As of: February 17, 2024, 4:19 p.m
By: Christian Nemeth
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Triple Olympic champion Anastasiya Kuzmina made her comeback at the 2024 Biathlon World Cup.
The Slovakian has had two difficult years.
Nove Mesto - The women's relay competition at the 2024 Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto was characterized by a much-noticed comeback in advance: The three-time Olympic champion and world champion Anastasiya Kuzmina returned to the Slovakian national team and finished 20th in the 4x6 -kilometer relay.
However, the 39-year-old superstar, who actually ended his career in 2019, has not had easy years in terms of family.
Anastasiya Kuzmina |
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|---|---|
Born: |
August 28, 1984 in Tyumen (Soviet Union) |
World Cup debut: |
2006 |
Achievements (selection): |
3 x Olympic champion, 1 x biathlon world champion, 2 x biathlon European champion |
Biathlon star Kuzmina separated from her family
As ZDF described in a preliminary report on the European Championships, Russian-born Kuzmina, who now lives with her husband Daniel Kuzmin in the Slovakian city of Banska Bystrica and is raising two children there, has been living separately from her parents and relatives in Russia for around two years .
The reason for this is the ongoing war in Ukraine, instigated by Vladimir Putin's regime.
In the TV channel's report, which shows the family home with numerous medals and trophies of the famous winter athlete, Kuzmina emphasizes how much she misses her family.
We only have contact via online video links.
Her relationship with her brother, the former biathlete Anton Schipulin, who is now an avowed Putin supporter, is also difficult.
When asked about this in the television report, Anastasiya Kuzmina replied with tears in her eyes: “We should talk about other topics.
It's really very stressful for me because contact with my brother isn't great.
We wish each other a happy birthday, a new year, but nothing more.”
Biathlon superstar Anastasiya Kuzmina is returning to the big winter sports stage after a five-year break.
Personally, the last two years have not been easy for the Russian-born woman, who has had the Slovakian passport since 2008.
© IMAGO/ZUMA Wire
Kuzmina's biathlon comeback: distraction and development work
Anastasiya Kuzmina, who has won almost everything there is to win in her career, had recently been thinking for a long time about whether she wanted to make her comeback or not, she reported on ZDF: “We weren't sure whether I could do it.
Am I good enough?” Ultimately, the exceptional athlete, who had announced her return to biathlon just a few weeks ago, now dared to take the step back onto the big stage.
Sport should also be helpful for Kuzmina to distract herself from the difficult family situation, but also to further advance Slovak biathlon.
In fact, the Olympic champion's declared goal is to dedicate herself to the “young, wild ones” within her team and to advance their development.
On ZDF she emphasizes: “I have a lot of experience that the boys can benefit from.” Meanwhile, a German biathlete recently had to announce that she was ending the season.
(chnnn)