Viktoriia Safonova

Summary

Viktoriia Andreevna Safonova (Russian: Виктория Андреевна Сафонова; born 8 May 2003) is a Russian-Belarusian figure skater. She is the 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb silver medalist, the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy bronze medalist, the 2020 Ice Star champion, the 2019 Volvo Open Cup champion, and a five-time Belarusian national champion (2019-23).

Viktoriia Safonova
Full nameViktoriia Andreevna Safonova
Native nameВиктория Андреевна Сафонова
Other namesViktoria/Victoria/Viktoriya
Born (2003-05-08) 8 May 2003 (age 20)
Moscow, Russia
Height1.74 m (5 ft 8+12 in)
Figure skating career
Country Belarus
CoachOksana Matveeva[1]

Competing on the junior level for Russia, she is the 2018 Ice Star champion.

Personal life edit

Viktoriia Safonova was born on 8 May 2003 in Moscow.[1]

Career edit

Early career edit

Safonova placed fourteenth at the 2018 Russian Junior Championships and eighth at the 2019 Russian Junior Championships. Competing for Russia, she was the 2018 Ice Star junior champion.[2]

2019–2020 season edit

Safonova switched to representing Belarus in August 2019, alongside former Russian national teammates Konstantin Milyukov and Victoria Yatsenko / Daniil Parkman.[3][4] She placed fourth at a Russian domestic event earlier in the summer, but was not included into the national team.[4] Safonova won the Summer Cup of the Skating Union of Belarus in her domestic debut.[5]

According to International Skating Union rules for switching nationalities, Safonova was required to sit out international competition for a year dating from her last international appearance, ruling her ineligible for Junior Grand Prix events. Safonova made her international debut for Belarus at the 2019 Volvo Open Cup, where she won the gold medal ahead of Azerbaijan's Ekaterina Ryabova and Alina Urushadze of Georgia. She then placed seventh at 2019 CS Warsaw Cup. Safonova earned personal bests in all segments to win the silver medal at 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, behind Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia and ahead of Germany's Nicole Schott.[4]

Safonova won the national title in her first attempt at the 2020 Belarusian Championships, ahead of Milana Ramashova and Anastasiya Sidorenko.[4] She then finished fourteenth at the 2020 European Championships.[6] Safonova had been assigned to compete at the World Championships in Montreal, but those were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[7]

2020–2021 season edit

Safonova opened her season at the 2020 Ice Star in October, winning gold ahead of Russians Anastasiia Guliakova and Sofia Samodurova. She was assigned to make her Grand Prix debut at the 2020 Rostelecom Cup, placing eighth at the event.[8] Safonova was scheduled to compete at the 2021 World Championships but was forced to withdraw two days before the ladies' short program due to a positive COVID-19 test.[9]

2021–2022 season edit

Following the withdrawal from the World Championships, Safonova competed at the beginning of the new season at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, seeking a second opportunity to qualify a berth for Belarus at the 2022 Winter Olympics. She was third in both segments to win the bronze medal, taking the third of six available spots.[10] She went on to place eighth at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy and repeat as gold medalist at the Ice Star. She won the gold medal at the 2021 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge.[2] Safonova was invited to compete on the Grand Prix at the 2021 Rostelecom Cup following the withdrawal of Kazakh skater Elizabet Tursynbaeva. She placed seventh at the event.[11]

At the 2022 European Championships in Tallinn, Safonova finished ninth.[12] Named to the Belarusian team for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Safonova placed seventeenth in the short program of the women's event.[13] Thirteenth in the free skate, she rose to thirteenth overall.[14]

Programs edit

Season Short program Free skating
2022–2023
  • Deliciate
    by Eric Fernández
2021–2022
[15]
2020–2021
[16]
2019–2020
[17]

Competitive highlights edit

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series

For Belarus edit

International[2]
Event 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24
Olympics 12th
Worlds C WD B
Europeans 14th 8th
GP Rostelecom Cup 8th 7th
CS Denis Ten Memorial 1st
CS Finlandia Trophy 8th
CS Golden Spin 2nd
CS Nebelhorn Trophy 3rd
CS Warsaw Cup 7th
Ice Star 1st 1st
Tallink Hotels Cup 3rd
Volvo Open Cup 1st
Winter Star 1st
National[2]
Belarusian Champ. 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
TBD = Assigned; C = Cancelled; B = ISU ban

For Russia edit

International: Junior[2]
Event 17–18 18–19
Ice Star 1st
National[2]
Russian Champ. 14th J 8th J
Russian Cup Final 8th J 6th J
Levels: J = Junior

Detailed results edit

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships.

