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Anastasiya Merkushyna

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Anastasiya Merkushyna
Merkushyna in 2017
Personal information
NationalityUkrainian
Born (1995-01-14) 14 January 1995 (age 29)
Sumy, Ukraine
Height1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight47 kg (104 lb)
Professional information
ClubDynamo
World Cup debut2014
Olympic Games
Teams1 (2018)
Medals0
World Championships
Teams4 (20172021)
Medals4 (0 gold)
Medal record
Women's biathlon
Representing  Ukraine
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2017 Hochfilzen 4 x 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Östersund 4 x 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Antholz 4 x 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Pokljuka 4 x 6 km relay
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Lenzerheide Sprint
Silver medal – second place 2021 Duszniki-Zdrój Individual
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Duszniki-Zdrój Individual
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Duszniki-Zdrój Mixed relay
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Raubichi Single mixed relay
Junior World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Cheile-Gradisej 12.5 km individual
Youth World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 Kontiolahti 3 × 6 km relay
Silver medal – second place 2011 Nové Město 3 × 6 km relay
Silver medal – second place 2013 Obertilliach 3 × 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Obertilliach 10 km individual
Junior European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Otepää Sprint
Gold medal – first place 2015 Otepää Pursuit
Gold medal – first place 2016 Pokljuka Individual
Silver medal – second place 2014 Nové Město Individual
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Osrblie Mixed relay
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Otepää Mixed relay
European Youth Olympic Festival
Gold medal – first place 2013 Braşov Relay
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Braşov Sprint

Anastasiya Merkushyna (Ukrainian: Анастасія Олегівна Меркушина; born 14 January 1995) is a Ukrainian biathlete. She is World Championships medalist. She participated at 2018 Winter Olympics.

Career

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Her first international successes were medals at Junior World and European championships. Merkushyna is a two-time bronze medalist in girls' individual at the 2013 and 2016 Junior Worlds, a two-time silver medalist in relay, a three-time Junior European champion, and a three-time European medalist. In 2012, she qualified for 2012 Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, where she was 14th in both sprint and pursuit.

Before receiving a spot in the Ukrainian national team, she participated in IBU Cup competitions. Her first World Cup race was in Swedish Östersund in 2014–15 season, where she finished 51st in individual. There she also competed in sprint, finishing 87th. Then she missed two World Cup stages returning in Oberhof, Germany. Since the Ukrainian team lacked its leaders (both Sochi Olympic champions Vita Semerenko and Olena Pidhrushna missed that season), she was invited to the relay team. Merkushyna did her job well by shooting without additional shots. Nevertheless, her personal results weren't good enough to debut at the World Championships. Next season, she spent in IBU Cup competitions.

On 11 December 2016, Anastasiya Had her first relay podium in Pokljuka, Slovenia. She earned her first World Cup points in sprint in Oberhof. Since then, she has been a member of the national team regularly. She participated at 2017 Worlds, where she showed outstanding achievements for her debut: 10th in sprint, 8th in pursuit, and 14th in mass start. Merkushyna won silver in relay.

She qualified to represent Ukraine at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[1] In Pyeongchang her best achievement was 46th place in pursuit and 11th in relay. In an interview, she was disappointed about her performance and even cried.

Personal life

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Her mother, Iryna Merkushina, is a former Ukrainian biathlete and 2003 World Championships silver medalist in relay. Her father, Oleh, is a coach. Anastasiya's parents were her first trainers.

Merkushyna studies management and international business at Ternopil National Economic University.

Fellow biathlete Erik Lesser provided his Twitter account with around 150,000 followers as a channel for Merkushyna to transmit viewpoints in March 2022, allowing some 20,000 Russians to see conditions in Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[2]

On 13 March 2022, Merkushyna joined the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine; she did so "to protect the Ukrainian flag."[3]

Results

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Olympics

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0 medals

Event Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay
South Korea 2018 Pyeongchang 70th 55th 46th  — 11th  —
China 2022 Beijing 24th 25th 7th

World Championships

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4 medals (1 silver, 3 bronze)

Event Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay Single mixed relay
Austria 2017 Hochfilzen 33rd 10th 8th 14th Silver
Sweden 2019 Östersund 10th 28th 15th 25th Bronze 7th 5th
Italy 2020 Antholz-Anterselva 11th Bronze 5th 10th
Slovenia 2021 Pokljuka 13th Bronze
Germany 2023 Oberhof DNS 44th 49th 14th 10th 15th
Czech Republic 2024 Nové Město na Moravě 28th 29th 36th 5th 14th
*During Olympic seasons competitions are only held for those events not included in the Olympic program.
**The single mixed relay was added as an event in 2019.

World Cup

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Relay podiums

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Season Place Competition Placement
2016–17 Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia Relay 3
2017–18 Finland Kontiolahti, Finland Mixed relay 2
2018–19 Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia Single mixed relay 3

Rankings

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Season IN SP PU MS TOTAL
2016–17 64 32 39 39 37
2017–18 27 57 33 36 42

IBU Cup

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Individual podiums

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Season Place Competition Rank
2014–15 Austria Obertilliach, Austria Sprint 2
2016–17 Italy Ridanna, Italy Sprint 1
2019–20 Italy Ridanna, Italy Super sprint 2
Austria Obertilliach, Austria Short individual 2
Sprint 3

Relay podiums

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Season Place Competition Rank
2015–16 Italy Ridanna, Italy Mixed relay 3
Germany Arber, Germany Single mixed relay 1
2016–17 Italy Ridanna, Italy Single mixed relay 1

References

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  1. ^ "Ukrainian squad for the 2018 Winter Olympics". Ukrainian Biathlon Federation. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Ukraine professional Merkushyna thanks Erik Lesser". Spot my Sports. 7 March 2022. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Olympiad participant exchanged biathlon rifle for machine gun and went to defend Ukraine". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
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