Men
RUS
Ruslan Zakharov
RUS- Date of birth24 Mar 1987
- Height170 CM
- ProfessionArmed Forces Athlete
- HometownKrasnogorsk
- Place of birthGorky
- Start skating Club He took up short track in 1996 in Ufa, Russian Federation. He switched to speed skating in June 2017 in Moscow, Russian Federation. Central Army Sports Club [CSKA]: Russia
- HobbiesSnowmobiling, horse riding, collecting plates. (khl.ru, 02 Aug 2020; Athlete, 21 Nov 2018)
- LanguagesEnglish, Russian
- FamliyWife Sitora, sons Artur [2016] and David [2019]
- CoachN/A
- ChoreographerN/A
- Former CoachN/A
- Practice low seasonN/A
- Practice high seasonN/A
- General Interest
- Sport Specific Information
In recognition of the silver medal he won at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, he received the Order for Merits to the Fatherland [first class] in the Russian Federation. (publication.pravo.gov.ru, 25 Feb 2022)
He was presented the Order of Friendship by the president of the Russian Federation in recognition of his performance at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. (kremlin.ru, 24 Feb 2014)
At the opening ceremony of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, he took the Olympic oath on behalf of all the athletes at the Games. (ONS, 07 Feb 2014)
In 2011 he received the title of Honoured Master of Sport in the Russian Federation. (minsport.gov.ru, 15 Dec 2011)
He was presented the Order of Friendship by the president of the Russian Federation in recognition of his performance at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. (kremlin.ru, 24 Feb 2014)
At the opening ceremony of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, he took the Olympic oath on behalf of all the athletes at the Games. (ONS, 07 Feb 2014)
In 2011 he received the title of Honoured Master of Sport in the Russian Federation. (minsport.gov.ru, 15 Dec 2011)
"Patience and hard work will grind it all." (Athlete, 13 Nov 2019)
Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva. (Athlete, 13 Nov 2019)
He became the first Russian athlete to win an Olympic medal in both short track and speed skating when he claimed silver in the speed skating team pursuit event at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. He had previously won gold in short track in the 5000m relay at the 2014 Games in Sochi. He was representing the Russian Federation at the 2014 Games, and the ROC in 2022. (iz.ru, 16 Feb 2022; SportsDeskOnline, 14 Nov 2022)
His first coach Albert Timerbulatov. (Athlete, 13 Nov 2019)
Shortly after the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi he sustained an Achilles tendon injury when he fell during a training session. (khl.ru, 02 Aug 2020; Athlete, 13 Nov 2019)
Winning gold in short track in the 5000m relay at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2021)
SHORT TRACK TO SPEED SKATING
In 2017 he switched from short track to speed skating in order to continue his sporting career. "I have always had thoughts about speed skating. A year before Pyeongchang 2018 [the Olympic Winter Games], I realised that it had become hard to compete, but I didn't want to finish. So I took a risk and transitioned to speed skating. I still can't call myself a 100% speed skater [speaking in 2022]. I have not yet adopted some of the subtleties, I have not fully assimilated. However, thanks to short track, I have no problems with muscle mass, for example. Although everyone on the Russian speed skating team is at least 20 centimetres taller than me." (vedomosti.ru, 31 Jan 2022)
FURTHER EDUCATION
He earned a master's degree in coaching from Smolensk State University of Sport in the Russian Federation. (khl.ru, 02 Aug 2020; Athlete, 21 Nov 2018)
In 2017 he switched from short track to speed skating in order to continue his sporting career. "I have always had thoughts about speed skating. A year before Pyeongchang 2018 [the Olympic Winter Games], I realised that it had become hard to compete, but I didn't want to finish. So I took a risk and transitioned to speed skating. I still can't call myself a 100% speed skater [speaking in 2022]. I have not yet adopted some of the subtleties, I have not fully assimilated. However, thanks to short track, I have no problems with muscle mass, for example. Although everyone on the Russian speed skating team is at least 20 centimetres taller than me." (vedomosti.ru, 31 Jan 2022)
FURTHER EDUCATION
He earned a master's degree in coaching from Smolensk State University of Sport in the Russian Federation. (khl.ru, 02 Aug 2020; Athlete, 21 Nov 2018)
He has represented the Russian Federation in short track, winning gold in the 5000m relay at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. He made his World Cup debut in speed skating during the 2017/18 season. (SportsDeskOnline, 13 Nov 2017)
"I have had the idea of trying long track [skating] for a long time. When I was named a reserve for the national short track team after the [2016/17] season, I realised the time had come. I needed to change something."