About Irena Szewinska Irena Szewińska (born Irena Kirszenstein on May 24, 1946 in Leningrad, USSR) is a retired Polish Jewish sprinter who was one of the world's foremost athletes for nearly two decades, in multiple events. Between 1964 and 1980 she participated in five Olympic Games, winning seven medals, three of them gold. She also broke six world records and was the first woman to hold world records at 100 m, 200 m and 400 m at the same time. She also won 13 medals in European Championships. Between 1965 and 1979 she gathered 26 titles of Champion of Poland in 100 m sprint, 200 m sprint, 400 m sprint, 4x400 m relay and long jump. As of 2004, she is the head of the Polish Federation of Athletics and a member of the International Olympic Committee. On 3 August 2005, she was elected as the third woman to the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) Council during the first session of the 45th IAAF Congress in Helsinki. She's a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.