12 strongest biathletes in Russia

The coaching staff of the Russian biathlon team announced the composition of the team for the Olympic Games.
Anton Shipulin

Currently the best among Russian biathletes, a key element of the team, capable of competing for awards in almost any discipline. In addition to prizes at the last two world championships, he has not only experience of competing at the Olympic Games, but also a bronze medal received for third place in the relay race. In terms of personal success, Vancouver was not a success for Shipulin, but now there are all the prerequisites for Anton to fight for personal medals in Sochi.
Age: 26 years old.
Titles: bronze medalist of the Olympic Games in Vancouver, four-time medalist of the world championships.

Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: eighth place in the overall standings. In Annecy he became third in the pursuit race. He stood on the podium in the relay three times.
Experience of performing at the Olympic Games: five races in Vancouver 2010. Third place in the relay team. The best personal result is 20th place in the pursuit race.
Chances of winning: mass start – 20 percent.

Evgeny Ustyugov


The only Olympic champion in the Russian men's biathlon team is quite capable of once again leading his partners to new heights. Extraordinary speed, high shooting accuracy, and most importantly, complete confidence in one’s abilities, which is extremely important at the Olympics, will help Evgeniy achieve success in Sochi. Of course, Ustyugov is one of the representatives of the relay quartet, but he will also claim victory in individual races.
Age: 28 years old.
Titles: Olympic champion and bronze medalist of the Vancouver Games. Two-time vice world champion.
The strongest disciplines: mass start, sprint, pursuit.
Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: ninth place in the overall standings. Third place in the individual race at the stage in Ruhpolding. Two bronze medals in relay races.
Experience of performing at the Olympic Games: five races in Vancouver 2010. First place in the mass start and third in the relay. He also came fourth in the individual race.
Chances of winning: mass start – 15 percent.

Dmitry Malyshko


Dmitry Malyshko burst into the Russian biathlon team a couple of years ago like a whirlwind and immediately began to amaze everyone with outstanding results. Last season he became the overall winner of the World Cup in Oberhof, and in just two years he stood on the podium five times in individual races. Dmitry's recipe for success is based on very high speed - at a distance Malyshko is not inferior to anyone. And if in Sochi he manages to work well at the shooting range, then he won’t have to wait long for high places.
Age: 26 years old.
Titles: silver medalist at the European Championships in relay. Winner of 12 World Cup awards.
The strongest disciplines: mass start, pursuit.
Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: 11th place in the overall standings. The best personal result is 4th place in the sprint in Annecy. Two bronze medals in relay races.
Experience performing at Olympic Games: no.

Alexey Volkov


Alexey began to be regularly involved in the main team of the country immediately after the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Most often he had to support relay teams, and Volkov had not yet achieved personal success at the world level. The most accurate and fastest Russian biathlete could not maintain on the track the advantage he had earned at the shooting range. However, when Volkov added a little speed, he immediately won two personal medals. This happened just before the Olympics, so there is hope that Alexey will compete for awards in Sochi.
Age: 25 years old.
Titles: four-time European champion, winner of eight World Cup awards.
The strongest disciplines: pursuit, individual race.
Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: 12th place in the overall standings. Two second places – mass start in Oberhof and individual race in Ruhpolding. Two third places in the relay quartet.
Experience performing at Olympic Games: no.
Chances of winning: individual race – 5 percent.

Evgeniy Garanichev


Evgeniy is one of the fastest Russian biathletes with refined skiing technique. When he is in good shape, it is very difficult to catch up with him. A risk factor is unstable shooting. However, if Garanichev manages to control his nerves on the firing line, the result could be truly surprising. A striking example of this is the recent pursuit race in Ruhpolding, in which Evgeniy made an impressive breakthrough to the bronze medal.
Age: 25 years old.
Titles: three-time winner of the Universiade in Erzurum, 11-time winner of World Cup stages.

Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: 29th place in the overall standings. Bronze in the pursuit race in Ruhpolding. Victory as part of the relay four.
Experience performing at Olympic Games: no.
Chances of winning: sprint – 5 percent.

Alexander Loginov
The youngest, but very promising biathlete in the Russian national team. One of the few of our athletes who has not yet managed to climb onto the podium in individual races this season, however, he and his comrades celebrated their victory in the relay. Has good speed and amazing psychological stability. Let's hope that these qualities will allow yesterday's junior not to get lost at his first Olympic Games.
Age: 21 years old.
Titles: four-time world junior champion, winner of three World Cup awards.
The strongest disciplines: individual race, sprint.
Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: 22nd place in the overall standings. The best personal result was 6th place in the pursuit race in Annecy, and won the team race there.
Experience performing at Olympic Games: no.
Chances of winning: any race – 5 percent.

