Biathlete Svetlana Sleptsova: biography, photos and interesting facts. Svetlana Sleptsova: “Now very few people will wait for my former frankness from me. Sergei Doctor and Svetlana Sleptsova are meeting

Biathlete Svetlana Sleptsova, whose biography is described in our article, is the Olympic champion in the Russian relay team and three-time winner of the summer world championship. Repeatedly became the champion and medalist at the stages of the World Cup. In 2017, she completed her sports career.

Biographical data

Biathlete Svetlana Sleptsova (the photo of the athlete can be seen in the article) was born in July 1986 in the city of Khanty-Mansiysk. Her father served in aviation, and her mother worked as a doctor.

From early childhood, Svetlana was attracted to sports, while the girl tried many types, from ballroom dancing to martial arts.

At the age of ten, Sleptsova first entered the biathlon section after the coach of the local youth sports school visited the school in which she studied and invited everyone to try themselves in this sport. Svetlana was very interested in the opportunity to handle weapons at such a young age.

Several times the girl tried to quit biathlon, but the coaches, who saw great potential in her, did not let this happen every time.

Another problem associated with a busy training schedule was the deterioration in academic performance. Young biathlete Svetlana Sleptsova graduated from school rather mediocre, but managed to enter Ugra University at the Faculty of Sports and Tourism. Since at that time she often became the winner and medalist of various national and international competitions, she was allowed to study according to an individual schedule.

First sporting successes

Under the guidance of the first mentor Alexander Korchak, biathlete Svetlana Sleptsova trained hard, but, unfortunately, she did not achieve much success.

In 2000, the athlete began to prepare for the junior competition under the guidance of another specialist - Mikhail Novikov. A year later, she won the All-Russian competition among juniors for the A. Strepetov prize.

At the age of eighteen, Sleptsova first took part in the U-19 world championship in the French Haute Morienne. Her highest achievement was the fourth place in the relay.

A year later, at a similar competition in Kontiolahti, she became the world champion in the individual race. In addition to this achievement, she added a bronze relay medal to her collection of awards.

In 2006 Sleptsova Svetlana - biathlete of the Russian youth team. At the World Cup in Presque Isle, as part of the relay team, she becomes the bronze medalist of the competition. In the same year, at the European Cup, she won a silver medal in the pursuit.

2007 brought many achievements to Sleptsova. At the World Championships in Val Martello (Italy), Svetlana first became the best in the sprint, and then confirmed her leadership in the pursuit. From the continental championship, the Russian woman brought a whole set of awards. In addition to gold in the sprint and relay race, she won silver in the parsuit and bronze in the individual race.

After such brilliant performances, Svetlana Sleptsova is allowed to perform at the World Cup stages.

Professional sports career

In the 2006/07 season Svetlana Sleptsova is a biathlete in the main Russian national team at international competitions. For the first time at the World Cup stage, she entered the track in Pokljuka, Slovenia, but showed not very good results there. On the second attempt, Sleptsova managed to score the first points in the pursuit in Lahti. As a result, before the end of the competition, Svetlana scored 45 points and took 55th place in the overall ranking.

The next season brought world sports fame to the Russian biathlete. At the second stage in Hochfilzen, Sleptsova first hit the podium, finishing second in the relay. In Pokljuka, she repeated this achievement.

The stage in Oberhof was brilliant for biathlete Svetlana Sleptsova. In addition to bronze in the relay, she won an award in the individual discipline for the first time - she became the second in the sprint. At the stage in Ruhpolding, Svetlana again became the third in the relay, and in the sprint race - the second (after the disqualification of Kaisa Varis Sleptsova, the first place was awarded).

After successful performances in Antholz, the athlete was announced for the first time at the World Championship. Here she also won the bronze medal in the mixed relay. But the most enchanting for Sleptsova was the final stage in Holmenkollen, where she brilliantly won the sprint and pursuit.

