Valentina Linkova

Lore & Background

Valentina Linkova rose to prominence in winter archery biathlon during the mid-2000s. At the 2005 World Championships in Forni Avoltri, she won the title in the last relay race alongside Olga Simushina and Yekaterina Vasilyevna Lugovkina. She also won the sprint title ahead of her relay mates, and placed third in the pursuit behind the two. Two years later, at the World Cup in Moscow, she became the most successful participant, winning the individual race before Lugovkina and Simushina, the sprint before Jelena Sharafutdinova and Lugovkina, and the pursuit before Lugovkina and Jemelina. At the 2008 European Championships in Moscow, she earned silver medals behind Jemelina and ahead of Sharafutdinova in both the sprint and pursuit.

Parallel to her biathlon success, Linkova began a career in run archery in 2004, competing in the national championships in Izhevsk. In 2011, due to a lack of female competition, she entered the open Dutch championships in The Hague in the men's class, winning bronze behind compatriot Maxim Menschikow and ahead of all Dutch starters. The previous year she had won bronze in the women's class at the same competition. In 2012 she won silver there, and at the open German championships she took two gold medals in the relay and mass start women's races.

Linkova continues to lead the result lists of Russian archery biathlon competitions as the most experienced Russian archery biathlete, having dominated the Russian Cup 2012/2013.

Reader's Guide

Valentina Linkova's significance lies in her dual success across winter archery biathlon and run archery, making her one of the most versatile archers in European competition. Alongside Natalija Jemelina, she defined the second half of the first decade of the 2000s in archery biathlon, winning multiple world titles in sprint, pursuit, individual, and relay events. Her ability to compete in the men's class at the open Dutch championships in 2011, where she took bronze, underscores her adaptability and competitive drive. Her legacy is further cemented by her dominance in the Russian Cup 2012/2013 and her status as the most experienced Russian archery biathlete, with her name topping Russian result lists. The open German championships in 2012 added two gold medals to her record, reflecting sustained excellence across different formats and countries. Linkova's career illustrates the breadth of archery-based winter sports and the high level of Russian participation in them.

Did You Know?

• She won the 2005 World Championship sprint title ahead of her relay mates Olga Simushina and Yekaterina Vasilyevna Lugovkina.
• At the 2007 World Cup in Moscow, she won the individual, sprint, and pursuit titles.
• In 2011, she entered the open Dutch championships in the men's class due to lack of female competition and won bronze.
• She won two gold medals at the open German championships in 2012, in the relay and mass start women's races.