Anna Frolina Korean, formerly Russian biathlete Date of Birth: 11.01.1984 Country: South Korea

1. Biography of Anna Frolina
2. Early Life and Junior Achievements
3. Achievements at the Russian Championships
4. Competing in the World Cup
5. Transition to the South Korean National Team
6. Season 2016/2017

Biography of Anna Frolina

Anna Frolina is a former Russian biathlete who later competed for South Korea. She was born on June 20, 1983. Frolina achieved great success in her career, becoming a world champion in the biathlon relay in 2009. She also won and placed on the podium in various stages of the World Cup, and was a vice world champion in summer biathlon in 2013 and 2016. Frolina is a four-time champion of Russia and a champion of South Korea in biathlon. She earned the title of Honored Master of Sports of Russia in biathlon.

Early Life and Junior Achievements

Anna Frolina was born in Russia to parents Alexey Bulygin, a ski coach, and her mother, who was both a school director and coach. She started participating in ski races under the guidance of her parents from an early age. As a junior athlete, Frolina achieved the candidate for master of sports standard. After finishing school in Salekhard, she moved to Tyumen to attend university. In Tyumen, Frolina joined a strong group of biathletes and trained under renowned coach Leonid Guryev. It was during this time that the former skier transitioned to biathlon.

Achievements at the Russian Championships

Frolina had notable performances at the Russian Championships throughout her career. In 2008, she won a bronze medal in the super-pursuit event. In the 2009 edition of the championships held in Uvat, she emerged as the overall winner, securing victories in the sprint and pursuit races, as well as a silver medal in the relay. Frolina continued to excel in subsequent championships, earning multiple medals, including silver in the mixed relay, patrol race, and marathon, as well as bronze in the individual race and pursuit.

Competing in the World Cup

Frolina made her debut in the World Cup on January 7, 2006, in Oberhof, where she finished 56th in the sprint race. Over the course of the 2006/2007 season, she became a regular member of the Russian national biathlon team. Frolina earned her first World Cup points on November 29, 2006, in Östersund, Sweden, finishing 22nd in the individual race. She achieved her best personal result of fourth place in the mass start race in Khanty-Mansiysk on March 18, 2007. Frolina finished the season in 31st place overall. In the 2008/2009 season, she secured her first individual victory in the pursuit race in Antholz. Frolina also won a gold medal in the relay event at the 2009 World Championships in Pyeongchang. Throughout her World Cup career, Frolina consistently achieved good results and finished in the top 20 overall.

Transition to the South Korean National Team

In the autumn of 2015, Anna Frolina decided to compete for the South Korean national biathlon team. However, due to the citizenship process, she was unable to participate in the early races of the season. In January 2016, the head coach of the South Korean team announced that Frolina was training with the team and, if she received South Korean citizenship, she would compete at the 2016 European Championship in Tyumen and subsequent World Cup stages. On March 31, 2016, it was officially announced that Frolina had obtained South Korean citizenship.

Season 2016/2017

In the 2016/2017 season, Frolina competed in several races in the IBU Cup and achieved her first podium finishes for the South Korean team at the Summer Biathlon World Championships in Otepää, Estonia. She won a silver medal in the sprint and a bronze medal in the pursuit. Frolina also made her World Cup debut for South Korea, earning her first World Cup points with a 38th-place finish in the individual race. Later, she achieved a national record for South Korea in the sprint race in Oberhof. Frolina's performances allowed her to qualify for the mass start race, making her the first South Korean biathlete to compete in this discipline at the World Cup level.

Anna Frolina's biography is a testament to her talent and dedication to biathlon. Her achievements in both the Russian and South Korean national teams have solidified her place among the elite biathletes in the sport.