Vladimir Smirnov (skier)

Vladimir Smirnov
Vladimir Smirnov on 1 2007 stamp of Kazakhstan
Country	Kazakhstan  Sweden[1]
Full name	Vladimir Mikhaylovich Smirnov
Born	(1964-03-07) 7 March 1964 (age 60) Shuchinsk, Kokchetav Oblast, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Ski club	Stockviks SF
World Cup career
Seasons	16 – (1983–1998)
Indiv. starts	132
Indiv. podiums	66
Indiv. wins	30
Team starts	14
Team podiums	8
Team wins	2
Overall titles	2 – (1991, 1994)
Discipline titles	0
Medal record Representing the  Soviet Union Representing  Kazakhstan Men's cross-country skiing Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 4 2 World Championships 4 4 3 Total 5 8 5 Olympic Games 1994 Lillehammer 50 km classical 1988 Calgary 30 km classical 1988 Calgary 4 × 10 km relay 1994 Lillehammer 10 km classical 1994 Lillehammer 10 km + 15 km   combined pursuit 1988 Calgary 15 km classical 1998 Nagano 10 km + 15 km   combined pursuit World Championships 1989 Lahti 30 km classical 1995 Thunder Bay 10 km classical 1995 Thunder Bay 10 km + 15 km   combined pursuit 1995 Thunder Bay 30 km classical 1987 Oberstdorf 4 × 10 km relay 1991 Val di Fiemme 30 km classical 1993 Falun 10 km classical 1993 Falun 10 km + 15 km   combined pursuit 1991 Val di Fiemme 15 km freestyle 1993 Falun 30 km classical 1995 Thunder Bay 50 km freestyle Junior World Championships 1983 Kuopio 3 × 5 km relay 1984 Trondheim 3 × 5 km relay 1983 Kuopio 15 km 1984 Trondheim 15 km 1982 Murau 15 km 1982 Murau 3 × 5 km relay Asian Winter Games 1999 Gangwon 15 km classical 1999 Gangwon 4 × 10 km relay 1999 Gangwon 30 km freestyle

Vladimir Mikhaylovich Smirnov (Russian: Влади́мир Миха́йлович Смирно́в; born 7 March 1964) is a Kazakh former cross-country skier of Russian descent 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]

Smirnov was born to Russian parents in Shchuchinsk, Kazakh SSR.^[3] During the Soviet period, he trained at the Armed Forces sports society in Alma-Ata.

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 the 1998 Winter Olympics, Smirnov was the flag-bearer of the Kazakhstani Olympic team and won the bronze medal in the 15 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 the 2011 Asian Winter Games in Astana.

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.^[4]

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).^[5]

• 7 medals – (1 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze)

• 11 medals – (4 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze)

• 2 titles – (2 overall)

Season	Age
		Overall	Long Distance	Sprint
1983	19	59	—	—
1984	20	31	—	—
1985	21	30	—	—
1986	22		—	—
1987	23	5	—	—
1988	24	5	—	—
1989	25	5	—	—
1990	26	7	—	—
1991	27		—	—
1992	28		—	—
1993	29		—	—
1994	30		—	—
1995	31		—	—
1996	32		—	—
1997	33	9		37
1998	34		4

