Tall, stately, bright, outstanding athlete, Olympic champion, queen of speed skating, first deputy chairman of the State Duma of Russia on international affairs, vice president of the Russian speed skating federation and mother of two children. Cheerful, kind, responsive and positive person.
Biography
Svetlana Sergeevna was born on January 7, 1972 in the urban-type village of Pavlovo (railway station Pavlovo-on-Neva) of the Kirovsky district of the Leningrad region. As Zhurova told about her childhood in an interview with Kira Proshutinskaya (TV Center): up to two years, they lived in Pavlovo with their parents, sister, grandparents. At that time, her parents worked in the city of Kirovsk, Leningrad Region: mother after graduating from a specialized institute in the trading system, and father as a foreman at the Kirov factory "Ladoga" (now PJSC "Plant" Ladoga "). Soon, the Zhurov family received an apartment in Kirovsk and moved there, but since there were two places in the kindergarten, according to Svetlana Sergeevna: “it was a shame to ask her father, ” her parents moved only with their youngest daughter, and Svetlana remained to live with her grandparents in Pavlov. domestic experience animals, in addition, she looked after the garden.
In 1979, already living in Kirovsk, Svetlana went to study at school. Around the same time, her acquaintance with the sport took place - the first was the rhythmic gymnastics section, but there was no success, the reason was the coach’s harsh treatment with athletes, which, as Zhurov later recalled, “simply beat them.” Then there was an admission to a music school, where a violin teacher did not see the grace in Svetlana’s handling of a musical instrument and, in one of the classes, snapped: “Are you moving the cabinets with these hands at home?” Only after that Svetlana Sergeevna ended up in speed skating. In adolescence, Svetlana was angular and not pretty, like Lena Bessoltseva from the movie "Scarecrow", therefore, in the speed skating section, jokes and jokes were constantly pouring at her, on the contrary, Zhurova had authority and respect from her classmates, where she was a leader. According to Svetlana Sergeevna, in sports she could not fend for herself because her teammates were much older, and Zhurova’s victories on the ice track only aggravated the situation.
In 1986, Zhurova was already at the Leningrad School of Olympic Reserve No. 2.
Highlights of a sports career
1996 Hamar (Norway) - World Championship in sprint all-around. Svetlana Zhurova at the highest step of the podium, she did the impossible, defeated her main rival - world champion Japanese Kyoko Shimazaki, finally, the athlete from Russia was recognized as the fastest speed skater in the world. This year was the year of Svetlana Zhurova, she did not lose a single world-class competition, she is the winner of ten stages of the World Cup and the owner of the World Cup in the overall standings. It seems that Svetlana Zhurov can no longer be stopped!
1998, Calgary (Canada) - World Championship in sprint all-around. Svetlana Zhurova is the favorite of the championship. Behind the two most successful years in her sports career. Svetlana goes to the start of the 500 meter distance, which needs to be flown in 38 seconds, the acceleration of Zhurova for several years is considered the fastest in the world. Start and after ten seconds Svetlana flies at a speed of 40 km / h, but even before that, having taken 5-6 steps to accelerate, Zhurova, as she thought, slightly touched the other leg with the blade of a ridge. Svetlana has no time to think about what happened, she needs to finish the distance, she does not slow down, does not feel pain until the finish. Zhurov was urgently examined by a sports doctor, the cut was so deep that a few more millimeters and Svetlana would cut Achilles herself. Canadian doctors insisted on urgent hospitalization - the wound is serious, but Svetlana Sergeyevna does not hear the doctors, after an hour she goes on the ice, which means that you need to forget about the pain and the leg that is sewn up. The next day, a new race, but Svetlana can’t walk anymore, every step causes Zhurova inhuman pain, but you don’t need to walk on ice - you need to run. Despite the persuasion of Canadian doctors, Svetlana again participates in the race and goes all the distances to the end. This world championship Svetlana Sergeevna finished with the fifth result.
Two weeks later, a new championship in the Netherlands. In a hotel room before the start, Svetlana herself removes stitches from her legs. Zhurov runs the first distance with a good result. But in the next race, Svetlana cuts her second leg with her skate, she falls on the ice, rises and reaches the distance to the end. Then in Holland, Svetlana Sergeevna became the second. But at the 1998 Olympic Games, at her crown distance, Svetlana Sergeevna due to injury became only ninth.
February 2002 - Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City (USA). The atmosphere at the Olympics is tense and nervous. In the second run rival Zhurova world champion American Chris Whitty. Before the start, an event occurs, at first glance, insignificant, but it becomes fatal. Suddenly, one of the fans shouted to Zhurova: “tear her up”, this phrase outraged Svetlana and led her out of emotional balance. Start is given, and here Zhurova with horror understands that the internal mood is knocked down, she is not running in her own style and can not reach maximum speed. Svetlana is only sixth at 500 meters and eleventh at 1000 meters. The failure at this Olympics is peak for Zhurova, she decides to leave the sport and devote herself to her family, to give birth to a child. But from the very beginning Svetlana is sure that she leaves for a while, then to return and return in triumph.
