Olga Graf

Reason for choosing this sport

She used to practise martial arts, but a coach suggested she should try skating.

Awards and honours

In 2014 she received the title of Honoured Master of Sport in the Russian Federation. (infosport.ru, 2018) She received the Order for Merit to the Fatherland [first grade] in recognition of her performance at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. (kremlin.ru, 24 Feb 2014)

When and where did you begin this sport?

She took up the sport in 1993 in Omsk, Russian Federation.

www.facebook.com/olga.graf.547

Nicknames	Olya (ria.ru, 09 Feb 2014)
Injuries	In 2014 she injured her knee at a training camp in Inzell, Germany. (sport-express.ru, 13 Aug 2014)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning bronze medals in the 3000m and team pursuit at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. (Athlete, 10 Nov 2017)
Hobbies	Playing table hockey and tennis. (Athlete, 29 Jul 2017)
Most influential person in career	Her husband. (Athlete, 10 Nov 2017)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Without work, you won't pull a fish out of a pond." (Athlete, 10 Nov 2017)
Other information	RETIREMENT In 2020 she gave birth to her first child and retired from the sport. (rsport.ria.ru, 27 Nov 2020; mosregtoday.ru, 14 Jul 2020) OLYMPIC SNUB In January 2018 she rejected the invitation to represent the Olympic Athletes from Russia [OAR] team at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. The International Olympic Committee [IOC] had selected 169 athletes from the Russian Federation to compete as neutrals at the 2018 Games, but she turned down the offer in support of her teammates who had not been invited. "I was ready to defend the honour of the country even on these discriminatory and degrading conditions. But at the end of January [2018] we learned that the majority of athletes of our Olympic speed skating team will not be able to perform at the Olympics, which means all my hopes in the struggle for the Olympic pedestal will not come true because the sport has become a bargaining chip in dirty political games." (bbc.co.uk, 30 Jan 2018)