Viktoria_Safonova

Viktoriia Safonova

Viktoriia Safonova

Russian-Belarusian figure skater

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

Viktoriia Andreevna Safonova (Russian: Виктория Андреевна Сафонова; born 8 May 2003) is a Russian-Belarusian figure skater. She is the 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb silver medalist, the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy bronze medalist, the 2020 Ice Star champion, the 2019 Volvo Open Cup champion, and a five-time Belarusian national champion (2019-23).

For Ukrainian table tennis player, see Viktoriia Safonova (table tennis).
Quick Facts Full name, Native name ...

Competing on the junior level for Russia, she is the 2018 Ice Star champion.

Personal life

Viktoriia Safonova was born on 8 May 2003 in Moscow.[1]

Career

Early career

Safonova placed fourteenth at the 2018 Russian Junior Championships and eighth at the 2019 Russian Junior Championships. Competing for Russia, she was the 2018 Ice Star junior champion.[2]

2019–2020 season

Safonova switched to representing Belarus in August 2019, alongside former Russian national teammates Konstantin Milyukov and Victoria Yatsenko / Daniil Parkman.[3][4] She placed fourth at a Russian domestic event earlier in the summer, but was not included into the national team.[4] Safonova won the Summer Cup of the Skating Union of Belarus in her domestic debut.[5]

According to International Skating Union rules for switching nationalities, Safonova was required to sit out international competition for a year dating from her last international appearance, ruling her ineligible for Junior Grand Prix events. Safonova made her international debut for Belarus at the 2019 Volvo Open Cup, where she won the gold medal ahead of Azerbaijan's Ekaterina Ryabova and Alina Urushadze of Georgia. She then placed seventh at 2019 CS Warsaw Cup. Safonova earned personal bests in all segments to win the silver medal at 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, behind Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia and ahead of Germany's Nicole Schott.[4]

Safonova won the national title in her first attempt at the 2020 Belarusian Championships, ahead of Milana Ramashova and Anastasiya Sidorenko.[4] She then finished fourteenth at the 2020 European Championships.[6] Safonova had been assigned to compete at the World Championships in Montreal, but those were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[7]

2020–2021 season

Safonova opened her season at the 2020 Ice Star in October, winning gold ahead of Russians Anastasiia Guliakova and Sofia Samodurova. She was assigned to make her Grand Prix debut at the 2020 Rostelecom Cup, placing eighth at the event.[8] Safonova was scheduled to compete at the 2021 World Championships but was forced to withdraw two days before the ladies' short program due to a positive COVID-19 test.[9]

2021–2022 season

Following the withdrawal from the World Championships, Safonova competed at the beginning of the new season at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, seeking a second opportunity to qualify a berth for Belarus at the 2022 Winter Olympics. She was third in both segments to win the bronze medal, taking the third of six available spots.[10] She went on to place eighth at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy and repeat as gold medalist at the Ice Star. She won the gold medal at the 2021 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge.[2] Safonova was invited to compete on the Grand Prix at the 2021 Rostelecom Cup following the withdrawal of Kazakh skater Elizabet Tursynbaeva. She placed seventh at the event.[11] 

At the 2022 European Championships in Tallinn, Safonova finished ninth.[12] Named to the Belarusian team for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Safonova placed seventeenth in the short program of the women's event.[13] Thirteenth in the free skate, she rose to thirteenth overall.[14]

Programs

More information Season, Short program ...

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series

For Belarus

More information International, Event ...

For Russia

More information International: Junior, Event ...

Detailed results

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships.

For Belarus

More information Date, Event ...

For Russia

More information Date, Event ...

References

  1. [1]
    "Сафонова Виктория Андреевна" [Safonova, Viktoria Andreevna]. fskate.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 21 September 2019.
  2. [2]
    "Viktoriia SAFONOVA: Competition Results". International Skating Union.
  3. [3]
    Skating Union of Belarus (9 August 2019). "У белорусских фигуристов начинается соревновательный период!" [Belarusian skaters begin the competitive period!] (Instagram) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 December 2021.
  4. [4]
    "Новые имена и сенсации. На каких фигуристов делают ставку в Беларуси?" [New names and sensations. Which skaters are we betting on in Belarus?] (in Russian). CTV. 15 December 2019.
  5. [5]
    Lotsik, Lena (10 August 2019). "Сафонова победила на летнем кубке Белорусского союза конькобежцев" [Safonova won the Summer Cup of the Belarusian Union of Skaters] (in Russian). Sports.ru.
  6. [6]
    "2020 ISU European Figure Skating Championships Results". International Skating Union.
  7. [7]
    Ewing, Lori (11 March 2020). "World figure skating championships cancelled in Montreal". CBC Sports.
  8. [8]
    "ISU GP Rostelecom Cup 2020". International Skating Union.
  9. [9]
    "Положительный тест на коронавирус на ЧМ-2021 сдала белорусская фигуристка Виктория Сафонова (Tele-sport)" [Belarusian figure skater Viktoria Safonova passed a positive coronavirus test at the 2021 World Cup] (in Russian). sports.ru. 22 March 2021.
  10. [10]
    Flade, Tatjana (25 September 2021). "Liu pockets Nebelhorn gold; seals third spot for U.S. women". Golden Skate.
  11. [11]
    Slater, Paula (28 November 2021). "Valieva takes Rostelecom Cup gold with record score". Golden Skate.
  12. [12]
    Slater, Paula (15 January 2022). "Valieva leads Russian sweep in European debut". Golden Skate.
  13. [13]
    Penny, Brandon (15 February 2022). "As it happened: ROC, U.S. skaters star in women's short program". NBC Sports.
  14. [14]
    Penny, Brandon (17 February 2022). "Re-live every moment of the historic Olympic women's free skate". NBC Sports.
  15. [15]
    "Viktoriia SAFONOVA: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021.
  16. [16]
    "Viktoriia SAFONOVA: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021.
  17. [17]
    "Viktoriia SAFONOVA: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020.
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