Each champion goes his own path of fame. Someone loudly declares himself at the very beginning of his career, taking away all conceivable and inconceivable prizes and awards, while others go on for a long time and persistently towards their goal, not bending under the weight of failures and not complaining about bad luck. A vivid example of this is the famous Russian biathlete Svetlana Ishmuratova.
There were a lot of things in her life: unfair accusations of doping, ridiculous injuries before major starts, insulting misfires. But on the slope of her great career, the athlete managed to loudly slam the door behind her, rubbing her nose to the scoffers and ill-wishers.
Childhood
From childhood, the future Olympic champion was prepared to overcome difficulties in life. Svetlana Ishmuratova was born a fragile, sickly girl in 1972. Craving to temper her daughter and raise a strong, confident girl, her father Irek Musalimovich from the age of five taught Sveta to ski with him for hours. They could slide down the slides for hours, honing technique and skill.
Residents of Zlatoust, a small town in the Chelyabinsk region, did not even suspect that the country's future sports legend was growing before their eyes.
By training hard, Svetlana Ishmuratova forgets about all her illnesses by the end of elementary school. The first victory in the competition was obtained by her at the age of ten years. A large role in the formation of the athlete was played by her first coach R.S. Akhmetgaraev.
Climbing biathlon
Svetlana Ishmuratova at a junior age manages to play for the USSR national team. In 1991, her first victory at the national championship in her age category came to her. Gradually, Ishmuratova became one of the leading domestic biathletes.
The first troubles in an athlete happen in 1996. She is mistakenly accused of doping and excommunicated from sports for two whole years.
But justice won, and after a while the biathlete is completely rehabilitated. In 1997, Svetlana Ishmuratova effectively demonstrates that all these unpleasant misunderstandings did not affect her athletic form. At the Russian Championship, rushing like the wind, at a sprint distance she confidently outstrips all rivals.
After such a successful return, she is without any doubt included in the national team for the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano. Unfortunately, due to health problems, Svetlana misses the main four-year tournament.
Forever second
The first gold at the World Championships comes to her in Hochfilzen in 1998. It was conquered in the 7.5 km team race. In general, during her career she has won five world championships five times. But all these were awards won in team competitions or relay races. An individual race never submits to her. Biathlon does not forgive misfires.
Especially striking is her statistics of personal performances at the stages of the World Cup until 2005. During her long career, Svetlana Ishmuratova became the third nine times and thirteen times the second.
Specialists and fans have established a solid idea of Svetlana as a talented, but insanely unlucky athlete. She regularly and conscientiously helps the team take gold medals in the relay, but, remaining one on one with the rivals, lags behind them by a little.
In 2002, in Salt Lake City, she earned her first ever Olympic medal.
Victory was expected from the Russian team, but not everything went well, and shooting skiers took home only bronze medals.
The long-awaited victory in Turin
According to the athlete, taking a step toward personal gold was constantly hindered by suspiciousness and self-doubt.
But the biathlete decided to spend her last season in big sports so that she would be remembered for a long time.
In order to prepare for the 2006 Turin Olympics, she invites a well-known specialist Vitaly Fatyanov. By that time, he had already retired from active coaching, but Svetlana was able to persuade him to help her. Great moral support was provided by the very only man whom Svetlana Ishmuratova met. A husband is the main support for any woman, his presence instilled confidence in his strength.
The athlete made her first application for a successful performance in Turin at the World Cup in Slovakia. From the very first moments, Ishmuratova took the lead in the pursuit and ahead of her nearest rival by a whole minute.
After that, it became clear to everyone that the second athlete always goes to this Olympics for gold. Again, the decisive start for Svetlana is an individual race. Biathlon is an insidious sport. You can beat your rivals by skiing, but a single miss puts an end to all hopes of success. But, like at the World Cup stage in Slovakia, the athlete confidently goes the entire distance and finishes with her one miss for her first Olympic gold medal.
A few days later, as part of the relay team, she again becomes the winner and makes a gold double.
Social work
After the triumphant Olympics in Turin, Svetlana Ishmuratova becomes a hero in her homeland in the Chelyabinsk region. Having ended with an active sports career, she goes into social and political activity.
Without any problems, she is elected to the Legislative Assembly of her field. There, Ishmuratova actively participates in the work of the committee on sport and youth policy. Having joined the ranks of "United Russia" in 2007, she is on the rise and becomes a deputy of the State Duma of Russia, where she deals with the same issues.
Svetlana Ishmuratova: personal life
Throughout her career, the athlete is fully committed to her work, heart matters remain in the background. Only having crossed the thirty-year milestone, Svetlana Ishmuratova thinks about the future. Family becomes her top priority. The athlete’s husband is a former pilot, they met at one of the stages of the World Cup.
Igor is a passionate biathlon fan. In 2007, a son is born in the Ishmuratova family. The father is actively engaged in the child and prepares him for the sport with might and main.
Svetlana Ishmuratova is a living example of how to fight to the last and not to lose hope of success.