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Sofia VelikayaSaber fencer
Country:
 Russia |
Content:
Biography of Sofya Velikaya
Sofya Alexandrovna Velikaya is a Russian saber fencer, born on June 8, 1985, in Alma-Ata. She is an Olympic champion in team fencing (2016), a silver medalist in individual fencing at the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016, a seven-time world champion, an eleven-time European champion, and a multiple-time champion of Russia. Velikaya is also an Honored Master of Sports of Russia and serves as a captain in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Early Life and Education
Velikaya's first coach was V. Diakokin. She fences with her right hand. She graduated from the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth, and Tourism. Her mother is Natalia Alexandrovna, and she has an older brother named Grigory and a younger brother named Trofim.
Sporting Career
Velikaya has been a part of the Russian national team since 2002. In 2003, she became the European champion for the first time in the team competition in Bourges, France, and repeated this success the following year in Copenhagen. In the same year, she became the world champion in team fencing in New York, just a few days after her 19th birthday.
Throughout her career, Velikaya has won numerous medals in both individual and team competitions at world championships and European championships. She has achieved multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals, solidifying her status as one of the most successful fencers in the world.
Velikaya made her debut at the Olympic Games in 2008 in Beijing, where she reached the semifinals in individual fencing and finished in fourth place. She also competed in the team competition, where the Russian team was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Velikaya's ultimate goal was to perform well at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, as she stated after winning the team competition at the 2010 World Championships in Paris. In London, she reached the final in individual fencing, winning silver after losing to the Korean fencer Kim Ji-yeon. In the team competition, Velikaya and her teammates won the gold medal.
After taking a break from fencing to start a family, Velikaya returned to the national team and won the team competition at the 2014 European Championships. In 2015, she won both the individual and team competitions at the European Championships and the World Championships.
At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Velikaya once again reached the final in individual fencing, winning silver. However, she achieved her long-awaited Olympic gold medal in the team competition, where the Russian team emerged victorious.
Personal Life and Honors
Velikaya is married to Aleksey Mishin, an Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling (2004). They have two children together, a son named Oleg (born in 2013) and a daughter named Zoya (born in 2017).
In recognition of her outstanding achievements in sports, Velikaya has received several prestigious honors, including the Order of Honor (2016) and the Medal "For Distinguished Military Valor" (2016).
Sofya Velikaya continues to be a highly respected and successful athlete, representing Russia in saber fencing and inspiring future generations of fencers.
