Vladimir Smirnov

Vladimir Mikhaylovich Smirnov, born on 7 March 1964 in Shchuchinsk in the Kazakh SSR, is a Soviet-Kazakhstani former cross-country skier of Russian descent who raced from 1982 until 1991 for the USSR and later for Kazakhstan. His best known victory was the 50 km gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, the first Olympic gold medal for independent Kazakhstan, where his rivalry with the home favourite Bjorn Daehlie won him the affection of the Norwegian public. He added a bronze medal in the 15 km pursuit at the 1998 Winter Olympics, carrying the Kazakhstani flag there, and finished his Olympic career with seven medals. He won 30 World Cup races and the overall World Cup in 1994, and he collected four world championship golds between 1987 and 1997. Later he moved to Sweden, took Swedish citizenship in 1998 and became a vice president of the International Biathlon Union.