Svetlana Ishmuratova: a long way to the triumph of the legendary biathlete

Every champion goes his own way of glory. Someone loudly declares himself at the very beginning of his career, taking away all conceivable and unimaginable prizes and awards, while others go on long and persistently to their goal, not bending under the weight of failures and not complaining about bad luck. A vivid example of this - the famous Russian biathlete Svetlana Ishmuratova.

There were many things in her life: unfair accusations of using dope, ridiculous injuries to the most important starts, insulting misfires. But on the slope of her great career, the sportswoman managed to slam the door behind her, wiping her nose at scoffers and ill-wishers.

Childhood

Since the childhood the future Olympic champion has been prepared to overcome difficulties in a life. Svetlana Ishmuratova was born a frail and painful girl in 1972. Passionately wishing to harden his daughter and grow a strong, self-assured girl, her father Irek Musalimovich taught Sveta to go skiing with him for five hours. They could roll down for hours on the slides, honing technique and skill.

Residents of Zlatoust, a small town in the Chelyabinsk region, did not even suspect that the future sports legend of the country is growing before their eyes.

Persistently training, Svetlana Ishmuratova already by the end of the junior school forgets about all her illnesses. The first victory in the competitions was won by her at the age of ten. A great role in the formation of athletes played her first coach, RS. Akhmetgarayev.

Ascent of biathlonist

Svetlana Ishmuratova at the junior age manages to perform for the national team of the USSR. In 1991, she was the first to win the national championship in her age category. Gradually Ishmuratova becomes one of the leading domestic biathletes.

The first troubles in the sportswoman happen in 1996. She is mistakenly accused of using dope and excommunicated from big sport for two whole years. But justice won, and after a while the biathlonist is fully rehabilitated. In 1997, Svetlana Ishmuratova effectively demonstrates that all these unpleasant misunderstandings did not affect her athletic form. At the Russian Championship, racing like a wind, on a sprint distance, she confidently bypasses all rivals.

After such a successful return, she is without any doubt included in the national team for the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano. Unfortunately, because of health problems, Svetlana misses the main tournament of the fourth anniversary.

Forever the second

The first gold in the World Championships comes to her in Hochfilzen in 1998. It was won in the team race at 7.5 km. In general, for her career she has won the world championships five times. But all these were awards won in team competitions or in relay races. She never submits to the individual race. Biathlon does not forgive misfires.

Particularly striking is her statistics of personal performances at the World Cup stages until 2005. During her long career Svetlana Ishmuratova nine times became third and the whole thirteen times - the second.

The experts and fans have established a solid image of Svetlana as a talented, but insanely unlucky athlete. She regularly and conscientiously helps to take the team gold medals in the relay race, but, staying one on one with rivals, lags behind them on very little.

In 2002, in Salt Lake City, she earned her first ever Olympic medal. The Russian team was expected to win, but not everything turned out well, and home shooting skiers took only bronze medals.

The long-awaited victory in Turin

According to the athlete, to make a step to personal gold, she was constantly hampered by suspiciousness and insecurity. But her biathlonist decided to spend her last season in big sport so that she would be remembered for a long time.

In order to prepare for the Olympics in Turin in 2006, she invites a well-known specialist Vitaly Fatyanov. By that time, he had already moved away from active coaching, but Svetlana could persuade him to help her. Great moral support was provided by the very same man whom Svetlana Ishmuratova met. The husband is the main support for any woman, his presence inspired confidence in his strength.

The first application for a successful performance in Turin athlete made at the World Cup in Slovakia. From the very first moments Ishmuratova seized the lead in the pursuit race and outstripped the nearest rival for a whole minute.

After that, it became clear to everyone that for this Olympics the second sportswoman is always going for gold. Again, the decisive start for Svetlana is the individual race. Biathlon is a cunning sport. It is possible to override your opponents in ski training, but a single blunder puts a cross on all hopes of success. But, as well as at the World Cup in Slovakia, the athlete confidently passes the entire distance and with one miss finishes to her first gold Olympic medal.

A few days later, as part of the relay team, she again becomes the winner and makes a gold double.

Social activity

After the triumphant Olympics in Turin, Svetlana Ishmuratova becomes a hero in her homeland in the Chelyabinsk region. Having finished with an active sports career, she leaves for social and political activity. Without any problems, she is elected to the Legislative Assembly of her field. There Ishmuratova actively participates in the work of the Committee on Sport and Youth Policy. Having joined the ranks of United Russia in 2007, she is on the rise and becomes a member of the State Duma of Russia, where she is engaged in the same issues.

Svetlana Ishmuratova: personal life

Throughout her career, the athlete fully devotes herself to her work, the affairs of the heart remain in the background. Only after stepping over thirty years, Svetlana Ishmuratova reflects on the future. The family becomes her main priority. The husband of the sportswoman is a former pilot, they met at one of the stages of the World Cup. Igor is a passionate biathlon fan. In 2007, the son of Ishmuratova was born. The father is actively engaged in the child and with might and main prepares him for the sport.

Svetlana Ishmuratova is a living example of how to fight to the last and not to lose hope for success.