The following season, Svetlana became the world champion in the relay. At the World Cup stages, she climbed the podium six times, and in Hochfilzen she took the highest step of the podium for winning the sprint race.

The 2009/10 season was literally "golden" for the biathlete. In addition to four victories and two podiums at the World Cup stages, Sleptsova, together with Bogaliy-Titovets, Zaitseva and Medvedtseva, after winning the relay race, became Olympic champions in Vancouver.

Svetlana spent two post-Olympic seasons quite successfully, several times getting on the podium in both team and individual disciplines.

Deteriorating results

Before the 2012/13 season, biathlete Svetlana Sleptsova underwent knee surgery, which is why she missed part of the training in the competition. Because of this, the athlete showed very poor results at two stages, and then practically did not perform at all until the end of this year and almost the entire next.

After two unsuccessful seasons, Sleptsova made another attempt to return to the elite of world biathlon in 2016. But the results were again not encouraging - the best individual achievement was 24th place in the pursuit at the World Championships.

Triumphant departure

During the summer world championship in 2017, Svetlana Sleptsova performed simply brilliantly. But after victories in the mixed relay and sprint, she announced the end of her sports career. The athlete explained this decision by changes in her personal life. After her announcement, Sleptsova held her last pursuit, in which she won for herself the third and final gold medal of the World Championship.

The personal life of the athlete

The personal life of biathlete Svetlana Sleptsova is not very disclosed to the public, although journalists have repeatedly attributed to her novels with such famous athletes as Tariel Be and other famous personalities.

She herself does not deny that she has a loved one. And as it turned out, the main reason for Sleptsova's departure from sports was pregnancy.

Svetlana Sleptsova is about to retire. In recent years, perhaps only her rare appearances in the national team reminded of one of the most successful periods of the women's biathlon in Russia.

Those who won the 2009 World Cup and the 2010 Olympics with Svetlana, either finished long ago, or, like Anna Frolina, found themselves abroad.

But it's not just titles - Russian biathletes, albeit infrequently, achieved something after Vancouver: there were World Cup and Games medals, there were victories and hopes. But characters comparable to Sleptsova in charisma, recognition and brightness have not yet appeared.

The main thing to remember about Svetlana's career.

Sleptsova, who was impressive even in juniors, made her World Cup debut ten years ago. The adaptation did not take too long: she was quickly remembered on the podium, and in March 2008, the first winning double took place in Holmenkollen, Norway.

December 2007 - Sleptsova's relay debut in Hochfilzen: silver.

Sleptsova in the company of Tura Berger (left) and Katya Wilhelm.

There was no reason to doubt - another super talent had grown in the Russian biathlon.

The first half of the 2008-2009 season is perhaps the best time in Sleptsova's career: a stream of prizes, a new personal victory, a fight with Ekaterina Yurieva for the overall leadership and even an exit in a yellow jersey - Svetlana never looked so convincing again.

At the 2009 World Cup in Korea, a serious bet was made, but it turned into a grandiose doping raid for the Russian national team: the International Union (IBU) announced several positive samples of our biathletes.

Sleptsov through the official website (do you feel the spirit of that time?) That this is not about her. A few hours later, the post on the site changed - a phrase about doping.

Albina Akhatova, Ekaterina Yuryeva and Dmitry Yaroshenko were soon punished for positive tests.

Valery Zakharov, Sleptsova's personal trainer, was not shy in those days in the wording:

“People are perplexed: why those samples that were considered normal over the past two years are now considered doping? Moreover, at first it was called erythropoietin, now they are inventing some new name. I think so - they are digging under us thoroughly "(from an interview with "Soviet Sport").

Surviving a scandal, Svetlana crumbled in personal races, but showed the maximum in the team - the Russians effectively won the relay. Since then, at the World Cup in the women's relay races, Russia has not had a single medal - six attempts in a row.

