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Valentyna Semerenko

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Valentyna Semerenko
Personal information
Full nameValentyna Oleksandrivna Semerenko
Born (1986-01-18) 18 January 1986 (age 38)
Krasnopillia, Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, now Ukraine
Height1.61 m (5 ft 3 in)
Weight54 kg (119 lb)
Professional information
SportBiathlon
ClubDynamo Ukraine
World Cup debut2016
Olympic Games
Teams4 (2006–2018)
Medals1 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams10 (2007–2019)
Medals6 (1 gold)
World Cup
Seasons2005–2023
Individual victories2
Individual podiums11 (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
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Kontiolahti 12.5 km mass start
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 2013 Nové Město 15 km individual
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Kontiolahti 7.5 km sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Östersund 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 Sprint
Gold medal – first place 2011 Ridanna Relay
Gold medal – first place 2012 Osrblie Relay
Gold medal – first place 2015 Otepää Relay
Gold medal – first place 2020 Raubichi Mixed relay
Silver medal – second place 2010 Otepää Relay
Silver medal – second place 2012 Osrblie 7.5 km sprint
Silver medal – second place 2012 Osrblie 10 km pursuit
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Bansko Relay
Junior World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2005 Kontiolahti Girl's relay
Junior European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2005 Novosibirsk Relay
Universiade
Silver medal – second place 2007 Turin Relay
Silver medal – second place 2007 Turin Sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Turin 12.5 km mass start

Valentyna Oleksandrivna Semerenko (Ukrainian: Валентина Олександрівна Семеренко), known also as Valya Semerenko (listenⓘ) and featuring in statistics as Valj Semerenko (born 18 January 1986) is a Ukrainian biathlete. She is Olympic and World champion, multiple World championships medalist, and one of the most successful Ukrainian winter athletes.

Career

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When she was in the fourth grade of elementary school, she took up cross-country skiing together with her twin sister Vita. But later, they decided to switch to biathlon. She began competing internationally a year earlier than Vita. In 2004 she took part at Junior World Championships in Maurienne, France. In 2005 she won two medals at Junior World and one at Junior European Championships. On 17 December 2005, she debuted in Biathlon World Cup. She finished her first World Cup sprint competition in Osrblie, Slovakia, ranking 47th. Valja managed to qualify for 2006 Winter Olympics, where she took part only in individual race, finishing 46th.

For the first time, she participated at the World Championships in 2007 in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy. Valja missed almost half of the 2006-07 Biathlon World Cup. The next season was more successful. She won the silver medal in the 4×6 km relay event at the Biathlon World Championships 2008. First World Cup relay victory came on 7 January 2009, in Oberhof, Germany.

She represented Ukraine at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[1] In all races she placed between 13 and 23.

First individual podium Valja celebrated on 4 February 2011, in Presque Isle, United States, in sprint. At the 2013 World Championships, Valja won bronze in individual race and silver in relay. On 15 December 2013, Valja won a pursuit race in Annecy, France, which was her first individual World Cup victory.

Stamps of Ukraine, 2014

Together with Juliya Dzhyma, Vita Semerenko and Olena Pidhrushna she won the gold medal in the Women's relay at the 2014 Winter Olympics, in Sochi, Russia.[2]

2014–15 season was the most successful as of January 2018. That season she had four individual podiums and finished third in World Cup classification, being the second-ever Ukrainian biathlete to finish a season in Top-3 after Olena Zubrilova. After Christmas, Valja together with Serhiy Semenov, she won World Team Challenge. The most memorable achievement was victory in mass start at 2015 World Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland. The next two seasons weren't very successful due to illnesses and weak physical conditions. Valja was forced to miss a lot of races.

She qualified to represent Ukraine at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[3] Her best personal result at the Games was 19th place in the mass start. She expected to run in the women's relay but wasn't included in the roster. Later she accused coaches of ignoring her results and including not so successful at the Games Iryna Varvynets and Anastasiya Merkushyna in the relay team. Her sister Vita Semerenko later told in an interview that Valja cried for hours after discovering that she wouldn't participate in the relay. In the evening before the competition, Valja posted on Facebook that "we don't have any team", "our team is just ***" and so on, and that she has something more to unveil about the team.[4] Next day she said that she may finish her sport career immediately after the Games.[5] Nevertheless, she competed in World Cup after the Games.