Irina Starykh


The discovery of the current season for Russian fans, of course, was Irina Starykh. Her debut at the World Cup took place almost a year ago in Holmenkollen, but Irina reached the highest level in the pre-Olympic season. The athlete stood on the podium twice, something she could only dream of a couple of years ago, and, in addition, helped the team win the relay in Ruhpolding. Key member of the team at the Olympics in Sochi.
Age: 26 years old.
Titles: European champion, Universiade winner, winner of three World Cup awards.
Strongest disciplines: sprint, pursuit.
Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: 6th place in the overall standings. Silver medal in the pursuit race in Annecy, bronze in the sprint in Hochfilzen. Victory as part of the relay team in Ruhpolding.
Experience performing at Olympic Games: no.
Chances of winning: pursuit race – 10 percent.

Olga Vilukhina


Olga Vilukhina is also going to her first Olympics. The slogan “The main thing is not victory, but participation” is clearly not about Olga, who, of course, will fight for victory in every race. Undoubtedly, Vilukhina’s main medal hopes are associated with the relay, however, in individual races, Olga, with a successful combination of circumstances, may well compete for a medal, and two fifth places during the season are direct proof of this.
Age: 25 years old.
Titles: bronze medalist in the pursuit race at the World Championships in Ruhpolding. Absolute European champion among juniors in Ufa.
Strongest disciplines: sprint, pursuit.
Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: 12th place in the overall standings. The best personal result was fifth place at the stages in Annecy and Oberhof. The winner of the relay race.
Experience performing at Olympic Games: no.
Chances of winning: pursuit race – 5 percent.

Olga Zaitseva


The favorite of all Russian fans, the permanent leader of the Russian national team in recent years is heading to her fourth Olympics. Olga’s debut at such high-level competitions took place back in 2002 in Salt Lake City. A lot of time has passed since then, Zaitseva managed to become a two-time Olympic champion and a three-time world champion, and I want to believe that the list of titles of the famous Russian will be expanded at her home Olympics.
Age: 35 years old.
Titles: two-time Olympic champion in the relay, winner of the silver medal at the Vancouver Games for second place in the mass start. Three-time world champion.
The strongest disciplines: individual race, pursuit race.
Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: 27th place in the overall standings. Silver in the sprint at the first stage of the World Cup, gold in the relay in Ruhpolding.
Experience of performing at the Olympic Games: Individual race in Salt Lake City – 37th place. Four races at the Turin Games. The best personal result was 9th place, she won as part of the relay team. Five races in Vancouver 2010. Gold in the relay four, silver medal in the mass start. She was seventh in the sprint and pursuit.
Chances of winning: individual race – 10 percent.

Ekaterina Shumilova


Over the past three years, Ekaterina Shumilova worked tirelessly to go to the Olympic Games, and achieved her goal. The biathlete’s results were steadily improving, and one can hope that at the Olympics Ekaterina will be able to compete at a high level. However, it will not be easy for Shumilova in the individual races, despite the fact that she got into good shape for the competition in Sochi and recently showed the best result of her career - sixth place.
Age: 27 years old.
Titles: winner of three European Championship awards, two-time European champion among juniors.

Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: 30th place in the overall standings. The best personal result is sixth place in the pursuit race at the World Cup in Hochfilzen.
Experience performing at Olympic Games: no.

Yana Romanova


The only athlete, besides Olga Zaitseva, who has experience competing at the Olympic Games. In Vancouver, Yana got a chance to prove herself in the individual race, but finished only 56th. The issue of Romanova’s trip to the Olympics was not resolved easily, but with her performances at the pre-Olympic stages of the World Cup and her excellent form, the athlete convinced the coaching staff of her need for Sochi.
Age: 30 years old.
Titles: winner of three World Cup awards, two-time European Championship medalist, bronze medalist of the Universiade in Turin.
The strongest disciplines: individual race, mass start.
Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: 28th place in the overall standings. The best personal result is fifth place in the sprint at the pre-Olympic stage of the World Cup.
Experience of performing at the Olympic Games: individual race in Vancouver 2010, result – 56th place.
Chances of winning: close to zero.

Ekaterina Glazyrina

An important component of the Russian relay team, she won gold with her teammates in Ruhpolding and, most likely, will try to repeat the same thing at the home Olympics in Sochi. Unfortunately, Glazyrina is not very successful in personal races; her best result at the moment is a modest 25th place in the pursuit race at the French stage.
Age: 26 years old.
Titles: winner of six World Cup awards and two European Championship awards.
Strongest disciplines: pursuit race.
Results at the World Cup - 2013/14: 68th place in the overall standings. The best personal result is 25th place in the pursuit race at the World Cup in Annecy.
Experience performing at Olympic Games: no.
Chances of winning: close to zero.