Victory in Korea: Olga Zaitseva, Olga Medvedtseva, Anna Bulygina (now Frolina), Svetlana Sleptsova (from left to right).

One of the most memorable antics in Sleptsova's career is training in a jumpsuit with the inscription Sexy on the bottom. Catching the peak of her own capabilities, Svetlana allowed herself shocking.

In the gloomy Russian biathlon, deliberate provocations have long been avoided - in many ways, therefore, Sleptsova's simple gesture was not only remembered, but also gave her a biting nickname - the same one that is written on the overalls.

The 2009-2010 season is, as it is now clear, the last more or less cloudless segment in Svetlana's career. She gave out a shock December: with a double in Pokljuka and a series of very high-quality races - but, it seems, she turned out to be mentally unprepared for the Olympic recession.

“They expect medals from the biathlon team, but we don’t owe anything to anyone”, - probably that emotional speech from Vancouver will appear on Sleptsova's resume next to all the regalia.

Hasty excuses liberated her:

“Probably half of the country hates me. I guess I described the failure very emotionally. I don’t want to make excuses, but I didn’t mean at all that we “don’t owe anything to anyone”. On the contrary, all conditions have been created for us, and we must justify trust. The "must-must" press is a little overwhelming "(from interview site).

She was assigned to the relay four, partly by inertia. As in 2009, Svetlana took the first stage. As in 2009, she did not disappoint - and the difference was made by others.

Golden Four 2010: Svetlana Sleptsova, Olga Medvedtseva, Olga Zaitseva, Anna Bogaliy (from left to right).

After the Olympics, major reforms (including purely internal ones) were conceived in Russian biathlon, which, alas, crippled Sleptsova.

Cooperation with Anatoly Khovantsev, a super trainer discharged from Finland, did not work out: the titled Svetlana almost did not listen to the boss - even more often the SBR bosses decided for both of them. It is not surprising, because the World Cup was at stake in Khanty-Mansiysk, Sleptsova's hometown.

She opened the championship with two penalty loops in mixed doubles - the team had no chance to recoup.

Here is what Khovantsev himself recalled in an interview:

“The light is uncontrollable. She was not supposed to go to America, but the leadership ordered. With the composition for the mixed, I did not decide either. The championship in Khanty was a decision of the management, almost at the regional level ”.

By the way, a few weeks before the catastrophe at home, Sveta forced out third place in the mass start of Oberhof - this was her last podium at the World Cup.

In the spring of 2011, Anatoly Khovantsev was replaced by Wolfang Pichler - it seemed that this was an excellent chance not only for Sleptsova, but for the entire women's team, which had noticeably passed. Under the leadership of the German, Svetlana twice became the seventh at the 2012 World Cup - this is one of her best performances at major tournaments.

Anna Bogaliy, Svetlana Sleptsova and Natalya Sorokina are happy with Wolfgang Pichler.

But Sleptsova's personal trainer Valery Zakharov quickly became disillusioned with Pichler - public skirmishes often broke out between them, and there was even a scuffle with Pavel Rostovtsev, Pichler's assistant.

All this, of course, did not help either the team or Svetlana.

Sleptsova had the opportunity to qualify for the Games in Sochi, but cooperation with Pichler went wrong. The German will then tell you that Sveta was openly underperforming in training.

For several years, Valery Medvedtsev, the husband of Olga's close friend, pulled her out of the pit.

Moving on to Medvedtsev (in the background), Sleptsova began to smile more often.

By the last season, work with Medvedtsev brought success - at the European Championships (not the most status tournament in biathlon) Svetlana did not leave the podium and took part in the gold mixed doubles.

At the 2017 World Cup that came to the rescue, it was not possible to show the class: in the hearts of Sleptsova, she announced that it was the last championship for her, but promised to fight for participation in the 2018 Games. Even the failure in the pre-Olympic week (66th place in Pyeongchang) did not dissuade her.

