The BePoSiTiVe blog continues the 10 facts section with a story about Sveta Sleptsova. Sveta is a star that lights up life. Sveta’s irrepressible energy and positivity leave no one indifferent.
Her motto is one life and one must live every day as if it were the last. Sveta had managed to follow this principle before. The new coach of the women's team, Wolfgang Pichler, has already noticed that Sveta gives all of herself to her work. Therefore, in sports, the height of the Olympus has already been reached. Let's see what Sveta managed to achieve in everyday life.Svetlana Yurievna Sleptsova,
And if it makes you feel good then I say do it,
I don&prime,t know what you&prime,re waiting for
I'm gonna party, yeah
Cause anybody just won’t do
Let's get this started, yeah
Cause everyone wants to party with you
1. Sveta’s career was predicted by her first coach
One day he (A.V. Korczak) told me: First you will become the district champion, then you will become the Russian champion, then the world champion, and then the Olympic champion. And I tried, reached out to other girls, showed my stubborn character, and gradually Alexander Vladimirovich’s words began to come true, although at first they seemed very distant to me,” says Svetlana, recalling those years.
Filling out a form on the SBR website, Sveta noted that “if I had not become a biathlete, I would have been a flight attendant.” Well, customers of Russian airlines have lost a lot.
2. With the prize money after Vancouver, Sveta fulfilled her old dream and bought her mother an apartment in Khanty-Mansiysk
“My last major purchase was an apartment for my mother in Khanty-Mansiysk. I paid for it from the prize money that the state paid for the winning relay at the Vancouver Olympics. This is a dream that I have already realized; I dreamed of buying a good apartment for my mother for a very long time.”
3. Sveta has two hobbies - music and cars.
Sveta’s favorite singer is Madonna; she is ready to listen to her for hours during training and in her free time. Sveta admires Madonna for her hard work, perseverance and achievements.
Personal speed record - 200 kilometers per hour on the unlimited autobahns of Germany. In one of her interviews, Sveta stated that she would not mind trying herself in motorsport.
4. Sveta Sleptsova likes V.V. Putin. She considers him an incredibly charismatic person and a strong personality. Once I sat behind the Deputy Prime Minister at one of the sporting events. There, apparently, they managed to warm up to the politician.
5. After finishing her career, Sveta dreams of opening a sports club and disco in her native Khanty-Mansiysk.
“My dreams are to build a good fitness club, most likely in Khanty-Mansiysk. This would be logical, because our city is small, there are many sports facilities, but there are almost no good fitness clubs.”
6. In exchange for the nickname “Romeo,” Yana Romanova gave Sveta the nickname “Nano”- “Because she is nanotechnological, she likes it.”
It’s no secret that Sveta loves high-tech devices, and with the trend toward constant reduction in their size, as well as the country’s announced policy for the widespread introduction of innovations and nanotechnologies, Sveta is truly becoming nanotechnological. Although in terms of the number of devices, the epithet “Mega-technological” suits it better.
During the 2010 Anterselva World Cup, where Sveta lived in the same hotel with the men's team, she received the nickname "Styopa" from the men's team manager. So as not to stand out in male society.
Sveta is very friendly with Olya Vilukhina; Olya gave her the nickname “Peach”.
7. Sveta has two higher educations.
Ugra State University, Institute of Sports and Tourism - trainer-teacher and state and municipal administration. Despite having a diploma in public administration and contrary to information recently published in the media, Sveta is not going to run for parliament in the near future.
8. Sveta’s favorite video - a mini-film made by fans about the victory of the women’s team at the World Cup in Korea to the song “They fell, but got up” by Alexey Khvorostyan. Very touching and emotional video.
9. Sveta has two tattoos. One on the shoulder. I did it simply because I liked it. And the second one is on the wrist in honor of the victory at the Olympics in Vancouver.
10. Sveta is a very open and bright person. She always says what she thinks, and because of this she is often judged. But she is REAL and sincere! It is unlikely that anyone will hear two opinions from Sveta on the same issue. Sveta trusts people and believes in them, and gets very upset if she has to be disappointed in people. People, let's not disappoint Sveta and all together and unanimously support her in the upcoming season. We also wish Sveta the yellow-red leader's jersey, BHG and medals at the World Championships in Ruhpolding!
The Championship special correspondent, after talking with Svetlana Sleptsova, talks about what prompted her to end her career. Just yesterday the Summer Biathlon World Championship seemed like an everyday, local event, where the Russians would calmly collect the lion's share of medals, and most of the races would take place without a fight.
