OLYMPIC DISCUS A grimance on her face , Czech discus thrower Olga Fikotova delivers the discus to a new Olympic Record of 176 feet 1 and half inches . Favoured Russian , Nina Ponomaryeva , convicted in London recently on shoplifting charges , could do no better than third place . Second was another Russian , Irena Begliakova . Fikotova ' s throw in metric distance was 53 . 69 meters 23rd November 1956