Personal life

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Biathlete Vita is her twin sister. Valja is married to Oleksiy Prokhor. She graduated from Sumy State Pedagogical Makarenko University.

Results

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Winter Olympics

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Year Event IN SP PU MS RL MRL
2006 Italy Torino, Italy 46
2010 Canada Vancouver, Canada 13 23 23 19 6
2014 Russia Sochi, Russia 19 12 5 12 1
2018 South Korea Pyeongchang, South Korea 25 46 DNS 19
2022 China Beijing, China DNF 13

World Championships

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Year Event IN SP PU MS RL MRL
2007 Italy Rasen-Antholz, Italy 36 9
2008 Sweden Östersund, Sweden 32 16 20 18 2
2009 South Korea Pyeongchang, South Korea 26 15 38 16 DNF 11
2011 Russia Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 11 10 24 16 DSQ
2012 Germany Ruhpolding, Germany 49 57 DNF 6
2013 Czech Republic Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic 3 22 43 DNF 2
2015 Finland Kontiolahti, Finland 15 3 19 1 6 11
2016 Norway Oslo, Norway 44 38 26 5 4
2017 Austria Hochfilzen, Austria 80
2019 Sweden Östersund, Sweden 36 29 38 3
2020 Italy Rasen-Antholz, Italy 42 36 43
2021 Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia 50 DNF

World Cup

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Individual podiums

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Season Place Competition Placement
2010–11 United States Presque Isle, United States Sprint 3
2012–13 Germany Oberhof, Germany Pursuit 3
2013–14 France Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand, France Sprint 3
France Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand, France Pursuit 1
2014–15 Sweden Östersund, Sweden Individual 3
Sweden Östersund, Sweden Pursuit 2
Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia Sprint 3
Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia Pursuit 3

Relay podiums

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Season Place Competition Placement
2008–09 Germany Oberhof, Germany Relay 1
2010–11 Austria Hochfilzen, Austria Relay 2
2012–13 Austria Hochfilzen, Austria Relay 2
Germany Oberhof, Germany Relay 1
Russia Sochi, Russia Relay 2
2013–14 Sweden Östersund, Sweden Mixed relay 3
Austria Hochfilzen, Austria Relay 1
Germany Ruhpolding, Germany Relay 3
France Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand, France Relay 2
2014–15 Italy Antholz, Italy Relay 3
Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic Mixed relay 3
2015–16 Austria Hochfilzen, Austria Relay 3
Germany Ruhpolding, Germany Relay 1
2017–18 Austria Hochfilzen, Austria Relay 2

Positions

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  • Position (and scores) are shown in the table.
Season Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass starts TOTAL
2006–07 26 (32) 53 (20) 55 (8) 47 (60)
2007–08 37 (14) 28 (83) 28 (58) 30 (35) 28 (190)
2008–09 25 (56) 30 (105) 33 (61) 14 (115) 24 (349)
2009–10 8 (102) 19 (195) 14 (125) 20 (97) 14 (538)
2010–11 2 (159) 14 (240) 12 (161) 14 (127) 11 (678)
2011–12 29 (32) 25 (129) 21 (122) 23 (73) 22 (356)
2012–13 9 (86) 21 (160) 25 (107) 23 (85) 20 (438)
2013–14 8 (59) 10 (186) 6 (233) 13 (75) 8 (553)
2014–15 11 (74) 5 (328) 3 (255) 2 (210) 3 (865)
2015–16 50 (15) 51 (43) 37 (67) 46 (14) 47 (139)
2016–17 74 (11) 73 (13) 79 (24)

References

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  1. ^ "Valj Semerenko, Biathlon". Vancouver 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  2. ^ "Valj Semerenko". SR/Olympic Sports. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Ukrainian squad for the 2018 Winter Olympics". Ukrainian Biathlon Federation. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Scandal in Ukrainian women's biathlon team". ZIK. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Valja Semerenko claims to finish her career and she won't refuse her words about national team coaches". UNIAN. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
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