Evgeny Ustyugov facts for kids

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Evgeny Ustyugov

Personal information
Born	(1985-06-04) 4 June 1985 (age 40) Krasnoyarsk, RSFSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Professional information
Sport	Biathlon
World Cup debut	8 January 2009
Retired	5 April 2014
Olympic Games
Teams	2 (2010, 2014)
Medals	1 (0 gold)
World Championships
Teams	4 (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Medals	2 (0 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	6 (2008/09–2013/14)
Individual victories	3
All victories	6
Individual podiums	12
All podiums	24
Discipline titles	1: 1 Mass start (2009–10)
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 0 0 Biathlon World Championships 0 0 0 Biathlon European Championships 0 1 0 Total 0 1 0 Men's biathlon Representing  Russia Olympic Games Disqualified 2010 Vancouver 15 km mass start Disqualified 2014 Sochi 4 × 7.5 km relay Disqualified 2010 Vancouver 4 × 7.5 km relay World Championships Disqualified 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk 15 km mass start Disqualified 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk 4 × 7.5 km relay European Championships Silver 2009 Ufa 10 km sprint Disqualified 2011 Ridanna 20 km individual Junior World Championships Gold 2006 Presque Isle 15 km individual Gold 2006 Presque Isle 12.5 km pursuit Silver 2006 Presque Isle 4 × 7.5 km relay

Evgeny Romanovich Ustyugov (Russian: Евгений Романович Устюгов) is a former biathlete from Russia. He was born on June 4, 1985. His parents were both professional cross-country skiers. Evgeny started learning biathlon when he was just three years old.

He began competing in junior events in 2005. Three years later, he became a professional at the European Championships. Evgeny won a gold medal in the men's 15 km mass start event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. However, this win was later taken away due to rule violations. Before the 2010 Olympics, his best individual finish at a World Championship was 20th place.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Evgeny won another gold medal. This was in the men's relay event with his teammates Anton Shipulin, Alexey Volkov, and Dmitry Malyshko. This medal was also later taken away. Evgeny Ustyugov announced his retirement from biathlon after the 2013–14 Biathlon World Cup season ended.

In February 2020, it was announced that all his results from the 2013–14 season, including the 2014 Olympics, were canceled due to rule violations. In October 2020, his 2010 Vancouver Olympic medal was also taken away for the same reason. In November 2024, a court rejected his appeal to get his 2010 Olympic gold medal back. In May 2025, another court decision confirmed that his medals from 2010 (a gold and a bronze) and 2014 (a relay gold) would be given to other athletes.

Early Life and Family Background

Evgeny Ustyugov was born in Krasnoyarsk, Soviet Union, on June 4, 1985. He came from a family of athletes. His mother, Olga Rudolfovna, and father, Roman Valeryevich, were both professional cross-country skiers.

Evgeny and his brother Alexander started skiing when they were three years old. Evgeny did not join club sports because they were too far from his home. For a long time, skiing, climbing, and Alpine skiing were just his hobbies. He often took part in sports events at school.

He discovered biathlon in 1997 at an event called "Pionerskaya Pravda." His family supported his dream to become a professional biathlete. His first coach was Viktor Ermakov.

Evgeny Ustyugov's Biathlon Career

Evgeny Ustyugov had a long career in biathlon, starting as a junior and moving up to professional competitions.

Junior Competitions and Early Success

Ustyugov competed in his first junior championship in Kontiolahti, Finland, in 2005. He finished 12th in the individual event. He was 42nd in the sprint and 36th in the pursuit competitions.

At the Biathlon Youth World Championships in Presque Isle, Maine, he won two gold medals. He was first in the individual and pursuit events. He also won a silver medal in the relay race and finished fourth in the sprint. At the European Championships in Langdorf-Arbersee, Ustyugov won the relay competition.

Professional Debut and First World Cup Races

In December 2007, Ustyugov competed in a national individual tournament called "Izhevsk Rifle." He finished second, even with two misses.

He participated in the Biathlon European Championships in Geilo, Norway. In the sprint, he was 32nd. He also competed in the second stage of the championships in Torsby, Sweden.

In April 2008, Ustyugov's team from Krasnoyarsk Krai won a silver medal at the 2008 Russian Championships.

Breakthrough Season: 2008–09

In the 2008–09 season, Ustyugov competed in two stages of the European Championships. He finished fourth in the individual competition in Obertilliach, Austria. He also won the sprint competition in Martell, Italy, without any misses.

Thanks to his good results, Ustyugov was able to compete at the Biathlon World Championships. He made his debut at the 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof on January 8, 2009. He finished his first season in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, in seventh place, which was his best result at that time.

At the 2009 Russian Championships, he finished sixth in the sprint and ninth in the relay. At the European Championships in Ufa, Russia, he won a silver medal in the sprint event.

