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14866-Akzhana Abdikarimova photo

Akzhana Abdikarimova

Russia flag
Russian Federation
Athletics

Biography

Impairment information

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
LW10.5

Further personal information

Residence
Moscow, RUS
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
English, Russian, Spanish
Higher education
Politics, Public Relations - Russian State University for the Humanities: Moscow, RUS

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport?
She took up Para biathlon in 2010 in Moscow, Russian Federation.
Why this sport?
"In 2010 I watched Vancouver Paralympics and thought it would be great to try Para sports. Those were just superficial thoughts as I didn't do sport at all and had an idle way of life. I had a lot of friends, a boyfriend, and lived the normal life of a normal teenager. But then once I was sitting in a cafe, and a young man came up to me and asked me if I wanted to do sports. He was from the national team and later introduced me to [national Para skiing coach] Irina Gromova."
Club / Team
Vorobyovy Gory: Moscow, RUS
Name of coach
Irina Gromova, RUS, from 2010; Dmitry Gromov, RUS; Andrey Gladyshev, RUS

General interest

Nicknames
Akanya (Gromova Team Instagram profile, 22 Apr 2021)
Hobbies
Painting. (Athlete, 24 Dec 2020)
Memorable sporting achievement
Competing at the Paralympic Winter Games in 2014 and 2018, winning three silver medals in Para athletics at the 2016 European Championships in Grosseto, Italy, and claiming gold in Para biathlon at the 2020 Russian Championships. (Athlete, 24 Dec 2020)
Most influential person in career
Coach Irina Gromova. (rsport.ria.ru, 10 Oct 2017)
Hero / Idol
Russian Para Nordic skier Sergey Shilov. (Athlete, 11 Mar 2014)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Our role [as Para athletes] is not just to come, race, win, and leave. People in our country must change their general attitude towards the impaired. They see us on tracks and see what we do, and what athletes from other teams do. All this changes their attitude." (1tv.ru, 18 Nov 2013)
Awards and honours
She has received the title of Master of Sport of International Class in the Russian Federation. (minsport.gov.ru, 26 Apr 2021)
Other sports
She competed in Para cross-country skiing at the Paralympic Winter Games in 2014 and 2018. She also represented the Russian Federation in Para athletics at the 2015 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, and at the 2016 European Championships in Grosseto, Italy. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Mar 2018; Athlete, 02 Dec 2017)
Impairment
She was born with a diagnosis of spinal hernia. Her impairment is the result of unsuccessful back surgery she had at age six months. (helpspinabifida.ru, 25 Mar 2021; rezeptsport.ru, 03 Oct 2012)
Other information
KAZAKHSTAN TO RUSSIA
Born in Kazakhstan, she moved to Moscow, Russian Federation, at age two for medical treatment after surgery. Her parents were studying in Moscow and, after her father found a job, the whole family moved there. (rsport.ria.ru, 12 Sep 2016)

Results

Unit Date Rank
Paralympic Winter Games 2014 (Sochi, Russia)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 6 km Sitting Final Round 2014-03-08 10
Women's 12 km Sitting Final Round 2014-03-09 14
Women's 10 km Sitting Final Round 2014-03-11 5
Women's 1 km Sprint Sitting Qualification 2014-03-12 14
Women's 12.5 km Sitting Final Round 2014-03-14 5
Women's 5 km Sitting Final Round 2014-03-16 18
2015 IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships Cable (Cable, United States of America)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's Short Distance Sitting Race 1 2015-01-24 10
Women's Long Distance - Free Style Sitting Race 1 2015-01-25 10
Women's Middle Distance Sitting Race 1 2015-01-27 10
Women's Sprint - Classic Sitting Race 1 2015-01-28 12
Women's Long Distance Sitting Race 1 2015-01-30 8
Women's Middle Distance - Classic Sitting Race 1 2015-01-31 12
IPC Athletics 2015 World Championships (Doha, Qatar)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 200 m T53 Heat 2 2015-10-22 8
Women's 200 m T53 Final 1 2015-10-22 6
Women's 100 m T53 Heat 2 2015-10-23 7
Women's 100 m T53 Final 1 2015-10-24 7
Women's 400 m T53 Heat 2 2015-10-25 10
Women's 800 m T53 Heat 2 2015-10-26 10
Women's 4x400 m T53/54 Final 1 2015-10-31 2
Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games (Pyeongchang, South Korea)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 6km Sitting Final 2018-03-10 11
Women's 12km Sitting Final 2018-03-11 16
Women's 10km Sitting Final 2018-03-13 10
Women's 1.1km Sprint Sitting Final 2018-03-14 14
Women's 12.5km Sitting Final 2018-03-16 10
Women's 5km Sitting Final 2018-03-17 22