For Belarus edit

2022–23 season
Date Event SP FS Total
15-18 December 2022 2022 Belarus Open Championships 1
67.83
1
134.55
1
202.38
2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
15–17 February 2022 2022 Winter Olympics 16
61.46
12
123.37
12
184.83
10–16 January 2022 2022 European Championships 8
63.07
8
122.34
9
185.41
16-19 December 2021 2021 Belarus Open Championships 1
69.21
1
131.81
1
201.02
26–28 November 2021 2021 Rostelecom Cup 9
58.19
6
127.45
7
185.64
28–31 October 2021 2021 Denis Ten Memorial 1
66.67
1
123.39
1
190.06
14–18 October 2021 2021 Ice Star 1
68.68
1
129.40
1
198.08
7–10 October 2021 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy 9
64.26
9
123.57
8
187.83
22–25 September 2021 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 3
62.02
3
128.27
3
190.29
2020–21 season
Date Event SP FS Total
22–28 March 2021 2021 World Championships WD WD WD
11–13 December 2020 2020 Winter Star (Belarusian Championships) 1
67.79
1
126.56
1
194.35
20–22 November 2020 2020 Rostelecom Cup 7
64.25
7
120.32
8
184.57
29 Oct. – 1 Nov. 2020 2020 Ice Star 3
66.56
1
134.10
1
200.66
2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
13–16 February 2020 2020 Tallink Hotels Cup 3
62.23
2
114.82
3
177.05
20–26 January 2020 2020 European Championships 20
53.33
13
106.58
14
159.91
14–15 December 2019 2020 Belarusian Championships 2
60.42
1
120.52
1
180.94
4–7 December 2019 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 2
64.35
2
128.14
2
192.49
14–17 November 2019 2019 CS Warsaw Cup 7
55.55
7
115.88
7
171.43
5–10 November 2019 2019 Volvo Open Cup 2
64.19
1
117.69
1
181.88

For Russia edit

2018–19 season
Date Event SP FS Total
31 Jan. – 4 Feb. 2019 2019 Russian Junior Championships 8
69.25
9
122.20
8
191.45
18–21 October 2018 2018 Ice Star 1
61.60
1
112.47
1
174.07
2017–18 season
23–26 January 2018 2018 Russian Junior Championships 15
60.40
13
116.94
14
177.34

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Сафонова Виктория Андреевна" [Safonova, Viktoria Andreevna]. fskate.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 21 September 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Viktoriia SAFONOVA: Competition Results". International Skating Union.
  3. ^ Skating Union of Belarus (9 August 2019). "У белорусских фигуристов начинается соревновательный период!" [Belarusian skaters begin the competitive period!] (Instagram) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "Новые имена и сенсации. На каких фигуристов делают ставку в Беларуси?" [New names and sensations. Which skaters are we betting on in Belarus?] (in Russian). CTV. 15 December 2019.
  5. ^ Lotsik, Lena (10 August 2019). "Сафонова победила на летнем кубке Белорусского союза конькобежцев" [Safonova won the Summer Cup of the Belarusian Union of Skaters] (in Russian). Sports.ru.
  6. ^ "2020 ISU European Figure Skating Championships Results". International Skating Union.
  7. ^ Ewing, Lori (11 March 2020). "World figure skating championships cancelled in Montreal". CBC Sports.
  8. ^ "ISU GP Rostelecom Cup 2020". International Skating Union.
  9. ^ "Положительный тест на коронавирус на ЧМ-2021 сдала белорусская фигуристка Виктория Сафонова (Tele-sport)" [Belarusian figure skater Viktoria Safonova passed a positive coronavirus test at the 2021 World Cup] (in Russian). sports.ru. 22 March 2021.
  10. ^ Flade, Tatjana (25 September 2021). "Liu pockets Nebelhorn gold; seals third spot for U.S. women". Golden Skate.
  11. ^ Slater, Paula (28 November 2021). "Valieva takes Rostelecom Cup gold with record score". Golden Skate.
  12. ^ Slater, Paula (15 January 2022). "Valieva leads Russian sweep in European debut". Golden Skate.
  13. ^ Penny, Brandon (15 February 2022). "As it happened: ROC, U.S. skaters star in women's short program". NBC Sports.
  14. ^ Penny, Brandon (17 February 2022). "Re-live every moment of the historic Olympic women's free skate". NBC Sports.
  15. ^ "Viktoriia SAFONOVA: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021.
  16. ^ "Viktoriia SAFONOVA: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Viktoriia SAFONOVA: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020.

External links edit