ({{langx|ru|Валентина Александровна Прудскова}}; 27 December 1938 – 23 August 2020) was a Soviet fencer.{{Cite web|date=12 June 2016|title=Valentina PRUDSKOVA – Olympic Fencing {{!}} USSR|url=https://www.olympic.org/valentina-prudskova|access-date=23 August 2020|website=International Olympic Committee|language=en}} She won gold in the women's team foil event at the 1960 Summer Olympics and a silver in the same event at the 1964 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |url=http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=PRUDSVAL01 |title=Olympics Statistics: Valentina Prudskova |access-date=6 November 2010 |work=databaseolympics.com}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pr/valentina-prudskova-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417230819/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pr/valentina-prudskova-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Valentina Prudskova Olympic Results |access-date=6 November 2010 |work=sports-reference.com}}

Prudskova's mother, Zinaida Nikolaevna Prudskova, was a farmer and housewife. Her father, Aleksandr Petrovich Prudskov, worked at railways and fought in the Winter War and World War II; he died of pneumonia in 1950, aged 40. Shortly after that, his family moved from Yershov to Saratov, where Prudskova started training in fencing, together with her cousin. Her career advanced in 1954 when she won her first national title.

Prudskova was a member of the Soviet foil team from 1957 to 1966. During those years she won four gold and two silver team medals at the world championships, as well as one individual bronze. In 1962 she graduated from Saratov State Technical University with a degree in metal processing and then until 1969 worked at a metalworking plant in Saratov. After that she coached fencing at a sport school. She was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honour and Medal "For Labour Valour".[http://old.sstu.ru/node/14329 Прудскова Валентина Александровна]. Saratov State Technical University

Prudskova had a daughter, Marina, who worked as an arts teacher.