Athlete of the Week: Natalia VALEEVA (ITA)

She had a unique Olympic career spanning over 20 years: she competed for three different national teams (the Soviet Union, Moldova and Italy) and is a double bronze medallist from Barcelona 1992. She achieved the remarkable feat of winning four world titles over three decades, the last one being the team title at last year’s World Championships in Turin.   Natalia VALEEVA’s archery experience has been quite unique. She competed on three national teams: USSR (1989-1992), Moldova (1992-1996) and Italy (since 1997). She won individual and team bronze medals with the Unified Team at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. She won world titles in three different decades: she was individual world champion twice (1995 in Djakarta, 2007 in Leipzig, the only non-Korean to do so since 1987, in more than 20 years!) and team world champion twice as well (1999, 2011). She is a five-time individual indoor world champion (1991, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2012). She won the World Cup Stage in Santo Domingo twice (2008, 2009). She will compete in her sixth consecutive Olympic Games in London, an archery record that she holds along with her compatriot Ilario DI BUO and the British archer Alison WILLIAMSON.   Asked about her archery career so far, the Italian champion said "I never thought my career would be so long. Over twenty years in the national teams! I always thought that sooner or later I would quit shooting or I would get physically tired or the results would lower… but for one or another reason this has not yet occurred. I still win competitions although less than before (when I had no family), and I never get tired of maintaining my shape in the gym and shooting. I don’t know how to explain it… maybe because I’m still an athlete?"   Natalia VALEEVA only had to quit shooting due at the seventh month of pregnancy with Stefano (her first son, born in 2000) and the third month of pregnancy with the twins (Victoria and Sofia, born after Athens 2004), or due to injuries. She got back to practicing immediately after giving birth.   The Italian archer, who has competed in five Olympic Games, confessed that her best memories were from "My first Olympics in Barcelona—It was more difficult to get into the Soviet team than to play in the Barcelona competition!" She continued shooting for Olympic medals, trying to improve their colour: "I won a lot, but I still have the desire to win again. I have missed the Olympic gold medal and maybe next time I will be satisfied at last!"   VALEEVA is leading a string of veteran archers and 1992 Olympics alumni that kept competing or came back recently to the competition thanks to the attractiveness of the Archery World Cup launched in 2006. These archers include the 1992 individual Olympic champion Sebastien FLUTE (FRA), the 1992 double bronze medallist Simon TERRY (GBR), Ilario DI BUO (ITA), Alison WILLIAMSON (GBR) and Natalia NASARIDZE (TUR). VALEEVA, NASARIDZE and Khatuna LORIG (now shooting for the USA) actually shot together with the USSR at the time.      World Indoor Champion 2012 Biography Extract:   Natalia VALEEVA (ITA) – Born 15 November 1969 in Tirnauca (Tirnaspol), Moldova   1st Mixed Team European Championships Amsterdam 2012 1st Individual World Indoor Championships Las Vegas 2012 3rd Team World Indoor Championships Las Vegas 2012 1st Team World Archery Championships Turin 2011 1st Team World Indoor Championships Rzeszow 2009 2nd Individual World Indoor Championships Rzeszow 2009 1st Individual World Cup Santo Domingo 2009 5th Team Olympic Games Beijing 2008 1st Individual World Cup Santo Domingo 2008 1st Individual World Championships Leipzig 2007 53th Individual Olympic Games Athens 2004 1st Individual World Indoor Championships Florence 2001 7th Individual Olympic Games Sydney 2000 1st Individual Indoor World Championships Havana 1999 1st Team World Championships Riom 1999 1st Individual World Championships Jakarta 1995 1st Individual World Indoor Championships Birmingham 1995 3rd Team Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 3rd Individual Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 1st Individual World Indoor Championships Oulu 1991   Find more information on Natalia VALEEVA (and all other archers) on the World Archery website or on her official Facebook page.   World Archery Communication