Smetanina took part in five Olympics, representing the
Soviet team four times and the
Unified Team once. In particular, Smetanina won two gold and one silver medals at the
1976 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there, along with
Rosi Mittermaier of
West Germany. In the
1992 Winter Olympics, at the age of 39, Smetanina won a further gold medal competing for the
Unified Team in the 4 × 5 km relay, becoming the first woman to win ten Winter Olympic medals and at that time the oldest woman to win a Winter Olympic gold. Smetanina also had successes at the
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, winning four golds (20 km (
1982), and 4 × 5 km relay (
1974,
1985, and
1991), three silvers (10 km (
1978), and 4 × 5 km relay (1982,
1989)), and four bronzes (4 × 5 km relay (1978), 5 km (1974, 1978), and 20 km (
1980)). She also won three times at the
Holmenkollen Ski Festival, once in the 10 km (1975) and twice in the 5 km (1975 and 1979). In 1979 Smetanina received the
Holmenkollen Medal (shared with
Erik Håker and
Ingemar Stenmark). ==Cross-country skiing results==