Former WU Medallist voted ‘Best Russian Athlete 2011’

Olga proudly shows her medals together with husband Milan and son Alexander

BRUSSELS – Biathlon athlete Olga Zaytseva was voted the ‘Best Russian Athlete of 2011’. The voting was conducted by the TV Channel Rossiya-2 together with the internet portal sportbox.ru. Twelve athletes were in the running for the title of the best athlete of the country: Olga Kaniskina (track & field), Natalia Ischenko (synchronized swimming), Olga Zaytseva (biathlon), Konstantin Barulin (ice hockey), Taras Htey (volleyball), Maria Sharapova (tennis), Ivan Skobrev (speed skating), Maria Abakumova (track & field), Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (figure skating), Roman Pavlyuchenko (football), Vitaly Petrov (Formula 1) and Viktoria Komova (artistic gymnastics).

Olga Zaytseva and Vitaly Petrov got through to the final. Olga Zaytseva received the award with a result of 54.8% of the votes.

Winter Universiade participant Olga Zaytseva is an accomplished athlete. Besides three Olympic medals (gold 2006 en gold & silver 2010), she won 37 races and mounted the medal podium 91 times. She is also a multiple Universiade medallist, winning silver (Relay 3×7.5km) at the 19th WU in Poprad-Tatry, SVK (1999) and gold (Relay 3×7.5km), silver (Sprint 7.5km) and bronze (Pursuit 10km) at the 20th WU in Zakopane, POL (2001).

C. Pierre, FISU Press Officer