However, unexpectedly, the intrigue lived until the last meters in the men’s sprint, and before the start of the women’s race, Svetlana Sleptsova “detonated the bomb”, announcing her retirement from the sport immediately after the summer World Championships in Tchaikovsky. In the shadow of this event remained the victory of Chepelin, and the falls with fractures of the Mongolian biathletes in training, and the success of Kristina Reztsova.
Cases where 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 preparations for the season, and even in exceptional situations. Svetlana is not the person who will suddenly lay down her arms and give up the fight for a place in the Olympic team just because she was not included in the main team, but in the reserve one.
“I made this decision a week ago for a personal reason, which I will tell you about later,” Svetlana began her conversation with journalists in riddles. “The coaches didn’t try to dissuade me, because they know that once I made a decision, it’s final. Only my close ones knew about my decision.” The intrigue about the reason for leaving will formally live 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 chose a new life over the old one, which in recent years had not brought her the same successes or the same pleasure.
“I haven’t received any offers yet, but I definitely won’t be a coach. In a week my whole life turned 360 degrees. I don’t want to promise anything, because it will just be emotions. Today I am the happiest person. I went out without much motivation, I didn’t prepare specifically, but luck was on my side. Guberniev said that he would cry as he saw me off,” Sleptsova summed up her career.
It seems that this lightness, when there are only burnt bridges behind her, is what she has been missing all this time until today. Not many of us can remember offhand the last time Sleptsova shot to zero and confidently won a race at major international competitions, albeit with not the strongest line-up of participants. She covered the targets with ease, the stands drove her forward, and on the track there was no jitters, no drop in speed, no annoying mistakes that did not allow themselves to be realized for a long time.
On the finishing lap, Sleptsova was chased by the spectators, not stopping for a moment. There was no need to go out of your way to win, although Sveta, as usual, left all her strength on the hot track, but before falling, she waved her hand victoriously. It’s hard to say what was more in this gesture - the joy of winning one of the competitions or the relief that all the nightmares and endless struggle with oneself are over.
After all, if you face the truth, Svetlana remained the last of the already departed generation of winners of the 2000s. She herself and her personal trainers still cherished the hope of returning to the previous level, and every time it was dashed against the rocks. 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, Svetlana could get into the national team, as they say, “by the teeth”, literally jumping on the last step of the departing train, but winning a medal is no longer possible, so the time, situation and place for leaving are quite suitable.
The current women's team will miss people like Sleptsova. Not by results, but by character. Bright, independent, sometimes stubborn and always does not leave indifferent both crowds of fans and ill-wishers. Which other of our biathletes will serenade so passionately, as did the Italian Pietro, who works in one of the companies associated with biathlon equipment.
The 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 education. Svetlana grew up as a very active 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 No. 1 in Khanty-Mansiysk. In third grade, she met her first coach, Alexander Vladimirovich Korczak. He invited students to the biathlon section. Many came, but out of several dozen newcomers, only the most persistent and interested remained in the section. Among them was the future champion.
Svetlana Sleptsova and Biathlon
Svetlana did not develop her current attitude towards this sport right away. Like other children, the girl also wanted to spend time relaxing and walking, 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, she could come to Olympic gold. And the classes continued, and Svetlana began to show good stubbornness.The higher her success in sports became, the worse her performance in subjects was. The parents could not help but be concerned about the deterioration in 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 her everything she needed.
Career of athlete Svetlana Sleptsova 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 different levels, up to all-Russian ones, periodically taking prizes.2000 - the athlete begins training in a new group, where Mikhail Semenovich Novikov is the coach. In the same year, the girl was awarded the title of candidate master of sports. The following 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 began training with Valery Pavlovich Zakharov, who more than once noted her perseverance in achieving her goal - Svetlana did not miss training and was never late for training camp.
And her efforts were rewarded in 2007, when the girl received gold at the Junior World Championships (sprint and pursuit) and all the prize medals at the European Junior Championships. After this, Svetlana was enrolled in the Russian national team.
In 2008, the athlete won the World Cup stage (Ruhhpolding, Germany), and received bronze in the mixed relay at the World Championships. In the same year, she took 8th place in the list of the strongest biathletes on the planet and received the title of International Master of Sports.
The year 2009 was marked by the awarding of the Biathlon Award (discovery of the year nomination), winning gold at the World Championships in the relay race 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 World Cup stages. In Vancouver, Svetlana (together with Bogaliy-Titovets, Zaitseva and Medvedtseva) wins gold in the relay.
In addition, she was awarded the KhMAO badge “For Services to the District”, and on March 5 of the same year she became a laureate of the Order of Friendship.
