Laura Asadauskaitė

{{Infobox sportsperson

| image = Laura Asadauskaite by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg

| image_size = 240

| caption = Asadauskaitė in 2023

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|2|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = Vilnius, Lithuania

| height = {{height|m=1.6}}

| weight = {{convert|48|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| country = {{LTU}}

| sport = Modern Pentathlon

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| coach = Jevgenij Kliosov, Andrejus Zadneprovskis{{cite news | title=Penkiakovė: Laura Asadauskaitė, Justinas Kinderis, Gintarė Venčkauskaitė | date= 16 July 2012| publisher=15 minučių | url =http://www.15min.lt/naujiena/londonas-2012-olimpiada/olimpieciai/lietuvos-olimpieciai-penkiakove-bandys-iveikti-ir-europos-cempione-laura-asadauskaite-615-234213#ixzz21uc92Amg | accessdate =22 August 2012 |language=lt}}

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| updated = 11 August 2019

}}

File:Laura Asadauskaitė cropped.jpg]]

Laura Asadauskaitė-Zadneprovskienė (born 28 February 1984) is a Lithuanian modern pentathlete. She is a two-time Olympic medallist, having won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with an Olympic record score, as well as winning the silver in Tokyo at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She is a three-time European Champion (2012, 2015, 2016) and a World Champion in pentathlon, having claimed the title in 2013. She has been a member of the Seimas (Parliament of Lithuania) since 2024.

Career

Asadauskaitė took part in her first Olympics at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where she finished 15th overall.{{Cite web|url=https://www.delfi.lt/sportas/archive/lietuvos-krasto-apsaugos-savanore-lasadauskaite-perrase-salies-pasiekimu-olimpiadose-istorija-59303839|title=Lietuvos krašto apsaugos savanorė L.Asadauskaitė perrašė šalies pasiekimų olimpiadose istoriją|language=lt|work=Delfi|date=13 August 2012|access-date=11 April 2025}} Asadauskaitė did not compete at all in 2010 after she became a mother for the first time, but became world number one in the modern pentathlon in May 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-13/record-breaker-asadauskaite-wins-pentathlon-gold/4194206|title=Record-breaker Asadauskaite wins pentathlon gold|work=ABC|date=12 August 2012|access-date=11 April 2025}} She won Olympic gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics, ahead of British athlete Samantha Murray and Yane Marques of Brazil.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/12/sam-murray-modern-pentathlon-silver|title=Samantha Murray's modern pentathlon silver is GB's final Olympic medal|work=The Guardian|date=12 August 2012|access-date=11 April 2025}} Her total score in the event of 5,408 points set a new Olympic record.

Asadauskaitė became world champion for the first time in 2013, winning the gold medal at the 2013 World Modern Pentathlon Championships, with a total of 5,312 points.{{Cite web|url=https://www.delfi.lt/sportas/kitos-sporto-sakos/penkiakoves-pasaulio-cempionai-parveze-i-gimtine-aukso-medalius-62167815|title=Penkiakovės pasaulio čempionai parvežė į gimtinę aukso medalius|language=lt|work=Delfi|date=26 August 2013|access-date=11 April 2025}} In 2016, Asadauskaitė won her third gold medal at the European Modern Pentathlon Championships, having previously won it in 2012 and 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.delfi.lt/sportas/kitos-sporto-sakos/pareiskimas-pries-rio-l-asadauskaite-vel-europos-cempione-71767438|title=Pareiškimas prieš Rio: L. Asadauskaitė – vėl Europos čempionė!|language=lt|work=Delfi|date=9 July 2016|access-date=11 April 2025}}

In 2021, Asadauskaitė won Lithuania's first medal of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, with a silver medal behind British competitor Kate French. In the five-discipline event, she set an Olympic record of 12 minutes, 1.01 seconds in the final running event.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1464400/asadauskaite-wins-first-olympic-medal-for-lithuania|title=Asadauskaitė wins first Olympic medal for Lithuania|work=lrt.lt|date=6 August 2021|access-date=11 April 2025}}

Political career

In 2024, Laura Asadauskaitė-Zadneprovskienė was elected to the Seimas, the Lithuanian Parliament, representing the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD).[https://www.lrs.lt/sip/portal.show?p_r=35299&p_k=1&p_a=498&p_asm_id=90925 Laura Asadauskaitė-Zadneprovskienė]

She serves on the Committee on Education and Science, focusing her efforts on promoting youth sports, physical education, public health, and athlete welfare.

Personal life

In 2009, Asadauskaitė married modern pentathlete Andrejus Zadneprovskis, a former world champion who won two Olympic medals. The following year she gave birth to a daughter.{{cite news | title=Pentathlete Laura Asadauskaitė – Lithuania's golden sportswoman | date= 20 August 2012| publisher=15 minučių | url =http://www.15min.lt/en/article/culture-society/pentathlete-laura-asadauskaite-lithuania-s-golden-sportswoman-528-242495 | accessdate =22 August 2012 }} She is a graduate of Mykolas Romeris University, majoring in Administration and European Union Policy.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mruni.eu/lt/naujienos/detail.php?el=128227|title=Puikūs MRU studentų startai Londono olimpiadoje|language=lt|work=www.mruni.eu|date=13 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821135001/http://www.mruni.eu/lt/naujienos/detail.php?el=128227|archive-date=21 August 2012}}