At the 2017 Summer World Cup in Tchaikovsky, Svetlana took part in the victorious mixed double, and before the sprint, her upcoming retirement was announced for her. The reason is pleasant, feminine. Svetlana is expecting a baby.

Sleptsov's sprint, by the way, won. / Alexey Filippov (18.19), Andrey Anosov / SBR (20.21)

Svetlana Sleptsova is a stellar Russian biathlete who won gold in the 2010 Olympic Games, was a world champion, six times climbed to the highest step of the podium in the World Cup and won many times in domestic Russian competitions.

Svetlana was born in the northern city of Khanty-Mansiysk in the family of pilot Yuri Olegovich and medical worker Elena Viktorovna. She has an older sister Olga, who followed in her mother's footsteps and became a doctor. Sleptsova, the youngest, has been interested in sports since childhood. Moreover, her interests were incredibly diverse: from ballroom dancing to karate and even boxing.

When 10 years have passed since birth, biathlon first appeared in the biography of Svetlana Sleptsova. She got into the section after the trainer of the Youth Sports School came to the secondary school and invited all the children there. The girl was interested in this sport by the fact that she, ten years old, was entrusted with a weapon, and this was exciting and tempting. Together with Sveta, all classmates began to study in the same group, but gradually the sports team thinned out, and from Sleptsova's school she was almost the only one in training.

Svetlana also tried to quit biathlon, since in her teenage years she wants to spend more time talking with friends. But professional coaches managed to convince the talented athlete to continue her studies.

A busy training schedule and frequent competitions did not leave the opportunity for full-fledged study, and Sleptsova's performance at school was far from excellent. She was lucky that her parents were sympathetic to the choice of her daughter. Later, Svetlana became a student at Ugra State University, where she studied at the Faculty of Sports and Tourism. There, at first, the girl also had problems, but when she began to bring medals from the world championships, the leadership of the university met halfway and allowed the student to take sessions in a free schedule. As a result, the biathlete became not just a certified specialist, but also passed her thesis for the maximum score.

Biathlon

With the transition to the older age group, Svetlana Sleptsova began to perform better and better, and at the age of 19 she became the champion of the junior world championship in the individual race. Her coaches called her persistent character the key to the girl's brilliant success. She never missed a workout, always giving all her best. Perseverance and dedication did their job: Sleptsova falls under the gun of the coaches of the women's team and in 2007 makes her debut in the national team.

A year later, Svetlana wins at the World Cup stage and gets into the top ten strongest biathletes on the planet, which brings her the title of international master of sports. In the future, the awards went one after another: nomination "Discovery of the Year", another gold relay, laureate of the Order of Friendship. And the highest point in Sleptsova's career is considered her performance at the Olympic Games in the Canadian city of Vancouver, where she became an Olympic champion. Together with her colleagues Anna Bogaliy-Titovets, Olga Medvedtseva, Svetlana won gold at the relay stage.

Later, the athlete faced a complex knee injury, as well as a psychological decline. As a result, in 2013, Sveta shows the worst results for the entire time of her performances in professional sports and in the overall standings takes only 78th place. Sleptsova's age said that she could still conquer the highest peaks, but the girl no longer had psychological strength. She even thought about ending her career. However, in 2016, the biathlete returns to the number of promising athletes and several times climbs the podium in the IBU Cup.

As a result, Svetlana again returns to the national team as a full member of the team and participates in competitions with Anastasia Zagoruiko and other Russian biathlon stars. By the way, Sleptsova, who has not taken part in the national team races since 2013, changed her position in the national team, which ended her professional career.

Personal life

For a long time, Svetlana Sleptsova left her personal life in the background. Although the rumor has repeatedly brought her together with Norwegian colleagues and, as well as with the Russian sports journalist Ilya Trifonov. But the athlete herself either did not comment on these conversations, or said one phrase: "We are just friends"... Many times fans said that Svetlana Sleptsova was getting married. The biathlete herself claimed that she was ready to go down the aisle only when she officially ended her sports career.

