Anastasiya Merkushyna
Merkushyna in 2017
Personal information
NationalityUkrainian
Born (1995-01-14) 14 January 1995
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 place2017 Hochfilzen4 x 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place2019 Östersund4 x 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place2020 Antholz4 x 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place2021 Pokljuka4 x 6 km relay
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 LenzerheideSprint
Silver medal – second place2021 Duszniki-ZdrójIndividual
Bronze medal – third place2017 Duszniki-ZdrójIndividual
Bronze medal – third place2017 Duszniki-ZdrójMixed relay
Bronze medal – third place2020 RaubichiSingle mixed relay
Junior World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2016 Cheile-Gradisej12.5 km individual
Youth World Championships
Gold medal – first place2012 Kontiolahti3 × 6 km relay
Silver medal – second place2011 Nové Město3 × 6 km relay
Silver medal – second place2013 Obertilliach3 × 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place2013 Obertilliach10 km individual
Junior European Championships
Gold medal – first place2015 OtepääSprint
Gold medal – first place2015 OtepääPursuit
Gold medal – first place2016 PokljukaIndividual
Silver medal – second place2014 Nové MěstoIndividual
Bronze medal – third place2012 OsrblieMixed relay
Bronze medal – third place2015 OtepääMixed relay
European Youth Olympic Festival
Gold medal – first place2013 BraşovRelay
Bronze medal – third place2013 BraşovSprint

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

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 both in 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 great 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

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

Olympics

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

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
*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

Relay podiums

SeasonPlaceCompetitionPlacement
2016–17Slovenia Pokljuka, SloveniaRelay3
2017–18Finland Kontiolahti, FinlandMixed relay2
2018–19Slovenia Pokljuka, SloveniaSingle mixed relay3

Rankings

SeasonINSPPUMSTOTAL
2016–176432393937
2017–182757333642

IBU Cup

Individual podiums

SeasonPlaceCompetitionRank
2014–15Austria Obertilliach, AustriaSprint2
2016–17Italy Ridanna, ItalySprint1
2019–20Italy Ridanna, ItalySuper sprint2
Austria Obertilliach, AustriaShort individual2
Sprint3

Relay podiums

SeasonPlaceCompetitionRank
2015–16Italy Ridanna, ItalyMixed relay3
Germany Arber, GermanySingle mixed relay1
2016–17Italy Ridanna, ItalySingle mixed relay1

References

  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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