Sofia Pozdniakova

Russian sabre fencer
Sofia Pozdniakova
Pozdniakova in 2021
Personal information
Full nameSofia Stanislavovna Pozdniakova
Nickname(s)Sonya, Pozdni [1]
Born (1997-06-17) 17 June 1997 (age 26)[2]
Novosibirsk, Russia[2]
NationalityRussia Russian
Sport
CountryRussia Russia
SportFencing
WeaponSabre
Handright-handed
National coachChristian Bauer
Club
  • CSKA Moscow (Central Sports Army Club)
  • Novosibirsk Regional Fencing Sports School of Olympic Reserve[3]
Head coachAleksandr Shirshov, Sergey Stepankin
FIE rankingcurrent ranking
Medal record
Representing Russia ROC
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Individual sabre
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team sabre
Representing  Russia
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Wuxi Individual sabre
Gold medal – first place 2019 Budapest Team sabre
Silver medal – second place 2018 Wuxi Team sabre
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Novi Sad Team sabre
Gold medal – first place 2019 Düsseldorf Team sabre
Silver medal – second place 2017 Tbilisi Team sabre

Sofia Stanislavovna Pozdniakova (Russian: София Станиславовна Позднякова, IPA: [sɐˈfʲijə pəzʲnʲɪˈkovə]; formerly Sofia Lokhanova;[4] born 17 June 1997) is a Russian right-handed sabre fencer, 2018 individual world champion, 2019 team world champion, 2021 individual Olympic champion, and 2021 team Olympic champion.[5] She is a Russian Armed Forces athlete, and her clubs are the Russian Central Sports Army Club and the Novosibirsk Regional Fencing Sports School of Olympic Reserve.[3] In January 2024, she was included in the list of proxies of presidential candidate Vladimir Putin in the 2024 Russian presidential election.

Early life

Pozdniakova was born in Novosibirsk, where she was coached by Sergey Stepankin at the Fencing Center.[6][7] Both of her parents were fencers: her father, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, is a 4-time Olympic champion, 10-time world champion, and 13-time European champion in individual and team sabre, as well as the President of the Russian Olympic Committee since 2018.[8] Her mother, Anastasia, is Master of Sports and secretary at the Fencing Federation of the Novosibirsk Oblast.[9][10] She decided to follow in her parents' footsteps at the age of 10, and abandoned swimming and acrobatic gymnastics.[10]

Fencing career

Pozdniakova made her international debut in 2017.[8] is the 2018 individual women's sabre world champion, a 2019 team world champion, the 2021 individual Olympic champion, and a 2021 team Olympic champion.[5][11] She is a Russian Armed Forces athlete, and her clubs are the Russian Central Sports Army Club and the Novosibirsk Regional Fencing Sports School of Olympic Reserve.[3]

Personal life

Pozdniakova with Vladimir Putin in 2021

Pozdiakova studied Sport and Tourism at the Smolensk State Academy of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism, and as of 2018 she planned to become a sports journalist in the future.[12][8] She moved to Moscow in 2015.[1] Since 2016, she has competed for CSKA Moscow.[10]

In September 2020, Pozdiakova married Saratov-based two-time world individual junior sabre champion and Olympic fencer Konstantin Lokhanov.[13] He emigrated to the United States in 2022 in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, strongly opposed to Russia's war.[14][15][16][17][18]

Lokhanov invited his wife to join him in America.[19][20] She later said: "As for feelings, love, there was a moment when we did not understand where to go. I got up in the morning and thought: 'That’s it, I’m going to the States.' I was figuring out how I would communicate with my parents, how to explain all this to my dad... He would simply erase me from his life. Then the next day such thoughts: 'So, I’m staying here, my parents, my family - this is important to me.'"[19] After many hours of telephone conversations in which she struggled with her decision, she declined and ultimately filed for divorce; they divorced in 2022.[19][21][22][16][17][18] Her father called his daughter’s decision "the most important gift for Father’s Day."[19] She said she was grateful to Lokhanov for many things, but that the two of them had gone in "different directions."[23]

In January 2024, the Russian state-owned new agency TASS reported that she was included in the list of proxies of presidential candidate Vladimir Putin in the 2024 Russian presidential election.[24] By law, self-nominated candidates such as Putin are allowed to have proxies who campaign in their favor.[24] Proxies were expected to be people with high levels of public recognition who publicly supported Putin and Russia's war in Ukraine, and who were willing to spend time campaigning.[25]

Medal record

Olympic Games

Year Location Event Position
2021 Japan Tokyo, Japan Individual Women's Sabre 1st[26]
2021 Japan Tokyo, Japan Team Women's Sabre 1st[27]

World Championship

Year Location Event Position
2018 China Wuxi, China Individual Women's Sabre 1st[28]
2018 China Wuxi, China Team Women's Sabre 2nd[29]
2019 Hungary Budapest, Hungary Team Women's Sabre 1st[30]

