Anastasia Kuzmina Slovak biathlete Date of Birth: 28.08.1984 Country: Slovakia

Biography of Anastasia Kuzmina

Anastasia Kuzmina, a Slovak biathlete, is known for her incredible work ethic, perseverance, and desire to win. Her journey to success was not easy, and she had to rely on hard work and self-belief to achieve the impressive accomplishments she boasts today.

Anastasia was born on August 28, 1984, in the Russian city of Tyumen. It was there that she took her first steps in sports, joining the Olympic Reserve School for skiing alongside her brother Anton. Under the guidance of renowned Russian coach Nadezhda Kovrizhnykh, Anastasia started her career in cross-country skiing. At that time, she was still known by her maiden name, Shipulina.

At the age of 15, Anastasia developed a passion for biathlon, which would later become her main focus. Sergey Shestov, her coach, played a crucial role in her transition to biathlon. From the early 2000s, particularly in 2003, Anastasia Shipulina began to establish herself as a talented and promising biathlete. In that year, she secured first place in the junior championship relay. In Minsk in 2004, Anastasia became the best in the relay once again, this time at the European Biathlon Championship held in the Belarusian capital. The following year, she achieved another first place, this time in the pursuit race at the European Championship held in Novosibirsk, Russia.

In 2006, in Austria, Anastasia Shipulina climbed to the top of the podium, winning the sprint event at the European Cup. Alongside her sporting achievements, Anastasia also pursued a legal education, studying at the Tyumen Law Institute, recognizing the importance of having a career outside of sports.

In 2007, Anastasia experienced two significant events in her personal life. She married Israeli skier Daniel Kuzmin and gave birth to their son Elisha in the same year. One may wonder how a Russian athlete ended up representing Slovakia. In 2008, Anastasia, now Kuzmina, wanted to regain her position in the Russian national biathlon team after her maternity leave but was unsuccessful. Consequently, she and her husband made the decision for her to compete for the Slovak national team.

In 2009, Kuzmina won a silver medal at the World Championship in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The Winter Olympics in Vancouver were just around the corner, and Anastasia, along with her teammates, prepared tirelessly. Despite injuring her left arm just two months before the grand event, she celebrated a true triumph in Vancouver.

On February 13, 2010, Anastasia Kuzmina became an Olympic champion by winning the sprint race over 7.5 kilometers. Three days later, she won a silver medal in the 10-kilometer pursuit race with four shooting stages. In the same year, in December, Kuzmina claimed her first gold medal at the World Cup in Hochfilzen, Austria, in the 10-kilometer sprint race. In the following years, she continued to win silver and bronze medals at various championships.

Anastasia Kuzmina, honored as the "Best Slovak Sportswoman of 2010," currently resides in Banska Bystrica, where she trains and prepares for new victories.