Editing Irina Privalova (section)

== Sprints ==
Privalova came to international recognition in 1991 at the World Indoor Championships that year. Racing as Irina Privalova-Sergeyeva, in the 60 m she defeated the great Jamaican sprinter [[Merlene Ottey]] who reached the final undefeated in 82 successive races.
Ottey had her revenge in the 200 m with Privalova coming second, Ottey equalling the world record in her victory.<ref name="indoor1">{{cite book |last1=Birkinshaw |first1=R. Grant |title=A History of Indoor Track and Field 1849-2013 |pages=234–235|date=2014 |publisher=editVallardi |isbn=978-88-95684-56-7}}</ref>

At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, racing as Irina Privalova, she won a bronze medal in the 100 m.<ref name="shero1">{{cite news |last1=Casey |first1=Ron |title=Irina PRIVALOVA - 100m bronze at 1992 Olympics |url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics/c-i-s/irina-privalova-675/100m-bronze-at-1992-olympics_a09575/ |access-date=5 April 2021 |publisher=sporting-heroes.net |date=1 August 1992}}</ref> The race was incredibly tight – [[Gail Devers]] won in 10.82 s, [[Juliet Cuthbert]] was second in 10.83 s, and Privalova third in 10.84 s. Privalova also came fourth in the 200 m.

At the 1993 World Indoor Championships, Privalova narrowly lost to Gail Devers in the 60 m, 6.95 s to 6.97 s, but won the 200 m title (in 22.15 s, then the second fastest time ever; she want faster in 1995 at 22.10 s, second fastest time ever to the world record of 21.87 s).

In the 1993 World Athletics Championships, Privalova won her only gold medal at a world championship in the [[1993 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]. She narrowly held off the United States's Gail Devers on the anchor leg – both teams recording a championship record time of 41.49 s.

In 1994, in August at the [[1994 European Athletics Championships|European Championships]], for Russia she won gold in the 100 and 200 m and silver in the 4 × 100 m relay; in September, at the [[1994 IAAF World Cup]], representing Europe, she won the 100 m and 400 m, and came third in the 200 m.

In 1995, Privalova moved up to the 400 m for the World Indoor Championships that year where she won in her first major race over the distance – she had not even contested the Russian championships at that distance.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Stephen |title=In a world championship with few stars, Irina Privalova stands |url=https://apnews.com/article/7f43e7d75f2f3a78d13f1a260da8615e |access-date=5 April 2021 |publisher=AP News |date=10 March 1995}}</ref>

Her campaign at the 1996 Olympics was curtailed by injury. She was eliminated at the semi-final stage in the 100 m, did not start the 200 m, but was part of the Russian team that came fourth in the [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]].

In 1997, Privalova suffered a torn muscle in the final of 60 m at the World Indoor Championships. She was out for 18 months but returned to win the 200 m at the European Championships in 1998.<ref name="wa_2">{{cite news |title=Privalova to miss world championships with knee injury |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/privalova-to-miss-world-championships-with-kn |access-date=4 April 2021 |publisher=World Athletics |date=29 May 2001}}</ref> In the individual events she camoe fourth in the 100 m and won bronze in the 200 m.

In 1998, at the European Championships, Privalova found a time of 10.83 s was only good enough for silver in 100 m, being defeated by [[Christine Arron]]'s European record winning time of 10.73 s.<ref>{{cite web |date=19 August 1998|title=Hosts hammer the opposition as Diagana takes a tumble |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/hosts-hammer-the-opposition-as-diagana-takes |publisher=World Athletics |access-date=18 April 2021}}</ref> However, she successfully defended her European title in the 200 m and also won Silver in the 4 × 100 m relay.

In 1999, her World Championships ended prematurely when she had to withdraw from all her events after completing the first round of the 100 m. She did not compete again until the 2000 indoor season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Irina Privalova back on track |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/irina-privalova-back-on-track |access-date=7 April 2021 |publisher=World Athletics |date=13 January 2000}}</ref>