European Championship

Year Location Event Position
2017 Georgia (country) Tbilisi, Georgia Team Women's Sabre 2nd[31]
2018 Serbia Novi Sad, Serbia Team Women's Sabre 1st[32]
2019 Germany Düsseldorf, Germany Team Women's Sabre 1st[33]

Grand Prix

Date Location Event Position
05/24/2019 Russia Moscow, Russia Individual Women's Sabre 3rd[34]

World Cup

Date Location Event Position
03/08/2019 Greece Athens, Greece Individual Women's Sabre 1st[35]

References

  1. ^ a b "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website.
  2. ^ a b Pozdniakova Sofia Archived 2021-10-16 at the Wayback Machine. olympics.com
  3. ^ a b c "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website.
  4. ^ "INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION - The International Fencing Federation official website". INTERNATIONAL FENCING FEDERATION - The International Fencing Federation official website.
  5. ^ a b "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  6. ^ "София Позднякова: из Германии с наградами | Министерство физической культуры и спорта Новосибирской области". sport.nso.ru.
  7. ^ "1win зеркало рабочее зеркало прямо сейчас - 2023". 1win зеркало на сегодня.
  8. ^ a b c "Sofia Pozdniakova". www.insidethegames.biz. July 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "Биография президента Олимпийского комитета России Станислава Позднякова - ТАСС". TACC.
  10. ^ a b c "Саблистка ЦСКА София Позднякова: Отец дает советы, но за спортивные неудачи не ругает". Центральный спортивный клуб Армии. 2017-03-28. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  11. ^ "Sofia Pozdniakova adds to family legacy with gold in women's individual sabre | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com.
  12. ^ Александр Просветов. "София Позднякова: "Главное — последний удар остался за мной"". Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  13. ^ "Танец в тумане: чемпионка мира из Новосибирска сыграла свадьбу в Москве — смотрим красивые снимки с церемонии". НГС - новости Новосибирска. September 29, 2020.
  14. ^ "Olympic fencing champion Sofia Pozdnyakova divorces saber fencer Konstantin Lokhanov, who left for the USA". Lost Sports. September 5, 2022.
  15. ^ "Olympic fencing champion Sofia Pozdnyakova divorces saber fencer Konstantin Lokhanov, who left for the USA". September 5, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Jaudat Abdullin (March 24, 2023). "FIE allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete". Realnoe Vremya.
  17. ^ a b "A famous Russian woman shocked everyone, this is what she did to her husband because of the USA". Darik News. September 5, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Irina Mishina (November 5, 2022). "How Russian sport is experiencing sanctions". Novye Izvestia.
  19. ^ a b c d Елизавета Кирпанова (31 January 2024). "«Эти трое приносят жертвы в реальной жизни ради того, чтобы добро побеждало зло». Мы поговорили с российскими фехтовальщиками, которые уехали в США и хотят выступать за Америку на летней Олимпиаде". Novaya Gazeta Europe; Новая газета Европа.
  20. ^ "Танец в тумане: чемпионка мира из Новосибирска сыграла свадьбу в Москве — смотрим красивые снимки с церемонии". НГС. September 29, 2020.
  21. ^ Anna Bressanin (20 October 2023). "The unlikely fate of three Russian defectors in the US; Konstantin Lokhanov, Sergey Bida and Violetta Bida are Russian Olympic champions in fencing. Since the war in Ukraine, they left their country. Now their life, dreams, and their entire career is hanging on their decision". BBC (video).
  22. ^ Longman, Jeré (July 8, 2023). "With War as a Backdrop, a Russian Fencing Drama Plays Out in the U.S.; The departure of Russian fencers who object to their country's invasion of Ukraine has created a stir at home and left their sporting futures in question". The New York Times.
  23. ^ Longman, Jeré (July 8, 2023). "With War as a Backdrop, a Russian Fencing Drama Plays Out in the U.S.; The departure of Russian fencers who object to their country's invasion of Ukraine has created a stir at home and left their sporting futures in question". The New York Times.
  24. ^ a b "Губерниев, Чичерина и Гармаш вошли во вторую часть списка доверенных лиц Путина". TACC.
  25. ^ Times, The Moscow (December 28, 2023). "Shaman and Military Bloggers Will Campaign for Putin in 2024". The Moscow Times.
  26. ^ "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  27. ^ "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  28. ^ "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  29. ^ "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  30. ^ "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  31. ^ "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  32. ^ "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  33. ^ "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  34. ^ "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  35. ^ "The International Fencing Federation". The International Fencing Federation official website. Retrieved 2021-08-06.

External links

  • v
  • t
  • e
Olympic Fencing Champions in Women's Individual Sabre
  • v
  • t
  • e
Olympic Fencing Champions in Women's Team Sabre
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  • t
  • e