Wikipedia

Vita Semerenko

Vita Semerenko (Ukrainian: Віта Олександрівна Семеренко; born 18 January 1986) is a Ukrainian biathlete. She is Olympic champion in women's relay, Olympic medalist and multiple World championships medalist. She is one of the most successful Ukrainian winter athletes.

Vita Semerenko
Personal information
Full nameVita Oleksandrivna Semerenko
Born (1986-01-18) 18 January 1986 (age 38)[1]
Krasnopillia, Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Weight57 kg (126 lb)
Professional information
SportBiathlon
ClubDynamo
World Cup debut2006
Olympic Games
Teams3 (2010–2018)
Medals2 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams0 (2007–2013, 2019–2020)
Medals7 (0 gold)
World Cup
Seasons2005–2022
Individual podiums10 (incl. 3 at World Champ.)
Medal record
Representing  Ukraine
Women's biathlon
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Sochi 4 x 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Sochi 7.5 km sprint
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2008 Östersund 4 x 6 km relay
Silver medal – second place 2013 Nové Město 4 x 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk 15 km individual
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Ruhpolding 7.5 km sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Nové Město 7.5 km sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Östersund 4 x 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Antholz 4 x 6 km relay
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2008 Nové Město Relay
Gold medal – first place 2009 Ufa Relay
Gold medal – first place 2010 Otepää Pursuit
Gold medal – first place 2011 Ridanna Relay
Gold medal – first place 2012 Osrblie Relay
Silver medal – second place 2007 Bansko Sprint
Silver medal – second place 2009 Ufa Pursuit
Silver medal – second place 2010 Otepää Relay
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Bansko Relay
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Otepää Sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Duszniki-Zdrój Mixed relay
Youth World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2005 Kontiolahti 10 km individual
Silver medal – second place 2005 Kontiolahti 3 × 6 km relay
Junior European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Novosibirsk Girl's relay
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2011 Erzurum Sprint
Gold medal – first place 2011 Erzurum Pursuit
Gold medal – first place 2011 Erzurum Mixed Relay
Gold medal – first place 2007 Turin Pursuit
Silver medal – second place 2007 Turin Relay
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Turin Individual
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Turin Sprint
Updated on 22 February 2020.

Biathlete Valentyna is her twin sister.

Career edit

When she was in the fourth grade of elementary school, she took up cross-country skiing together with her twin sister Valentyna. But later they decided to switch to biathlon. In 2005 she won two medals at Junior World Championships and one at Junior European Championships. Since the competition in Ukrainian national team was quite rigorous, only Valja managed to qualify for 2006 Winter Olympics.

In 2005–06 World Cup season she debuted in German Oberhof in women's relay which was her only World Cup race in that season. Next season she had her first World Cup race – individual race in Swedish Östersund where she with three misses finished 23rd as the best among Ukrainians. Her first World Cup podium came on 20 December 2008, in Austrian Hochfilzen, where she was second in sprint.

She also competes sometimes in summer biathlon competitions, including World and European championships. But Vita's greatest achievement in this modification of biathlon was in 2012 when she won City-Biathlon in Püttlingen, Germany, which was very popular among leading biathletes.

She won the silver medal in 4×6 km relay event at the Biathlon World Championships 2008. In the Olympic cycle between 2010 Winter Olympics and 2014 Winter Olympics she always was on the World Championships podiums winning bronze in individual in 2011, bronze in sprint in 2012 and bronze once again in sprint in 2013 (her teammate Olena Pidhrushna became then World Champion). Apart from her individual medals she also was second in women's relay in 2013.

She represented Ukraine at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.[2] In Vancouver she was one of national hopes for a medal but she didn't achieve high results.

 
Ukrainian stamp with 2014 Olympic champions (Vita – first from right)

On 9 February 2014, she got her bronze medal in women's sprint competition thus winning the first medal for Ukraine at the 2014 Winter Olympics. On 21 February, together with Juliya Dzhyma, Valj Semerenko and Olena Pidhrushna she won the gold medal in the Women's relay at the 2014 Winter Olympics, in Sochi, Russia.[3] This is still the greatest achievement for Ukraine in biathlon.

Due to illness, surgery and then pregnancy she missed almost three seasons, returning to competitions only in March 2016.

She qualified to represent Ukraine at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[4] She competed in all personal races at the Games with 14th place in sprint being her personal best.

She received the Best Athlete of a Month award from National Olympic Committee of Ukraine for four times – in March 2009, March 2010, March 2011, March 2012.

Personal life edit

Vita is married to a footballer of a regional league Andriy Patsiuk. On 19 September 2016, she gave a birth to the son whose name is Mark.

She graduated from Sumy State Pedagogical Makarenko University.

Results edit

Winter Olympics edit

Year Event IN SP PU MS RL MRL
2010   Vancouver, Canada 22 34 42 6
2014   Sochi, Russia 29 3 10 16 1
2018   Pyeongchang, South Korea 63 14 18 24 11

World Championships edit

Year Event IN SP PU MS RL MRL
2007   Antholz-Anterselva, Italy 20 12 20 20 9
2008   Östersund, Sweden 13 35 DNS 4 2
2009   Pyeongchang, South Korea 12 26 19 4 DNF
2010   Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 6
2011   Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 3 18 17 25 DSQ 8
2012   Ruhpolding, Germany 16 3 8 7 6 14
2013   Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic 5 3 9 4 2

World Cup edit

Individual podiums edit

Season Place Competition Rank
2008–09   Hochfilzen, Austria Sprint 2
  Vancouver, Canada Individual 3
2009–10   Oslo, Norway Mass start 2
2011–12   Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Sprint 2
  Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Pursuit 3
2017–18   Annecy, France Sprint 3
  Oberhof, Germany Pursuit 3

Relay podiums edit

Season Place Competition Rank
2008–09   Oberhof, Germany Relay 1
2010–11   Hochfilzen, Austria Relay 2
  Pokljuka, Slovenia Mixed relay 2
2012–13   Hochfilzen, Austria Relay 2
  Oberhof, Germany Relay 1
2013–14   Hochfilzen, Austria Relay 1
  Ruhpolding, Germany Relay 3
  Annecy, France Relay 2
2017–18   Hochfilzen, Austria Relay 2
  Kontiolahti, Finland Mixed relay 2

Positions edit

Season Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass starts TOTAL
2006–07 38 51 52 40 46
2007–08 18 38 24 37
2008–09 6 10 18 17 13
2009–10 24 23 19 13 19
2010–11 7 18 18 18 15
2011–12 20 12 13 10 12
2012–13 16 10 14 3 10
2013–14 50 29 23 31
2014–15 missed
2015–16 missed
2016–17 missed

IBU Cup edit

Relay podiums edit

Season Place Competition Rank
2016–17   Otepää, Estonia Mixed relay 3
  Otepää, Estonia Mixed relay 3

References edit

  1. ^ "Vita SEMERENKO". sochi2014.com. Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Winter Games. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  2. ^ "Vita Semerenko, Biathlon". Vancouver 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Vita Semerenko". SR/Olympic Sports. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Ukrainian squad for the 2018 Winter Olympics". Ukrainian Biathlon Federation. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

External links edit

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