Sofia Pozdniakova

Pozdniakova was born in Novosibirsk, where she was coached by Sergey Stepankin at the Fencing Center.{{Cite web|url=https://sport.nso.ru/news/2295|title=София Позднякова: из Германии с наградами | Министерство физической культуры и спорта Новосибирской области|website=sport.nso.ru}} Both of her parents were fencers: her father, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, is a 4-time Olympic champion, 10-time world champion, and 13-time European champion in individual and team sabre, as well as the President of the Russian Olympic Committee since 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1110835/sofia-pozdniakova-profile|title=Sofia Pozdniakova|date=July 27, 2021|website=www.insidethegames.biz}} Her mother, Anastasia, is Master of Sports and secretary at the Fencing Federation of the Novosibirsk Oblast.{{Cite web|url=https://tass.ru/info/5245710|title=Биография президента Олимпийского комитета России Станислава Позднякова - ТАСС|website=TACC}}{{cite web|url=http://cska.ru/news/10292 |title=Саблистка ЦСКА София Позднякова: Отец дает советы, но за спортивные неудачи не ругает |author= |publisher=Центральный спортивный клуб Армии |date=2017-03-28 |accessdate=2018-07-24}} She decided to follow in her parents' footsteps at the age of 10, and abandoned swimming and acrobatic gymnastics.

Pozdniakova made her international debut in 2017. is the 2018 individual women's sabre world champion, a 2019 team world champion, the 2021 individual Olympic champion, and a 2021 team Olympic champion.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/sofia-pozdniakova-adds-family-legacy-gold-womens-individual-sabre|title=Sofia Pozdniakova adds to family legacy with gold in women's individual sabre | NBC Olympics|website=www.nbcolympics.com}} She is a Russian Armed Forces athlete, and her clubs are the Russian Central Sports Army Club and the Novosibirsk Regional Fencing Sports School of Olympic Reserve.

File:Putin and Sofia Pozdniakova 2021.jpg in 2021]]

Pozdiakova studied Sport and Tourism at the Smolensk State Academy of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism, and as of 2018 she planned to become a sports journalist in the future.{{cite web|url=https://teamrussia.pro/news/novosti/sofiya-pozdnyakova-glavnoe-poslednij-udar-ostalsya-za-mnoj/ |title=София Позднякова: "Главное — последний удар остался за мной" |author=Александр Просветов |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2018-07-24}} She moved to Moscow in 2015. Since 2016, she has competed for CSKA Moscow.

In September 2020, Pozdiakova married Saratov-based two-time world individual junior sabre champion and Olympic fencer Konstantin Lokhanov.{{Cite web|url=https://ngs.ru/text/sport/2020/09/29/69486591/|title=Танец в тумане: чемпионка мира из Новосибирска сыграла свадьбу в Москве — смотрим красивые снимки с церемонии|date=September 29, 2020|website=НГС - новости Новосибирска}} He emigrated to the United States in 2022 in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, strongly opposed to Russia's war.{{Cite web|url=https://lostsports.com/olympic-fencing-champion-sofia-pozdnyakova-divorces-saber-fencer-konstantin-lokhanov-who-left-for-the-usa/|title=Olympic fencing champion Sofia Pozdnyakova divorces saber fencer Konstantin Lokhanov, who left for the USA|date=September 5, 2022|work=Lost Sports}}{{Cite web|url=https://lostsports.com/olympic-fencing-champion-sofia-pozdnyakova-divorces-saber-fencer-konstantin-lokhanov-who-left-for-the-usa/|title=Olympic fencing champion Sofia Pozdnyakova divorces saber fencer Konstantin Lokhanov, who left for the USA|date=September 5, 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://m.realnoevremya.com/articles/7056-fie-allows-russian-and-belarusian-athletes-to-compete|title=FIE allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete|author=Jaudat Abdullin |website=Realnoe Vremya|date=March 24, 2023 }}{{Cite web|url=https://darik.news/en/a-famous-russian-woman-shocked-everyone-this-is-what-she-did-to-her-husband-because-of-the-usa.html|title=A famous Russian woman shocked everyone, this is what she did to her husband because of the USA|work=Darik News|date=September 5, 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://en.newizv.ru/news/2022-11-05/how-russian-sport-is-experiencing-sanctions-390630|title=How Russian sport is experiencing sanctions|website=Novye Izvestia|date=November 5, 2022|author=Irina Mishina}}