After completing her career, Sleptsova planned to open her own restaurant in Khanty-Mansiysk. She stated in an interview that she wants to create a large modern establishment with many halls and several cuisines, which will be able to compete even with the capital's high-end restaurants. The hometown remains in the heart of the athlete as the best city on earth.

In 2012, Sleptsova was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of the city of Khanty-Mansiysk." Although she rarely has free time, Sveta nevertheless tries to pay attention to her mother, especially after her father suddenly died and Elena Viktorovna was left alone. And the main hobbies in the girl's life are tennis and music of various styles. Svetlana is able to talk for hours on these two topics.

Svetlana is an open and sincere person, as her colleagues have repeatedly noted. The girl is famous for her straightforwardness. After a three-time unsuccessful performance of the Russian women's biathlon team in 2010 in Vancouver, Svetlana was the only one of the athletes who managed to go to the microphones and comment on the losses. The phrase “we don’t owe anything to anyone” has long been remembered by the fans of the Russian biathlon. The girl uttered these words in a rush, but many sports commentators took the phrase from a negative point of view. The general tension eased after the Russians still managed to become champions.

Svetlana Sleptsova now

In 2017, the athlete brilliantly performed at the Summer Biathlon World Championships in Tchaikovsky, where she became a three-time medalist, winning gold in the mixed relay, sprint and pursuit categories. After winning, although not at such a prestigious competition as the winter championship, Svetlana Sleptsova announced her retirement from the sport. The girl explained her decision by the fact that she was pregnant. The news was a pleasant and exciting surprise for the biathlete's fans.

Pregnancy made adjustments to the biathlete's plans for 2018, because even in winter the girl announced her readiness to enter the Russian national team and compete at the Olympics in Korea. The journalists learned that the top manager of the oil company became the husband of the athlete. Svetlana does not advertise the name of her beloved man on social networks, but in early August, joint photos of the lovers appeared on Instagram with the note “wedding is coming soon”. The newlyweds also kept the date of the celebration a secret from the public.

On social networks, Svetlana Sleptsova has her own hashtag - #luchsveta. At the last World Championship in Svetlana's sports career in Tchaikovsky, the fans staged a flash mob with this name, which touched the biathlete.

After Sleptsova got married, she stayed with her husband in her hometown. In the fall, the governor of the district offered Svetlana the post of sports advisor. A year earlier, the girl had already intended to start a political career and even participated in the primaries of United Russia before the elections to the State Duma. But then the girl did not get the required number of votes. Now Svetlana Sleptsova has accepted the offer from the governor. On November 1, she officially took office, although the girl did not manage to work in a new place for a long time, since soon Svetlana went on maternity leave.

April 20, 2018 Sleptsova gave birth to a son. On the athlete's accounts on VKontakte and on Instagram, touching posts with a picture of a newborn's tag appeared. Subscribers, friends and fans congratulated the athlete on the birth of her son. Until Svetlana officially announced what name the baby received. The boy's weight is 3550 g, and his height is 53 cm.

Awards

• 2008 - bronze medal at the World Championships in Östersund
• 2009 - gold medal at the World Championships in Pyeongchang
• 2010 - gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics
• 2012 - gold medal at the Summer Biathlon World Championships in Ufa
• 2017 - gold, two silver and bronze medals at the European Championship
• 2017 - three gold medals at the Summer Biathlon World Championships in Tchaikovsky

Childhood of Svetlana Sleptsova

Svetlana Sleptsova was born in Khanty-Mansiysk. Her father was a pilot and her mother was a doctor. Her older sister's name is Olga, who, like her mother, received a medical degree. Svetlana grew up as a very mobile child and before biathlon she realized her energy both in martial arts (karate, boxing) and in a more elegant way (ballroom dancing).

