Anfisa Reztsova

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Anatolyevna and the family name is Reztsova.

Anfisa Reztsova
Reztsova (left) with her grandson in 2009
Personal information
Birth nameAnfisa Anatolyevna Romanova
Born(1964-12-16)16 December 1964
Yakimets, Gus-Khrustalny District, Vladimir Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died19 October 2023(2023-10-19) (aged 58)
Medal record
Women's biathlon
Representing  Russia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1994 Lillehammer 4 × 7.5 km relay
Representing the  CIS
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1992 Novosibirsk 4 × 7.5 km relay
Representing the  Unified Team
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1992 Albertville 7.5 km sprint
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Albertville 3 × 7.5 km relay
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing  Russia
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1999 Ramsau 4 × 5 km relay
Representing the  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1988 Calgary 4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1988 Calgary 20 km freestyle
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1985 Seefeld 4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place 1987 Oberstdorf 4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1987 Oberstdorf 5 km classical
Silver medal – second place 1987 Oberstdorf 20 km freestyle

Anfisa Anatolyevna Reztsova (Russian: Анфиса Анатольевна Резцова, née Romanova, Романова; 16 December 1964 – 19 October 2023) was Soviet and Russian biathlete and cross-country skier who competed in both sports from 1985 to 2000.[1] In 1992 she became the first female athlete, and as of 2024 only 1 of 2, to win Olympic gold in two separate disciplines.

Career

In Soviet times, she trained at Dynamo in Vladimir.

Reztsova earned a total of five medals in the Winter Olympics, including three golds (1988: cross country 4 × 5 km relay, 1992: biathlon 7.5 km, 1994: biathlon 4 × 7.5 km relay), one silver (1988: cross country 20 km), and one bronze (1992: biathlon 3 × 7.5 km relay). She was notable for performing the feat of being the only person to win Olympic gold medals in both cross-country skiing and biathlon. She was one of the few sportspersons to win gold at three consecutive Olympics under three different flags, the first being the Soviet union in 1988, the second – Unified Team in 1992, and the third being the Russian Federation in 1994.

Reztsova also found success at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, earning three golds (4 × 5 km relay: 1985, 1987, 1999) and two silvers (1987: 5 km, 20 km). She also won one cross-country World Cup and seven biathlon World Cups in her career.

In an interview with a Russian sports website in 2020, she admitted to having used illegal performance-enhancing drugs at the end of her career.[2]

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Norwegian biathletes wanted Russian athletes to be excluded from international competitions. This made Reztsova claim that Russian athletes would always be better than the Norwegians, claim that Norwegians just wanted to get rid of competitors, and liken Norwegians to "disgusting cockroaches".[3][4]

Personal life and death

Reztsova lived in Moscow. She was the mother of biathletes Daria Virolaynen[5] and Kristina Reztsova.

Anfisa Reztsova died of cardiac arrest on 19 October 2023, at the age of 58.[6] Earlier in March 2023 Reztsova had a heart attack and due to low hemoglobin she received several blood transfusions.[6]

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[7]

Olympic Games

  • 2 medals – (1 gold, 1 silver)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km   20 km   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
1988 23 — — Silver Gold

World Championships

  • 5 medals – (3 gold, 2 silver)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   20 km   30 km   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
1985 20 — 12 — — 5 — Gold
1987 22 Silver 4 — — Silver — Gold
1999 34 11 — 5 4 — — Gold

World Cup

Season standings

 Season   Age 
Overall Long Distance Middle Distance Sprint
1985 20 6 — — —
1986 21 15 — — —
1987 22 2nd place, silver medalist(s) — — —
1988 23 13 — — —
1999 34 9 8 — 8
2000 35 32 25 38 31

Individual podiums

  • 10 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1  1984–85  14 February 1985 East Germany Klingenthal, East Germany 10 km Individual World Cup 3rd
2 18 February 1985 Czechoslovakia Nové Město, Czechoslovakia 5 km Individual World Cup 2nd
3  1985–86  7 December 1985 Canada Labrador City, Canada 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
4  1986–87  16 February 1987 West Germany Oberstdorf, West Germany 5 km Individual C World Championships[1] 2nd
5 20 February 1987 20 km Individual F World Championships[1] 2nd
6 28 February 1987 Finland Lahti, Finland 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
7 15 March 1987 Soviet Union Kavgolovo, Soviet Union 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
8  1987–88  16 December 1987 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Bohinj, Yugoslavia 10 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
9 25 February 1988 Canada Calgary, Canada 20 km Individual F Olympic Games[1] 2nd
10  1998–99  14 February 1999 Austria Seefeld, Austria 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd

Team podiums

  • 8 victories
  • 11 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammates
1 1984–85 22 January 1985 Austria Seefeld, Austria 4 × 5 km Relay World Championships[1] 1st Tikhonova / Smetanina / Vasilchenko
2 1986–87 17 February 1987 West Germany Oberstdorf, West Germany 4 × 5 km Relay F World Championships[1] 1st Ordina / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
3 1 March 1987 Finland Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 Relay C/F World Cup 1st Ordina / Lazutina / Välbe
4 1987–88 21 February 1988 Canada Calgary, Canada 4 × 5 km Relay F Olympic Games[1] 1st Nageykina / Gavrylyuk / Tikhonova
5 1998–99 29 November 1998 Finland Muonio, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 1st Danilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
6 20 December 1998 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Denisova / Baranova-Masalkina / Chepalova
7 10 January 1999 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 5 Relay C/F World Cup 1st Nageykina / Gavrylyuk / Chepalova
8 26 February 1999 Austria Ramsau, Austria 4 × 5 Relay C/F World Championships[1] 1st Danilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
9 14 March 1999 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Gavrylyuk / Yegorova / Skladneva
10 21 March 1999 Norway Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Lazutina / Baranova-Masalkina / Yegorova
11 1999–00 29 November 1999 Sweden Kiruna, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 1st Yegorova / Skladneva / Chepalova

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

References

  1. ^ "Anfisa RESTZOVA". BiathlonWorld.com. International Biathlon Union. Archived from the original on 14 July 2006. Retrieved 12 December 2006. Birthdate: 16 Dec 1964
  2. ^ "Анфиса Резцова: "Не отрекаюсь от допинга, я это делала. Чувствовала эффект, когда нас кололи во все места"". sports.ru (in Russian). 8 December 2020. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Russere i strupen på norske skiskyttere: -Som ekle kakerlakker" Archived 6 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine (Norwegian; "Russians attacking Norwegian biathlon athletes: - Like disgusting cockroaches"), VG, 6 January 2023
  4. ^ Skiöld/TT, Henrik (6 February 2023). "Ryska hånet mot Norge: "Äckliga kackerlackor" - SvD". SvD.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Pokljuka Sprint Win for Katharina Innerhofer". BiathlonWorld.com. International Biathlon Union. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Стали известны причины смерти трёхкратной олимпийской чемпионки Анфисы Резцовой". Championat.com (in Russian). 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  7. ^ "REZTSOVA ROMANOVA Anfisa". FIS-Ski.com. International Ski Federation. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2019.