Russian alpine skier Semyon Efimov will compete at the 2026 Olympics: who is he and what is he known for

Semyon Efimov is one of the leaders of Russian alpine skiing, the winner of the 2019 Winter Universiade in slalom and a multiple champion of Russia. (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025). In recent years, he has consolidated the status of the country's strongest slalom rider, consistently confirming his high level at national competitions. In 2026, the athlete was allowed to participate in the Olympic Games in a neutral status. About the sporting path of Semyon Yefimov, his achievements and the schedule of Olympic races — in the material of Izvestia.

Biography of Semyon Yefimov

Semyon Efimov was born on October 14, 1996 in Moscow. His interest in sports was instilled in him by his father, Vyacheslav Efimov, who was involved in various disciplines himself and introduced his son to them from an early age. Later, the athlete recalled that when he first got on skis, he did not want to take them off.

Efimov took his first steps in alpine skiing at the Vorobyovy Gory Sports School for children and youth. His first coach was Alexander Ivanov, a mentor who was able to discern talent in his pupil and captivate him with this sport. According to Yefimov, the coach was a real enthusiast who managed to "infect" both himself and his parents with a love of skiing, and the athlete himself noted that skiing for him was a feeling of freedom.

Efimov's specialty was slalom, one of the most technical disciplines of alpine skiing.

Semyon Yefimov's sports career

Semyon Efimov began to show his first serious results in the mid-2010s. In 2014, he made his debut at the Russian Cup and immediately made himself known by winning the final of the slalom tournament.

Already in 2015, the athlete competed at the World Junior Championships, where he took 45th place in giant slalom, a discipline with a longer track and wide gates compared to classic slalom. A year later, Yefimov confirmed his status as one of the leaders of the youth national team by winning the national junior championship in two disciplines at once — slalom and giant slalom.

In 2017, he achieved his first major international successes, won bronze in the supergiant at the Universiade in Alma Ata, and also became the third in the slalom at the Junior World Championships. At the same time, according to his mother, the athlete came to the tournament after a fractured shoulder, however, despite the injury, he decided to go to the start.

In 2018, Efimov made his World Cup debut, and in 2019 he won gold in slalom at the Universiade in Krasnoyarsk. Later, the athlete noted that the victory was brought to him by the correct distribution of forces on the track and the well-coordinated work of the team. In the same year, Yefimov became the Russian slalom champion for the first time.

In 2020, the athlete continued to perform at the World Cup stages, and in 2021 he became the silver medalist of the Russian championship in slalom and took 16th place at the World Championships.

In 2022, Efimov again won the national championship and became the winner of the Cup of Russia in his discipline. However, in the same year, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions amid the events in Ukraine. As a result, Yefimov performed exclusively at domestic competitions until the end of 2025.

Despite the limitations of international practice, he retained his leadership position within the country. In 2023, Efimov again became the champion of Russia in slalom, in 2024 he won this discipline at the Spartakiad and at the First professional competitions, and in 2025 he once again confirmed the title of the strongest slalom athlete in the country.

The personal life of Semyon Yefimov

Yefimov prefers not to discuss his personal life in public, but he does not hide important events. Valentina Golenkova, an alpine skier from Murmansk, became his chosen one. The couple officially registered their marriage in January 2023, and held the wedding ceremony in April, after the end of the competition season. The celebration took place right on the ski slope in Kirovsk, immediately after the Big Wood Cup.

Today Efimov is a young father. The couple has a daughter growing up. At the same time, the athlete does not advertise his family life on social networks, preferring to talk about loved ones only casually, in interviews after successful starts.

Outside of training and training camps, Efimov finds time for hobbies. He plays the electric guitar, is interested in cars, especially Toyota Land Cruiser models, and loves dogs. The athlete also ironically notes his pedantry in relation to sports equipment. According to him, he may not remember what is in the closet at home, but the contents of sports bags and cases are neatly organized in a special Excel spreadsheet.

Dates of performances at the Olympic Games-2026

Alpine skiing competitions at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy) will be held from February 7 to 18. Semyon Yefimov will compete in the men's slalom on February 16. His first attempt starts at 12:00, and the second and final one starts at 15:30.