The girl went to school number 1 in Khanty-Mansiysk. In the third grade, she met her first coach, Alexander Vladimirovich Korchak. He invited students to the biathlon section. Many came, but out of several dozen newcomers to the section, only the most persistent and interested remained. Among them was the future champion.

Svetlana Sleptsova and Biathlon

Svetlana did not develop her current attitude to this sport right away. Like other children, the girl also wanted to spend time on rest and walks, so she dropped out of classes several times. We must pay tribute to the coach who motivated her for further training, telling her that gradually, starting from the district championship, you can come to Olympic gold. And the classes continued, and Svetlana began to show good stubbornness.

The higher the success in sports, the worse was her academic performance. Parents could not but be worried about the deterioration of grades, but they saw with what enthusiasm their daughter began to engage in biathlon, so they supported her aspirations, for which Svetlana is very grateful to them. According to the athlete, the family did not live well, but her parents always tried to buy everything she needed.

Sportswoman Svetlana Sleptsova's career and her achievements

A year after the start of classes, Svetlana was awarded the first category. She takes part in a number of competitions at various levels, up to the all-Russian, periodically winning prizes.

2000 - the athlete begins to engage in a new group, where the coach is Mikhail Novikov. In the same year, the girl was awarded the title of candidate for master of sports. The next year was marked by a victory at the All-Russian youth competitions. In 2004, the athlete received the title of Master of Sports.

In 2005, Svetlana won the World Junior Championships, taking 1st place in the individual race. In addition, she took 2nd place in the pursuit and 3rd in the relay.

Object of desire: biathlete Svetlana Sleptsova

Since 2006, the athlete begins to train with Valery Pavlovich Zakharov, who more than once noted her persistence in achieving the goal - Svetlana did not miss workouts and was never late for training camps.

And the effort was awarded in 2007 when the girl gets gold at the Junior World Championships (sprint and pursuit) and all the prize medals at the European Junior Championships. After that, Svetlana was enrolled in the Russian national team.

In 2008, the athlete wins the KM stage (Ruhpolding, Germany), and receives bronze in the mixed relay at the World Cup. In the same year, she takes 8th place in the list of the most powerful biathletes in the world and receives the title of International Master of Sports.

2009 was marked by the awarding of the Biathlon Award (nomination "Discovery of the Year"), winning the World Cup gold in the relay and being awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports.

Svetlana Sleptsova: After all, she could ...

2010 - the girl takes a number of prizes at the stages of the World Cup. In Vancouver, Svetlana (along with Bogaliy-Titovets, Zaitseva and Medvedtseva) receives gold in the relay.

In addition, she is awarded the badge of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug "For Services to the District", and on March 5 of the same year she becomes a laureate of the Order of Friendship.

After the Olympic victory in the sports performance of the girl, there was a decline. In 2012, the situation was aggravated by a knee injury, subsequent surgery and problems with recovery. All this became the reason that she finished the 2012-2013 season with the worst result in her entire career - in the overall standings she took 78th place.

Valery Zakharov blamed the head coach of the national team Wolfgang Pichler for this, and he simply spoke of the state of his former ward - “psychologically broken”. Pichler himself believes that Sleptsova's problems lie in the psychological sphere, namely, in the inability to cope with moral pressure.

However, the latest news is encouraging - Svetlana won the IBU Cup in the sprint relay (November 2013). According to the athlete, this victory noticeably lifted her spirits.

Personal life of Svetlana Sleptsova

In an interview, Svetlana indicates that she likes men who are slim, tall and dark-haired. The girl has a boyfriend, but she does not dream of marriage. She plans to start a family after the end of her career.

She admires Olga Medvedtseva, who, according to the girl, has achieved everything in sports that can only be dreamed of.

In 2012, Svetlana Sleptsova was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of the city of Khanty-Mansiysk." The girl loves her city very much and is not going to leave anywhere.