After the Olympic victory, there was a decline in the girl’s athletic performance. In 2012, the situation was aggravated by a knee injury, subsequent surgery and problems with recovery. All this was the reason that she finished the 2012-2013 season with the worst result in her entire career - she took 78th place in the overall standings
Valery Zakharov blamed the national team's head coach Wolfgang Pichler for this, and spoke simply about the condition 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 significantly lifted her spirits.
Personal life of Svetlana Sleptsova
In one of her interviews, Svetlana indicates that she likes men who are slender, tall and dark-haired. The girl has a boyfriend, but she does not dream of marriage. She plans to start a family after finishing her career. 
She admires Olga Medvedtseva, who, according to the girl, has achieved everything she could dream of in sports.
In 2012, Svetlana Sleptsova was awarded the title “Honorary Resident of the City of Khanty-Mansiysk.” The girl loves her city very much and has no intention of leaving anywhere.
Svetlana managed to receive two higher educations in the following professions: trainer-teacher and manager. However, she does not plan to work in these areas, but dreams of someday opening a large restaurant with several kitchens and halls in Khanty-Mansiysk.
Svetlana Sleptsova now
In August 2017, at the World Summer Biathlon Championships in Tchaikovsky, Svetlana Sleptsova won the pursuit race, after which she announced her retirement. The 31-year-old athlete decided to retire from big-time sports due to pregnancy.Svetlana asserts with one hundred percent confidence that she will not return to biathlon, but he will live in her heart. “I have no regrets, and there won’t be any in the future,” the biathlete said in one of her first interviews after the fateful decision.
Svetlana Yuryevna Sleptsova was born on July 31, 1986 in Khanty-Mansiysk in the family of pilot Yuri Olegovich and doctor Elena Viktorovna Sleptsov. She studied at secondary school No. 1 of Khanty-Mansiysk. The girl combined classes in several sports: she was simultaneously involved in biathlon, ballroom dancing, karate and boxing. Training took a lot of time from studying, Sleptsova graduated from school with C grades, but in 2002 she managed to enter the Institute of Sports and Tourism of Ugra State University, where she studied as a trainer-teacher. She received a diploma with a specialist degree in physical education in 2008.
According to Sleptsova’s recollections, she began biathlon at the age of 10, when the coach of the biathlon section of the Khanty-Mansiysk Olympic Reserve Children’s and Youth School, Alexander Korchak, came to her school with an invitation, but at first she did not show much success. In addition to Korczak, Sleptsova’s coaches were Mikhail Novikov and Valery Zakharov. Sleptsova regularly participated in school, regional, and then Russian junior biathlon championships. She won her first victory in 2001 in the All-Russian youth competition for the Arkady Strepetov prize. In 2005, at the World Junior Championships, the athlete managed to collect a full set of medals: she won the individual race, received silver in the pursuit and bronze in the relay. In 2006, Sleptsova’s best achievement was a bronze medal at the youth relay at the World Championships. In the 2006-2007 season, she won 2 gold medals at the World Junior Championships, and at the European Championships she received medals of all merits. The athlete completed the season at the Russian adult championship, where she won three top medals in the sprint, pursuit and relay, after which she was included in the Russian biathlon team.
Sleptsova’s first performances at the World Cup (2007-2008 season) were not the most outstanding; in Lahti she took 33rd place in the sprint competition. But already at the World Cup stage in Oberhof she won one silver and two gold medals in the sprint (stages in Ruhpolding and Holmenkollen). Then she received one of the gold medals after the lifelong disqualification of the Finnish biathlete Kaisa Varis. In addition to these awards, at various stages of the 2007-2008 World Cup, Sleptsova won gold and silver in pursuit and bronze in sprint and mass start.
Sleptsova became the champion of Russia in the 2007-2008 season in sprint, pursuit and relay competitions. After suffering an illness at the World Championships in Ostersund, the athlete managed to win only a bronze medal for her performance in the mixed relay, but at the end of the season she received the degree of international master of sports. In addition, she received an apartment as a reward from the Governor of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, Alexander Filipenko. In March 2008, Sleptsova won the prestigious Biathlon Award as the best newcomer of the year.
At the World Cup of the 2008-2009 season, Sleptsova won one gold and one silver medal in the sprint, two silver medals in the pursuit and bronze in the individual race, and for some time led the overall standings, but ultimately ended up in eighth place. She won gold in the women's relay at the World Championships in PyeongChang. According to the results of international and Russian competitions that season, she took second place among Russian biathletes after Olga Zaitseva, and in the global standings Sleptsova became twelfth. According to sports commentators, the Russian team did not spend the season in the best shape, but young athletes, including Sleptsova, managed to gain experience.
Sleptsova is not married. She is interested in tennis and music, and after finishing her career she hopes to open her own restaurant in Khanty-Mansiysk. The athlete has an older sister, Olga, who works as a doctor.
