Roman Zhdanov

Roman Zhdanov

Personal information
Full name	Roman Sergeyevich Zhdanov
Born	(1998-06-30) 30 June 1998 Gorno-Altaysk, Russia
Sport
Country	Russia
Sport	Paralympic swimming
Disability class	S4 & SB3
Club	Zarya Sports Complex
Coached by	Elena Sokolova
Medal record Paralympic swimming Representing Russia Paralympic Games 2020 Tokyo 50 m breaststroke SB3 2020 Tokyo 50 m backstroke S4 2020 Tokyo 150 m ind. medley SM4 2020 Tokyo 100 m freestyle S4 2020 Tokyo 200 m freestyle S4 World Championships 2015 Glasgow 50 m backstroke S4 2015 Glasgow 150 m individual medley SM4 2019 London 100 m freestyle S4 2019 London 150 m individual medley SM4 2019 London 200 m freestyle S4 2015 Glasgow 100 m freestyle S4 2015 Glasgow 200 m freestyle S4 2015 Glasgow mixed 4 × 50 metre freestyle relay 2019 London 50 m freestyle S4 2019 London 50 m backstroke S4 2019 London 50 m breaststroke S4 2019 London mixed 4x50 m freestyle relay European Championships 2020 Funchal 50 m breaststroke SB3 2020 Funchal 100 m freestyle S4 2014 Eindhoven 50 m backstroke S5 2014 Eindhoven 200 m individual medley SM5 2014 Eindhoven 4 × 50 m freestyle relay 2014 Eindhoven 4 × 50 m medley relay 2020 Funchal 50 m freestyle S4

Roman Sergeyevich Zhdanov (Russian: Роман Сергеевич Жданов; born 30 June 1998) is a Russian Paralympic swimmer. He is a three-time Paralympic champion, five-time World champion and one-time European champion.

Swimming

Roman Zhdanov broke into professional sports in 2013 and achieved amazing results, despite the fact that he only started swimming at the age of 14.

The very next year, the swimmer went to the European Championships in Eindhoven. Zhdanov brought 4 bronze medals from the Netherlands, participating in the 50m backstroke (S5 class), 200m medley (SM5 class) and two 4 x 50m freestyle and medley relay events.

The World Games - 2015 in Sochi showed the fighting qualities and fortitude of the swimmer in all its glory. He returned home with 4 awards of the highest standard.

At the World Championships in Glasgow, Zhdanov consolidated his success in the international arena. In the 50 m backstroke races in the S4 class and 150 m medley in the SM4 class, the Russian swimmer became the undisputed leader. Slightly inferior to his rivals in the 100m and 200m freestyle in the S4 class, Roman took 2 silver medals. In the 4 x 50m relay, the Russian swimmers came third.

Zhdanov went to the Russian Swimming Cup among athletes with a lesion of the musculoskeletal system as part of a team of swimmers from Biysk. Altai athletes won 7 medals, 4 of them were won by Roman.

At the world championship in the capital of Great Britain, a native of Gorno-Altaisk performed at a high level, winning 2 gold and 2 bronze.

Zhdanov represented the Russian Paralympic Committee athletes at the 2020 Summer Paralympics where he won gold medals in the 50 metre breaststroke SB3, 50 metre backstroke S4, and 150 metre individual medley SM4 events, setting three world records.

In 2021, the Zhdanov successfully performed at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. He won the 50m breaststroke, setting a new world record of 46.49s. The distance of 150 m in the complex Zhdanov overcame in 2 minutes 12.17 seconds, beating his own achievement, set in May 2021. According to the results of the swim, the athlete's piggy bank was replenished with another award of the highest standard. In the 100m freestyle race, the Paralympian finished third. Bronze in the 200m freestyle in the S4 class became Zhdanov's fourth medal at the 2020 Paralympics. Roman finished the competition with his third gold in the 50m backstroke.

Biography

Roman Zhdanov is a Russian Paralympic swimmer, multiple champion and record holder. Disability was not a sentence for him, but a challenge to himself. Thanks to his innate perseverance and great fortitude, the athlete achieved stunning success in professional swimming in a short time.

Childhood and youth

On June 30, 1998, in Gorno-Altaisk, the capital of the Altai Republic, Natalya and Alexander Zhdanov received congratulations on the birth of their son. The boy, who was born with a lesion of the musculoskeletal system, was named Roman. A few years later, his parents gave him his brother Danil.

Roma from childhood went in for sports for himself, but did not think about a professional career. Everything was decided by chance: once the parents went on business to Biysk, and so that their son would not be bored, they left him in the pool of the Zarya sports complex. When Natalya and Alexander returned, they could not believe their eyes: Roma felt like a fish in the water. Elena Alexandrovna Sokolova, who noticed a huge potential in a teenager with a disability, became his coach.

Until the 9th grade, the boy studied at secondary school No. 10 in Gorno-Altaisk. Then his biography was associated with school number 18 in the city of Biysk.

Personal life

Zhdanov married Victoria (born April 26, 1998) on September 3, 2020. She graduated from the Biysk Forestry College, received her higher education at the Siberian State University of Science and Technology named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev.

Zhdanov now lives in Biysk and still trains under the guidance of Elena Sokolova.