Svetlana managed to get two higher educations in the following professions: trainer-teacher and manager. However, she does not plan to work in these areas, but dreams of one day opening a large restaurant in Khanty-Mansiysk with several kitchens and halls.

Svetlana Sleptsova now

In August 2017, at the Summer Biathlon World Championships in Tchaikovsky, Svetlana Sleptsova won the pursuit race, after which she announced her retirement. The 31-year-old athlete decided to leave the big sport due to pregnancy.

Svetlana claims with absolute certainty that she will never return to biathlon, but he will live in her heart. "I have no regret, and in the future it will not be," - said the biathlete in one of the first interviews after the fateful decision.

The Special Correspondent of the Championship, having talked with Svetlana Sleptsova, discusses what prompted her to end her career. The Summer Biathlon World Championship just yesterday seemed like an everyday small-town event, where the Russians will calmly collect the lion's share of medals, and most of the races will pass without a fight.

However, unexpectedly, the intrigue lived up to the last meters in the men's sprint, and before the start of the women's race, Svetlana Sleptsova blew up the bomb, announcing her retirement from the sport immediately after the summer world championship in Tchaikovsky. In the shadow of this event were Chepelin's victory, and the fall with fractures of Mongolian biathletes in training, and the success of Christina Reztsova.

Cases when athletes end their careers a year before the Olympics are rare. Such a decision is made six months before the event, in the midst of preparation for the season, and in exceptional situations altogether. Svetlana is not the kind of person who will suddenly lay down arms and give up the fight for a place in the Olympic team just because she ended up not in the main team, but in the reserve one.

“I made this decision a week ago for a personal reason, which I will inform about later,” Svetlana began a conversation with journalists in riddles. - The coaches did not try to dissuade me, because they know that once I made a decision, then this is final. Only my relatives knew about my decision ”. The intrigue about the reason for leaving will formally live on for another day, but now it is clear, especially since we are, apparently, talking about pleasant events for any woman. In a difficult choice for many, Sleptsova preferred a new life to an old one, which in recent years has not brought her past success or previous pleasure.

“I haven’t received any offers yet, but I’m definitely not going to be a coach. For a week, my whole life has turned 360 degrees. I do not want to promise anything, because it will be just emotions. Today I am the happiest person. I went out already without much motivation, I did not specially prepare, but luck turned out to be on my side. Guberniev said that he would cry when he saw me off, ”Sleptsova summed up her career.

It seems that this ease, when there are only burnt bridges behind her, she lacked all this time until today. Not many of us will remember offhand when Sleptsova last shot to zero and confidently won the race at major international competitions, albeit with not the strongest line-up of participants. She easily closed the targets, the stands drove her forward, and on the track there was no tremor, no slowdown in speed, no annoying mistakes that did not allow themselves to be realized for a long time.

At the finish circle, the audience drove Sleptsova, without stopping for a moment. To win, it was not required to get out of your skin, although Sveta habitually left all her strength on the hot track, but before falling, she waved her hand triumphantly. It is difficult to say what was more in this gesture - the joy of winning one of the competitions or the relief that all nightmares and endless struggle with oneself are over.

After all, if you face the truth, Svetlana remained the last of the already passed generation of winners of the 2000s. She herself and her personal trainers still cherished the hope of returning to the previous level, and each time she broke on stones. Last year's failures at the World Championships and the Russian Championships led to her exclusion from the national team, and it is unlikely that the leadership of the RBU and the national team seriously counted on her Olympic prospects. Yes, to get into the national team, as they say, “on the teeth”, literally jumping on the last step of the departing train, Svetlana could win a medal - no longer, so the time, situation and place for leaving are quite suitable.

The current women's team will miss the likes of Sleptsova. Not by results, but by character. Bright, independent, sometimes stubborn and always does not leave indifferent both the crowd of fans and ill-wishers. Who else from our biathletes will be serenaded so passionately, as did the Italian Pietro, who works in one of the companies associated with biathlon equipment.