Sport Specific Information |
| Why this sport? |
"When I first came to a gym and was passing by a barbell, I decided to lift it. My first thought after that was how heavy it was." |
General Interest |
| Hero / Idol |
Kazakhstani weightlifter Svetlana Podobedova. (Athlete, 16 Dec 2010) |
| Awards and honours |
In recognition of the bronze medal she won at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, she received the Order of Friendship [second class] from the president of Kazakhstan. (olympic.kz, 13 Aug 2021)
In 2012 she was named Best Female Athlete in Kazakhstan. (vesti.kz, 14 Dec 2012)
She has been presented with the National Orders of Kurmet [Honour] and Barys [second class] in Kazakhstan. (confederation.kz, 2014)
She holds the title of Honoured Master of Sport in Kazakhstan. (gov.kz, 11 Aug 2021) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Name of coach |
Ivan Sivokhin [national] |
| When and where did you begin this sport? |
She began weightlifting at age nine. |
Further Personal Information |
| Languages |
Kazakh, Russian |
General Interest |
| Other information |
SANCTION
In June 2016 she received a two-year ban from the International Weightlifting Federation [IWF] after she tested positive for the prohibited substances oxandrolone and stanozolol. Her sample had been taken at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and was tested again as part of the International Olympic Committee's [IOC] reanalysis from the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She was also stripped of the gold medal she won at the 2012 Games in London. (barbend.com, 13 Jan 2018; iwf.net, 2018)
EARLY DAYS
Born in Kazakhstan, she moved to the People's Republic of China at a young age with her parents. She returned to Kazakhstan in 2007. (kaztag.info, 08 Aug 2012) |
| Nicknames |
Zulya (sports.kz, 21 Jul 2014) |
Further Personal Information |
| Occupation |
Athlete |
General Interest |
| Milestones |
She became the first female weightlifter representing Kazakhstan to win a gold medal at the world championships by claiming victory in the 53kg category at the 2009 edition of the tournament in Goyang, Republic of Korea. (SportsDeskOnline, 30 Oct 2018; confederation.kz, 2014; azattyq.org, 23 Nov 2009) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"My main rival is myself, psychologically, and the barbell, physically. If I can overcome myself, I will win." (vesti.kz, 16 Mar 2021) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Club / Team |
Almaty Region: Kazakhstan |
Further Personal Information |
| Residence |
Taldykorgan, KAZ |
Tokyo
London
Pattaya
Ashgabat
Almaty
Paris
Goyang
Manama
Tashkent
Ningbo