Olympic Season: 2009–10 Highlights

Ustyugov wore a yellow jersey, showing he was the overall leader at the 10 km sprint event in Kontiolahti, Finland, on March 13, 2010.

On December 11, 2009, Ustyugov finished third in the sprint event in Hochfilzen. Nine days later, he won the pursuit stage in Pokljuka. On January 9, he also won the sprint event in Oberhof.

On March 27, 2010, Ustyugov was awarded the Crystal Globe for his performance in the mass start events. He earned 197 points, placing him second overall. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Ustyugov was fourth in the overall world ranking.

Ustyugov won the 15 km mass start competition on February 21, 2010, in Vancouver.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, men's biathlon began on February 14, 2010. Ustyugov finished 15th in the sprint event. Two days later, he had the same result in the pursuit event. On February 18, he came in fourth in the individual event.

On February 21, Ustyugov became the first Russian since 1996 to win the mass start event at the Olympics. His relay team, including Ivan Tcherezov, Anton Shipulin, and Maxim Tchoudov, received a bronze medal on February 26. However, as mentioned earlier, these medals were later taken away.

Later Career: 2010–11 and 2011–12 Seasons

In the 2010–11 season, Ustyugov's relay team finished 14th at the fourth stage of the 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof. He was seventh in the individual competition in Ruhpolding.

In the individual race of the 2011 European Championships, Ustyugov won a silver medal. At the Biathlon World Championships 2011 in Khanty-Mansisk, Ustyugov won two silver medals. One was in the relay with his teammates, and the other was in the mass start. These medals were also later taken away.

On June 10, 2011, Ustyugov was made an honorary citizen of Krasnoyarsk. He was the youngest person in the city's history to receive this honor.

At the first stage of the 2011–12 Biathlon World Cup on November 30, 2011, Ustyugov finished fifth in the 20 km individual event in Östersund, Sweden. He was third at the sprint event in Oberhof, Germany, on January 7, 2012, hitting all targets. After the fifth stage, he moved up to 8th place in the world ranking list.

Personal Life and Education

Evgeny Ustyugov had a busy life outside of biathlon.

Education and Studies

Ustyugov wanted to study at the Physical Faculty for Culture at the Pedagogical Institute. However, his grades prevented him from enrolling there. He then applied to the Divnogorsk Olympic Reserve School.

A year later, after taking the necessary exams, he enrolled in a mechanical faculty at the Siberian State Technological University. Because of the difficult subjects and his intense physical training, he chose a different path. He switched to a forest engineering faculty and studied from outside the university. On June 21, 2010, he received his diploma in forest engineering from the Siberian State Technological University.

Family Life

On August 28, 2009, Evgeny Ustyugov married Alexandra Bondarenko, who was also a professional biathlete. They had a daughter named Veronika Ustyugova, who was born on September 20, 2010.

Biathlon Results

All results are from the International Biathlon Union.

Olympic Games

0 medals (all disqualified)

Event	Individual	Sprint	Pursuit	Mass start	Relay	Mixed relay
2010 Vancouver	4th	15th	15th	DSQ (1st)	DSQ (3rd)	N/A
2014 Sochi	38th	16th	5th	19th	DSQ (1st)	—

*Mass start was added as an event in 2006, with the mixed relay being added in 2014.

World Championships

0 medals (all disqualified)

Event	Individual	Sprint	Pursuit	Mass start	Relay	Mixed relay
2009 Pyeongchang	55th	47th	20th	—	6th	—
2011 Khanty-Mansiysk	13th	29th	12th	DSQ (2nd)	DSQ (2nd)	6th
2012 Ruhpolding	50th	30th	DNS	10th	—	—
2013 Nové Město	48th	9th	16th	16th	4th	—

*During Olympic seasons competitions are only held for those events not included in the Olympic program.

Junior/Youth World Championships

3 medals (2 gold, 1 silver)

Event	Individual	Sprint	Pursuit	Relay
2005 Kontiolahti	12th	42nd	36th	—
2006 Presque Isle	Gold	4th	Gold	Silver

Individual Victories (Later Disqualified)

3 victories (1 Sp, 1 Pu, 1 MS)

Season	Date	Location	Discipline	Level
2009–10 3 victories (1 Sp, 1 Pu, 1 MS)	20 December 2009	Pokljuka	12.5 km pursuit	Biathlon World Cup
	9 January 2010	Oberhof	10 km sprint	Biathlon World Cup
	21 February 2010	Vancouver	15 km mass start	Winter Olympic Games

*Results are from UIPMB and IBU races which include the Biathlon World Cup, Biathlon World Championships and the Winter Olympic Games.

See also

In Spanish: Yevgueni Ustiúgov para niños