• 30 victories
• 66 podiums

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place
1	1983–84	23 March 1984	Murmansk, Soviet Union	15 km Individual	World Cup	2nd
2	1985–86	8 December 1985	Labrador City, Canada	15 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
3		1 January 1986	La Bresse, France	30 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
4		23 February 1986	Kavgolovo, Soviet Union	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
5	1986–87	13 December 1986	Cogne, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
6		20 December 1986	Davos, Switzerland	30 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
7	1987–88	9 January 1988	Kavgolovo, Soviet Union	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
8		15 February 1988	Calgary, Canada	30 km Individual C	Olympic Games[1]	2nd
9		19 February 1988		15 km Individual C	Olympic Games[1]	3rd
10	1988–89	7 January 1989	Kavgolovo, Soviet Union	15 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
11		18 February 1989	Lahti, Finland	30 km Individual C	World Championships[1]	1st
12	1989–90	25 February 1990	Reit im Winkl, West Germany	30 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
13		10 March 1990	Örnsköldsvik, Sweden	30 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
14	1990–91	9 December 1990	Tauplitzalm, Austria	10 km + 15 km Individual C/F	World Cup	2nd
15		15 December 1990	Davos, Switzerland	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
16		19 December 1990	Les Saisies, France	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
17		5 January 1991	Minsk, Soviet Union	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
18		7 February 1991	Val di Fiemme, Italy	30 km Individual C	World Championships[1]	2nd
19		9 February 1991		15 km Individual F	World Championships[1]	3rd
20		3 March 1991	Lahti, Finland	30 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
21	1991–92	7 December 1991	Silver Star, Canada	10 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
22		4 January 1992	Kavgolovo, Russia	30 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
23		7 March 1992	Funäsdalen, Sweden	30 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
24	1992–93	12 December 1992	Ramsau, Austria	10 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
25		13 December 1992		15 km Pursuit C	World Cup	3rd
26		18 December 1992	Val di Fiemme, Italy	30 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
27		16 January 1993	Bohinj, Slovenia	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
28		20 February 1993	Falun, Sweden	30 km Individual C	World Championships[1]	3rd
29		22 February 1993		10 km Individual C	World Championships[1]	2nd
30		24 February 1993		15 km Pursuit F	World Championships[1]	2nd
31		7 March 1993	Lahti, Finland	30 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
32	1993–94	11 December 1993	Santa Caterina, Italy	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
33		21 December 1993	Toblach, Italy	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
34		21 December 1993		15 km Pursuit F	World Cup	1st
35		9 January 1994	Kavgolovo, Russia	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
36		15 January 1994	Oslo, Norway	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
37		17 February 1994	Lillehammer, Norway	10 km Individual C	Olympic Games[1]	2nd
38		19 February 1994		15 km Pursuit F	Olympic Games[1]	2nd
39		27 February 1994		50 km Individual C	Olympic Games[1]	1st
40		5 March 1994	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
41	1994–95	27 November 1994	Kiruna, Sweden	10 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
42		20 December 1994	Sappada, Italy	10 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
43		27 January 1995	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
44		29 January 1995		15 km Pursuit C	World Cup	1st
45		4 February 1995	Falun, Sweden	30 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
46		11 February 1995	Oslo, Norway	50 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
47		9 March 1995	Thunder Bay, Canada	30 km Individual C	World Championships[1]	1st
48		11 March 1995		10 km Individual C	World Championships[1]	1st
49		13 March 1995		15 km Pursuit F	World Championships[1]	1st
50		19 March 1995		50 km Individual F	World Championships[1]	3rd
51		25 March 1995	Sapporo, Japan	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
52	1995–96	26 November 1995	Vuokatti, Finland	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
53		9 December 1995	Davos, Switzerland	30 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
54		13 December 1995	Brusson, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
55		16 December 1995	Santa Caterina, Italy	10 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
56		17 December 1995		15 km Pursuit F	World Cup	3rd
57		9 January 1996	Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia	50 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
58		13 January 1996	Nové Město, Czech Republic	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
59		10 February 1996	Kavgolovo, Russia	15 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
60		24 February 1996	Trondheim, Norway	30 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
61		9 March 1996	Falun, Sweden	10 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
62		10 March 1996		15 km Pursuit C	World Cup	1st
63	1996–97	19 January 1997	Lahti, Finland	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
64	1997–98	22 November 1997	Beitostølen, Norway	10 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
65		13 December 1997	Val di Fiemme, Italy	10 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
66		8 March 1998	Lahti, Finland	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st

• 2 victories
• 8 podiums

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place	Teammates
1	1986–87	17 February 1987	Oberstdorf, West Germany	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Championships[1]	2nd	Batyuk / Devyatyarov / Sakhnov
2	1987–88	24 February 1988	Calgary, Canada	4 × 10 km Relay F	Olympic Games[1]	2nd	Sakhnov / Devyatyarov / Prokurorov
3	1988–89	5 March 1989	Oslo, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	2nd	Badamshin / Sakhnov / Prokurorov
4		12 March 1989	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay C	World Cup	1st	Badamshin / Sakhnov / Prokurorov
5	1989–90	1 March 1990	Lahti, Finland	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Cup	2nd	Badamshin / Prokurorov / Botvinov
6		16 March 1990	Vang, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay C	World Cup	3rd	Badamshin / Golubev / Botvinov
7	1991–92	28 February 1992	Lahti, Finland	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Kirilov / Botvinov / Prokurorov
8		8 March 1992	Funäsdalen, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay C	World Cup	2nd	Kirilov / Botvinov / Prokurorov

• Henry, Notaker (1994). Lillehammer 1994: A Fairy-Tale of Images. Oslo: Dreyers Forlag. ISBN 82-504-2145-0.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vladimir Smirnov (skier).

• Vladimir Smirnov at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
• Vladimir Smirnov - 1998 Nagano Olympics athlete profile at CNN/SI (archived)
• Vladimir Smirnov at Olympedia (archive)
• Vladimir Smirnov at Olympics.com
• Vladimir Smirnov at Olympic.kz (in Russian)

Olympic Games
Preceded by Yermakhan Ibraimov	Flagbearer for  Kazakhstan Nagano 1998	Succeeded by Yermakhan Ibraimov