Natalia Levchenkova

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Natalia Levchenkova
Natalia Levchenkova Ostersund 2008.jpg
Born (1977-07-30) 30 July 1977 (age 47)
Smolensk, Smolensk Oblast, Soviet Union
Height160 cm (63 in)
Medal record
Representing Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
European Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2008 Nove Mesto 15 km individual
IBU Cup
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2008-09 Idre 7.5 km sprint
Representing Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
Summer World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1999 Minsk 4 x 3 km relay
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1999 Minsk 4 km sprint
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1999 Minsk 6 km pursuit
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2008 Haute Maurienne 10 km pursuit
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2009 Oberhof 7.5 km sprint
Junior World Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1997 Forni Avoltri 12.5 km individual
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1997 Forni Avoltri 3 × 7.5 km relay

Natalia Levchenkova (born in Smolensk on 30 July 1977) is a Moldovan athlete who competes in biathlon. She was born in Soviet Union, and represented Russia early in her career. She competed in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics for Moldova. She also served as the flag bearer for Moldova during the opening and closing ceremonies during the 2006 Winter Olympics. Her best performance was eighth in the individual event at the 2006 Winter Games. She has also won a gold in the Biathlon European Championships in 2008, a silver in the IBU Cup event in 2008, and five medals including a gold and a silver in the Summer Biathlon World Championships.

Contents

Early life

Natalia Viktorovna Levchenkova was born on 30 July 1977 in Smolensk, Smolensk Oblast, Soviet Union. [1]

Career

Levchenkova started competing in biathlon events for Russia in the Biathlon Junior World Championships in 1997. In the Biathlon Junior World Championships 1997, she won two bronze medals in the 12.5 km individual and 7.5 km relay events. [2] In the 1999 Summer Biathlon World Championships held in Minsk, she won three medals including a gold in the relay event, and a silver and bronze in the individual events. [1] She made her debut at the Biathlon World Cup in 2003. [3]

In 2006, Levchenkova was named to the Moldovan team for the 2006 Winter Olympics. [4] She competed in four individual events in biathlon. [5] She also served as the flag bearer for Moldova during the opening and closing ceremonies. [6] [7] She achieved her best performance in the women's individual event. She completed the course in just over 43 minutes and one second, and finished about two and half minutes behind the gold medal winner Svetlana Ishmuratova. [8] In the 2006 Games, she also finished 21st in the mass start, 41st in the sprint and 23rd in the pursuit. [9]

In February 2008, Levchenkova won her first and only gold medal in the 15 km individual event at the Biathlon European Championships event held at Nove Mesto in Czech Republic. She finished almost a minute ahead of the silver medalist Kjersti Isaksen. [10] In November of the same year, she won a silver medal in the IBU Cup event held in Idre in Sweden. In the 7.5 km sprint race, she finished almost 22 seconds behind the winner Eva Tofalvi in second place. [11]

Levchenkova won a bronze medal in each of the Summer Biathlon World Championships in 2008 and 2009. [1] In 2010, Levchenkova was named to the Moldovan team for the second consecutive Olympics. [12] She competed in three individual events in biathlon at the Olympics. [5] She also finished 53rd in the sprint, 56th in the pursuit and 37th in the individual. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Natalia Levchenkova". Olympedia . Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  2. ↑ "Biathlon Junior World Championships 1997: Junior Women 12.5 km Individual". Biathlon results. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "Natalia Levchenkova". International Biathlon Union . Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  4. ↑ "Moldova at 2006 Winter Olympics". Sports Reference . Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2001.
  5. 1 2 "Natalia Levchenkova". Olympics.com . Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  6. ↑ "Flagbearers for the Opening Ceremony". Olympic.org. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  7. ↑ "Flagbearers for the Closing Ceremony". Olympic.org. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
  8. ↑ "Biathlon, women's individual, 2006 Winter Olympics". Olympedia . Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  9. ↑ "Moldova at the 2006 Winter Olympics". Olympedia . Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  10. ↑ "15 km Individual - Nove Mesto, Biathlon, European Championship 2008". First Ski Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  11. ↑ "7.5 km Sprint - Idre, Biathlon, IBU Cup 2008". First Ski Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  12. ↑ "Moldova at 2010 Winter Olympics". Sports Reference . Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2001.
  13. ↑ "Moldova at the 2010 Winter Olympics". Olympedia . Retrieved 3 February 2024.
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