From junior starts to Olympic license: the biography of speed skater Anastasia Semenova

Anastasia Semenova, a young speed skater from Kolomna, went from being a student at the Kometa Olympic Reserve School to participating in the 2026 Olympic Games. Since childhood, the girl was fond of sports, she quickly proved herself at junior competitions, winning medals at the World Cup and the Russian-Chinese Youth Games. In recent years, Semenova has become a prize-winner and champion of Russia, strengthened her position in the national team and successfully returned to the international arena after a long break. For more information about the athlete's biography, see the Izvestia article.

Childhood in Kolomna and the first steps in speed skating

Anastasia Semenova was born on November 10, 2004 in Kolomna, a city near Moscow with a rich skating history, where a large sports complex is located, hosting the World Cup, European and World Championships. In such an atmosphere, the future Olympic participant formed her first sports landmarks.

As a child, Semenova was engaged in ballroom dancing, but eventually changed her direction and joined speed skating. Her training took place at the specialized school of the Olympic reserve "Kometa", of which she is a pupil. Gradually, the training turned into participation in serious competitions, and the first successes allowed the athlete to reach the international level already at the age of a junior.

Semenova's training sessions are led by Denis Asfandiyarov and Sergey Kazelin.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Vladimir Astapkovich

In addition to her sports career, Anastasia continues her education. She is a student at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports of Tambov State University named after Derzhavin, combining her studies with preparation for major international competitions.

Performances at the Junior World Cup and first international successes

The 2021/22 season has become an important stage in Anastasia Semenova's sports career. At the Junior World Cup, she made her debut from third place at a distance of 1 thousand meters, took eighth place at 1.5 thousand. She finished 12th in the 500 m, which allowed her to gain a foothold in the team and attract the attention of the coaches.

At the second stage of the competition, Semenova showed the fifth result at 1 thousand m, the 11th - at 500 m and the 15th — at 3 thousand m. The third stage was held in a similar way: the athlete repeated her positions at distances of 1 thousand and 500 m.

In 2022, she competed at the World Junior Championships, where she took 21st place in 500 m and 12th in 1,000 m. The most notable achievement of the season was the Russian-Chinese Youth Games, where Semenova won four gold medals - 500, 1,000 and 1,500 m, as well as in in the team race, becoming the most decorated participant of the tournament among all sports.

Securing a place among the strongest at the Russian championships

After her junior starts, Semenova gradually began to show herself at the adult level. In December 2023, she became the third in the team race at the Russian Championship as part of the Moscow Region national team. This result was one of the first major achievements on the national stage.

The winners of the women's 1500 m race at the Russian Speed Skating Championships in the Kolomna Center at the award ceremony from left to right: Alexandra Sayutina - 2nd place, Ksenia Korzhova - 1st place, Anastasia Semenova - 3rd place

Photo: RIA Novosti/Vladimir Astapkovich

A year later, the athlete was again among the winners, finishing second in the team race, third in the mass start and at a distance of 1.5 thousand meters. These performances confirmed the stability of her form and her ability to compete with the country's leading speed skaters.

In parallel with her performances at the national championships, Semenova successfully participated in other major competitions. In 2024, she won the mass start at the All-Russian Universiade in Chelyabinsk. This tournament became an important milestone in her sports biography and allowed her to strengthen her position in the national ranking.

In March 2025, the athlete took part in the final of the Cup of Russia. According to the results of the competition, she became the second in points at a distance of 1.5 thousand. m and third in the three-lap team sprint. These results confirmed that Semenova is one of the most promising Russian speed skaters.

Anastasia Semenova, who won the 3rd place in the women's 1500 m race at the Russian Speed Skating Championships

Photo: RIA Novosti/Vladimir Astapkovich

Of particular importance was December 2025, when Semenova won the title of champion of Russia for the first time. The victory was won in the team race together with Elena Yeranina and Irina Kuznetsova. In addition, Semenova became the second in points at a distance of 1.5 thousand. m and third in the three-lap team sprint. These results became part of the foundation for the decisive step — the fight for the Olympic license.

Return to the international arena and fight for the Olympic quota

Three and a half years after the suspension of Russian athletes from international competitions, Semenova received a neutral status and was able to return to the World Cup stages. These competitions have become key in the context of selection for the 2026 Olympic Games.

At the first stage in Salt Lake City, Anastasia took fourth place in the B division mass start. Already on the second stage in Calgary, Canada, she won the race in division B and got the opportunity to compete in Division A, where she finished 20th.

The next stage in Heerenveen, the Netherlands, brought the athlete 10th place in the A division. The final qualifying round in Hamar, Norway, started again with a victory in division B, after which Semenova took 15th place in Division A.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Vladimir Astapkovich

According to the sum of the four World Cup stages, she scored 95 points and placed in the 20th position of the rating, which made her one of the 24 athletes who received Olympic licenses in the mass start.

Semenova herself noted that the B division turned out to be the most difficult for her, where the rivals fought hard, often resorting to pushes and contacts. According to her, in group A, the level of race culture is noticeably higher, whereas in division B, athletes have to adapt to the aggressive manner of their rivals. The main adaptation took place at the first stage in the USA, after which subsequent launches were much more confident.

The Olympic Games in Milan in 2026

The 2026 Olympic Games will be held from February 6 to 22 in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. As at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Russian athletes will be represented in a neutral status. Speed skating became one of the sports where Russians were allowed to participate.

In addition to Semenova, another Russian woman, Ksenia Korzhova, won the Olympic license. She was selected at a distance of 3,000 m. Nikolay Gulyaev, President of the Russian Skating Union, noted that for both athletes, participation in international competitions was a serious psychological test due to the lack of previous experience in such conditions, but they coped with the load successfully.

Anastasia Semenova will compete at the 2026 Olympics on February 21.