Vladimir Smirnov (skier)

Vladimir Mikhaylovich Smirnov (Russian: Влади́мир Миха́йлович Смирно́в; born 7 March 1964) is a Kazakhstani former cross-country skier who raced from the 1982 until 1991 for the USSR and, later, for Kazakhstan. He is the first Olympic champion from independent Kazakhstan and the most decorated Olympian in history of Kazakhstan. He is also a vice president of the International Biathlon Union. Smirnov is a former member of International Olympic Committee.[2]

Vladimir Smirnov
Country Kazakhstan
 Sweden[1]
Full nameVladimir Mikhaylovich Smirnov
Born (1964-03-07) 7 March 1964
Shuchinsk, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Ski clubStockviks SF
World Cup career
Seasons1983–1998
Individual wins30
Team wins2
Indiv. podiums66
Team podiums8
Indiv. starts132
Team starts14
Overall titles2 – (1991, 1994)
Discipline titles0

Early life

Smirnov was born in Shchuchinsk, Kazakh SSR. During the Soviet period, he trained at the Armed Forces sports society in Alma-Ata.

Career
Smirnov in 1994

Smirnov made his debut in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup on 18 December 1982 at Davos in a 15 km race, finishing in a 17th place. His first victory came in 1986, a classic style 15 km in Kavgolovo (URS). Smirnov gained a total of 30 victories in the World Cup, with 21 second and 15 third places. In 1994, he won the aggregate World Cup, thanks to seven victories in the course of the season.

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships from 1987 to 1997, Smirnov totalled four gold (1989: 30 km, 1995: 10 km, 10 km + 15 km combined pursuit, 30 km), four silver (1987: 4x10 km, 1991: 30 km, 1993: 10 km, 10 km + 15 km combined pursuit) and three bronze medals (1991: 15 km, 1993: 30 km, 1995: 50 km). His best result was in Thunder Bay, Ontario (1995), when he won three events.

In 1994, he received the Holmenkollen Medal (shared with Lyubov Yegorova and Espen Bredesen). Smirnov also won twice at the Holmenkollen ski festival with a 15 km win in 1994 and a 50 km win in 1995.

A very regular and effective cross-country skier, especially in long-distance classic style races, Smirnov took part to the Winter Olympics from 1988 to 1998. His best known victory was the 50 km gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, the first Olympic gold medal for Kazakhstan. He was one of the leading characters of that Olympics, as his unending rivalry with home ever-winning Bjørn Dæhlie had gained him the affection of the Norwegian audience. He also became good friends with his rival Dæhlie, even participating with Dæhlie in several popular Norwegian TV shows.

In 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, Smirnov was flag-bearer of Kazakhstan Olympic team and won the bronze medal in the 25 km pursuit event.[2]

Smirnov headed the bid committee to have Almaty, Kazakhstan, host the 2014 Winter Olympics, a bid that failed to make the short list that was announced by the International Olympic Committee on 22 June 2006.[2] In 2011, Smirnov participated at the opening ceremony of 2011 Asian Winter Games in Astana.

Personal life

Smirnov moved to Sweden in 1991 and lives in the city of Sundsvall, where he was a co-founder and co-owner of a local brewery. He is married to Valentina Smirnova, and they have two daughters – Anna and Karolina. He became a Swedish citizen in 1998.[1] Smirnov speaks four languages: Russian, German, English and Swedish.[3]

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[4]

Olympic Games
  • 7 medals – (1 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km   15 km  Pursuit   30 km  50 km  4 × 10 km 
 relay 
198823N/ABronzeN/ASilver—Silver
19922713N/A89355
199429SilverN/ASilver10Gold—
1998334N/ABronze128—

World Championships
  • 11 medals – (4 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km  15 km
 classical 		  15 km
 freestyle 		  Pursuit  30 km  50 km  4 × 10 km 
 relay 
198520N/A16N/AN/A——6
198722N/A5N/AN/A——Silver
198924N/A10—N/AGold215
199126—N/ABronzeN/ASilver—5
199328SilverN/AN/ASilverBronze21—
199530GoldN/AN/AGoldGoldBronze—
1997324N/AN/A84219—

World Cup

Season titles
  • 2 titles – (2 overall)
Season
Discipline
1991Overall
1994Overall

Season standings
 Season   Age 
Overall Long Distance Sprint
19831959N/AN/A
19842031N/AN/A
19852130N/AN/A
198622N/AN/A
1987235N/AN/A
1988245N/AN/A
1989255N/AN/A
1990267N/AN/A
199127N/AN/A
199228N/AN/A
199329N/AN/A
199430N/AN/A
199531N/AN/A
199632N/AN/A
199733937
1998344