After the birth of her son, Svetlana Sergeevna has not practiced for almost a year, she spends time with her family. While Zhurova is raising a child, she is practically thrown out of sports, deprived of a presidential grant. Nobody is waiting for her, therefore, the arrogance of the athlete caused colleagues only ridicule and pity, because after childbirth, when you were already thirty in big speed skating, nobody has returned and even more so won.
In September 2004, one year and seven months after the break, Zhurova resumed training, but few believed in her. After giving birth, Svetlana recovered by thirteen kilograms, she begins to train seven hours a day, sits on a strict diet. Zhurova is training not with venerable skaters, but with juniors, she simply can’t catch up with international class masters. At thirty-two, Zhurova, once a world champion, runs on ice with eighteen-year-olds. Two months later, Zhurova begins to overtake not only juniors, but also existing athletes and after three months Svetlana Sergeyevna won the Russian Championship. She is being taken seriously and Zhurova is being returned a presidential grant.
Three weeks remain before the Olympic Games, and Svetlana Sergeevna goes to Heerenveen (Holland) for the World Cup. Exactly ten years have passed after the finest hour of Zhurova, when she first became the world champion, and now in the homeland of speed skating, she must regain her success. Svetlana goes to the start and soon everyone understands - there is no stopping her! At 34, she is in her best shape.
2006 Turin (Italy) - 20th Winter Olympic Games. Svetlana Sergeevna is convinced: “you should not go, ” and her husband and officials of the Federation of Speed Skating, they say to her face that they do not believe in victory, but they still take the national team because of a favor. Zhurova does not listen to anyone, her only goal is the Olympic gold medal. Remembering the experience of previous games, Svetlana asks to go through the ranks and warn the Russian fans: “Silence at the start”, Zhurova wants to exclude any accidents at the race. Svetlana Sergeyevna goes to the start, her main rival is Chinese woman Van Manli, who has won the World Championships for two years in a row. Start is given, two speed skaters accelerate, unexpectedly Zhurova kicks the heel, but this does not stop Svetlana, and she continues to get ahead of the opponent, the gap is some fraction of a second. The intensity of the struggle is such that at the last turn of the distance it almost reaches the collision of the athletes. Svetlana will finish first, Zhurova looks at the scoreboard, but in second place. Already with the flag, she continues to go and ask the fans: "Who won?" and after some pause Svetlana shouted that she was a champion.
Zhurova managed to do the impossible - to recover in record time, to win the world champion title and become an Olympic champion!
Education, work, political career
Svetlana Sergeevna began her career in 1994 in remand prison No. 4 in St. Petersburg. She was engaged in physical training of the isolation ward employees and continued to participate in sports competitions, including defending the honor of the isolation ward at interdepartmental events. In 2007, Zhurova was awarded the title of "lieutenant colonel of the internal service."
In 1999, she graduated with honors from the Academy of Physical Education with the award of the qualification "Master of Physical Education, Higher School Teacher", and in 2006 - the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
March 11, 2007 Svetlana Sergeyevna was given the mandate of the Legislative Assembly of the Leningrad Region - she headed the standing commission on culture, sports, physical education and youth policy. In December of the same year she was elected to the State Duma of the 5th convocation, from the United Russia fraction she was appointed Deputy Chairman of the State Duma.
March 16, 2012 appointed representative of the Government of the Kirov region in the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
In 2012, she worked as the host of the Sports Channel on Ekho Moskvy radio.
From 2013 to 2016, Svetlana Sergeevna was a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the 6th convocation. First, she was a member of the Committee on Nationalities, and then First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
On September 18, 2016, Zhurova was elected to the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the 7th convocation.
He is the first vice-president of the Russian Skating Union.
Love family
First love overtook Svetlana at age 18, when Zhurova was in the team of the Soviet Union, her partner was a teammate, but these relations did not develop. Separated due to the fact that her chosen one was against the fact that "his wife would be an Olympic champion", in addition, he was injured and soon left the team. Zhurov’s breakdown was very worried. It is noteworthy that during the triumph of Svetlana in Turin, when she won the Olympics, her former lover was on the podium and saw this victory.
In 2000, Svetlana Sergeevna met her future husband - Artyom Chernenko, who at that time was seriously involved in tennis. They met in the classes on general physical training, which tennis players took place together with skaters. When dating Zhurova was 29 years old, and Chernenko - 23 years. Before meeting with Chernenko, Svetlana Sergeevna for five years met with a friend of the speed skating team. According to Zhurova, her lover, unlike Chernenko, could not make her an offer of marriage. After the break, he was very worried about this, and, as the team joked, it was on this basis that he won the bronze medal of the European Championship, although not before, not after, again from the words of Zhurova, he did not show any significant results.
Svetlana broke up with Artyom in 2013 after thirteen years of marriage, as Svetlana Sergeyevna herself estimated the reason for the divorce, because they perceived love differently, Artyom is more romantic, and Svetlana from the practical side is her family, hearth, home and etc. In parting with Artyom, Svetlana Sergeyevna blames herself that she is not ready for the sake of a man to give up everything that she likes to do, that is interesting to her. Svetlana and Artyom got two sons in a marriage: Yaroslav - b. 2003 and Ivan - born in 2009