Svetlana Sleptsova is a star Russian biathlete who won Olympic gold in 2010, was a world champion, reached the top step of the World Cup podium six times and won numerous 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. And Sleptsova Jr. has been interested in sports since childhood. Moreover, her interests were incredibly diverse: from ballroom dancing to karate and even boxing.
When 10 years had passed since her birth, biathlon first appeared in Svetlana Sleptsova’s biography. She got into the section after the coach of the youth sports school came to the secondary school and invited all the children there. The girl was interested in this sport because she, ten years old, was trusted with weapons, and this was exciting and tempting. Together with Sveta, all her classmates began to train in the same group, but gradually the sports team thinned out, and Sleptsova was almost the only one left at the training sessions.
Svetlana also wanted to quit biathlon, because in her teenage years she wants to spend more time communicating with friends. But professional trainers managed to convince the talented athlete to continue her studies.
A busy training schedule and frequent competitions did not leave room for full-fledged study, and Sleptsova’s performance at school was far from excellent. She was lucky that her parents were sympathetic to their daughter’s choice. 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 world championships, the university management agreed and allowed the student to take the sessions on a free schedule. As a result, the biathlete became not only a certified specialist, but also passed her thesis with the maximum score.
Biathlon
With the transition to the senior 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 bright success. She never missed a workout, always giving it her all. Perseverance and dedication did their job: Sleptsova came under the radar of the women's national team coaches and in 2007 made her debut in the national team.
A year later, Svetlana wins the World Cup and enters the top ten strongest biathletes on the planet, which earns her the title of international master of sports. Subsequently, the awards came one after another: the “Discovery of the Year” nomination, another relay gold, laureate of the Order of Friendship. And the highest point in Sleptsova’s career is considered to be 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 and Olga Medvedtseva, Svetlana won gold at the relay stage.
Later, the athlete suffered a complex knee injury, as well as a psychological decline. As a result, in 2013, Sveta showed the worst results of her entire career in professional sports and took only 78th place in the overall standings. Sleptsova’s age indicated that she could still conquer the highest peaks, but the girl no longer had the psychological strength. She even thought about ending her career. However, in 2016, the biathlete returned to the ranks of promising athletes and climbed to the podium several times in the IBU Cup.
As a result, Svetlana returns to the national team again as a full member of the team and participates in competitions along with Anastasia Zagoruiko and other Russian biathlon stars. By the way, Sleptsova, who had not participated in the national team’s races since 2013, was replaced in the national team, who ended her professional career.
Personal life
Svetlana Sleptsova left her personal life in the background for a long time. Although rumor has repeatedly brought her together with Norwegian colleagues and, as well as with 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 walk down the aisle only when she officially finished her sports career.
After finishing 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 kitchens, which will be able to compete even with the capital's elite restaurants. Her hometown remains in the athlete’s heart as the best city on earth.
In 2012, Sleptsova was awarded the title “Honorary Resident 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 can talk on these two topics for hours.
Svetlana is an open and sincere person, which her colleagues have repeatedly noted. The girl is famous for her straightforwardness. After the 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 anyone anything” was remembered for a long time by Russian biathlon fans. The girl said these words in the heat of the moment, but many sports commentators perceived the phrase from a negative point of view. The general tension subsided after the Russians managed to become champions.
Svetlana Sleptsova now
In 2017, the athlete performed brilliantly at the World Summer Biathlon 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 saying that she was pregnant. The news came as a pleasant and exciting surprise for fans of the biathlete.
Pregnancy also made adjustments to the biathlete’s plans for 2018, because back in winter the girl announced her readiness to join the Russian team and compete at the Olympics in Korea. Journalists learned that the athlete’s husband was a top manager of an oil company. Svetlana does not advertise the name of her beloved man on social networks, but in early August in “ Instagram“Joint photos of lovers appeared with the note “wedding 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 - #ray of light. At the last world championship in Svetlana’s sports career in Tchaikovsky, 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 district governor offered Svetlana the post of sports advisor. A year earlier, the girl 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 up her position, although the girl did not manage to work in the new place for a long time, since Svetlana soon went on maternity leave.
On April 20, 2018, Sleptsova gave birth to a son. Touching posts with images of the newborn’s tag appeared on the athlete’s accounts on VKontakte and Instagram. Subscribers, friends and fans congratulated the athlete on the birth of her son. So far, Svetlana has not 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 World Summer Biathlon Championships in Ufa
- 2017 – gold, two silver and bronze medals at the European Championships
- 2017 – three gold medals at the World Summer Biathlon Championships in Tchaikovsky