Individual podiums
  • 30 victories
  • 66 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1 1983–84 23 March 1984 Murmansk, Soviet Union15 km IndividualWorld Cup2nd
2 1985–86 8 December 1985 Labrador City, Canada15 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
31 January 1986 La Bresse, France30 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
423 February 1986 Kavgolovo, Soviet Union15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
5 1986–87 13 December 1986 Cogne, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
620 December 1986 Davos, Switzerland30 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
71987–889 January 1988 Kavgolovo, Soviet Union30 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
815 February 1988 Calgary, Canada30 km Individual COlympic Games[1]2nd
919 February 1988 Calgary, Canada15 km Individual COlympic Games[1]3rd
10 1988–89 7 January 1989 Kavgolovo, Soviet Union15 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
1118 February 1989 Lahti, Finland30 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
121989–9025 February 1990 Reit im Winkl, West Germany30 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
1310 March 1990 Örnsköldsvik, Sweden30 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
14 1990–91 9 December 1990 Tauplitzalm, Austria10 km + 15 km Individual C/FWorld Cup2nd
1515 December 1990 Davos, Switzerland15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
1619 December 1990 Les Saisies, France30 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
175 January 1991 Minsk, Soviet Union15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
187 February 1991 Val di Fiemme, Italy30 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]2nd
199 February 1991 Val di Fiemme, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]3rd
203 March 1991 Lahti, Finland30 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
21 1991–92 7 December 1991 Silver Star, Canada10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
224 January 1992 Kavgolovo, Russia30 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
237 March 1992 Funäsdalen, Sweden30 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
24 1992–93 12 December 1992 Ramsau, Austria10 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
2513 December 1992 Ramsau, Austria15 km Pursuit CWorld Cup3rd
2618 December 1992 Val di Fiemme, Italy30 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
2716 January 1993 Bohinj, Slovenia15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
2820 February 1993 Falun, Sweden30 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]3rd
2922 February 1993 Falun, Sweden10 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]2nd
3024 February 1993 Falun, Sweden15 km Pursuit FWorld Championships[1]2nd
317 March 1993 Lahti, Finland30 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
321993–9411 December 1993 Santa Caterina, Italy30 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
3321 December 1993 Toblach, Italy10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
3421 December 1993 Toblach, Italy15 km Pursuit FWorld Cup1st
359 January 1994 Kavgolovo, Russia15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
3615 January 1994 Oslo, Norway15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
3717 February 1994 Lillehammer, Norway10 km Individual COlympic Games[1]2nd
3819 February 1994 Lillehammer, Norway15 km Pursuit FOlympic Games[1]2nd
3927 February 1994 Lillehammer, Norway50 km Individual COlympic Games[1]1st
405 March 1994 Lahti, Finland15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
41 1994–95 27 November 1994 Kiruna, Sweden10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
4220 December 1994 Sappada, Italy10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
4327 January 1995 Lahti, Finland15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
4429 January 1995 Lahti, Finland15 km Pursuit CWorld Cup1st
454 February 1995 Falun, Sweden30 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
4611 February 1995 Oslo, Norway50 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
479 March 1995 Thunder Bay, Canada30 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
4811 March 1995 Thunder Bay, Canada10 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
4913 March 1995 Thunder Bay, Canada15 km Pursuit FWorld Championships[1]1st
5019 March 1995 Thunder Bay, Canada50 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]3rd
5125 March 1995 Sapporo, Japan15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
521995–9626 November 1995 Vuokatti, Finland10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
539 December 1995 Davos, Switzerland30 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
5413 December 1995 Brusson, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
5516 December 1995 Santa Caterina, Italy10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
5617 December 1995 Santa Caterina, Italy15 km Pursuit FWorld Cup3rd
579 January 1996 Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia50 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
5813 January 1996 Nové Město, Czech Republic15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
5910 February 1996 Kavgolovo, Russia15 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
6024 February 1996 Trondheim, Norway30 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
619 March 1996 Falun, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
6210 March 1996 Falun, Sweden15 km Pursuit CWorld Cup1st
631996–9719 January 1997 Lahti, Finland30 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
64 1997–98 22 November 1997 Beitostølen, Norway10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
6513 December 1997 Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
668 March 1998 Lahti, Finland30 km Individual CWorld Cup1st

Team podiums
  • 2 victories
  • 8 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammates
1 1986–87 17 February 1987 Oberstdorf, West Germany4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Championships[1]2ndBatyuk / Devyatyarov / Sakhnov
2 1987–88 24 February 1988 Calgary, Canada4 × 10 km Relay FOlympic Games[1]2ndSakhnov / Devyatyarov / Prokurorov
3 1988–89 5 March 1989 Oslo, Norway4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Cup2ndBadamshin / Sakhnov / Prokurorov
412 March 1989 Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup1stBadamshin / Sakhnov / Prokurorov
5 1989–90 1 March 1990 Lahti, Finland4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndBadamshin / Prokurorov / Botvinov
616 March 1990 Vang, Norway4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup3rdBadamshin / Golubev / Botvinov
71991–9228 February 1992 Lahti, Finland4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Cup1stKirilov / Botvinov / Prokurorov
88 March 1992 Funäsdalen, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndKirilov / Botvinov / Prokurorov

Note: 1 Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

References
  1. Österberg, Tobias (15 December 1998). "Smirre blir svensk". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  2. Vladimir Smirnov. sports-reference.com
  3. Владимир Смирнов: «И после спорта судьба продолжает мне улыбаться». skisport.ru (interview in Russian) 25 October 2008
  4. "SMIRNOV Vladimir". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 22 January 2018.

Further reading
  • Henry, Notaker (1994). Lillehammer 1994: A Fairy-Tale of Images. Oslo: Dreyers Forlag. ISBN 82-504-2145-0.
Olympic Games
Preceded by
Yermakhan Ibraimov		 Flagbearer for  Kazakhstan
Nagano 1998		 Succeeded by
Yermakhan Ibraimov
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