Lokhanov invited his wife to join him in America.{{Cite web|url=https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2024/01/31/eti-troe-prinosiat-zhertvy-v-realnoi-zhizni-radi-togo-chtoby-dobro-pobezhdalo-zlo|title="Эти трое приносят жертвы в реальной жизни ради того, чтобы добро побеждало зло". Мы поговорили с российскими фехтовальщиками, которые уехали в США и хотят выступать за Америку на летней Олимпиаде|website=Novaya Gazeta Europe; Новая газета Европа|date=31 January 2024|author=Елизавета Кирпанова}}{{Cite web|url=https://ngs.ru/text/sport/2020/09/29/69486591/|title=Танец в тумане: чемпионка мира из Новосибирска сыграла свадьбу в Москве — смотрим красивые снимки с церемонии|date=September 29, 2020|website=НГС}} She later said: "As for feelings, love, there was a moment when we did not understand where to go. I got up in the morning and thought: 'That’s it, I’m going to the States.' I was figuring out how I would communicate with my parents, how to explain all this to my dad... He would simply erase me from his life. Then the next day such thoughts: 'So, I’m staying here, my parents, my family - this is important to me.'" After many hours of telephone conversations in which she struggled with her decision, she declined and ultimately filed for divorce; they divorced in 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0ghhxky/the-unlikely-fate-of-three-russian-defectors-in-the-us|title=The unlikely fate of three Russian defectors in the US; Konstantin Lokhanov, Sergey Bida and Violetta Bida are Russian Olympic champions in fencing. Since the war in Ukraine, they left their country. Now their life, dreams, and their entire career is hanging on their decision.|author=Anna Bressanin|date=20 October 2023|website=BBC (video)}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/08/sports/olympics/russia-ukraine-olympics-fencing.html|title=With War as a Backdrop, a Russian Fencing Drama Plays Out in the U.S.; The departure of Russian fencers who object to their country's invasion of Ukraine has created a stir at home and left their sporting futures in question.|first=Jeré|last=Longman|date=July 8, 2023|work=The New York Times}} Her father called his daughter’s decision "the most important gift for Father’s Day." She said she was grateful to Lokhanov for many things, but that the two of them had gone in "different directions."{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/08/sports/olympics/russia-ukraine-olympics-fencing.html|title=With War as a Backdrop, a Russian Fencing Drama Plays Out in the U.S.; The departure of Russian fencers who object to their country’s invasion of Ukraine has created a stir at home and left their sporting futures in question.|first=Jeré|last=Longman|date=July 8, 2023|work=The New York Times}}

In January 2024, the Russian state-owned new agency TASS reported that she was included in the list of proxies of presidential candidate Vladimir Putin in the 2024 Russian presidential election.{{Cite web|url=https://tass.ru/politika/19843619|title=Губерниев, Чичерина и Гармаш вошли во вторую часть списка доверенных лиц Путина|website=TACC}} By law, self-nominated candidates such as Putin are allowed to have proxies who campaign in their favor. Proxies were expected to be people with high levels of public recognition who publicly supported Putin and Russia's war in Ukraine, and who were willing to spend time campaigning.{{Cite web|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/12/28/shaman-and-military-bloggers-will-campaign-for-putin-in-2024-a83589|title=Shaman and Military Bloggers Will Campaign for Putin in 2024|first=The Moscow|last=Times|date=December 28, 2023|website=The Moscow Times}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{FIE|31161}}
• [https://www.instagram.com/sofiya_lokhanova/?hl=en&img_index=1 Instagram page of Sofiya Lokhanova]

{{Footer Olympic Champions Sabre Women}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Fencing Women Team Sabre}}

{{World Champions in Women's Sabre}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pozdniakova, Sofia}}

Category:1997 births

Category:21st-century Russian military personnel

Category:Living people

Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Category:Russian female sabre fencers

Category:Fencers from Novosibirsk

Category:Fencers at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic fencers for Russia

Category:Olympic medalists in fencing

Category:Olympic gold medalists for the Russian Olympic Committee athletes

Category:21st-century Russian sportswomen