Valentyna Semerenko

Valentyna Semerenko, born on 18 January 1986, is a Ukrainian biathlete who became an Olympic and World champion and is counted among the most successful Ukrainian winter athletes. She took up cross-country skiing in the fourth grade together with her twin sister Vita, and both later switched to biathlon. She made her Biathlon World Cup debut in December 2005 and went on to represent Ukraine at the Winter Olympics of 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018. With Juliya Dzhyma, Vita Semerenko and Olena Pidhrushna she won the women's relay gold medal at the 2014 Games in Sochi. Her 2014-15 season was her best, with four individual podiums and third place in the World Cup classification, and she won the mass start at the 2015 World Championships in Kontiolahti. After the 2018 Games she publicly criticised the Ukrainian coaches for leaving her out of the relay team.