1. Overview
Olga Sergeyevna Zabelinskaya (Ольга Сергеевна ЗабелинскаяRussian, born May 10, 1980) is a Russian-born Uzbekistani professional racing cyclist who competes in both road and track disciplines. She gained significant recognition while representing Russia, winning three Olympic medals before she changed her nationality to Uzbekistan in 2018, continuing her competitive career under the new flag.
2. Early Life and Background
Olga Zabelinskaya was born on May 10, 1980, in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, which is now known as Saint Petersburg, Russia. Her maiden name was Sukhoruchenkova (СухорученковаRussian). She is the daughter of former Olympic champion cyclist Sergei Sukhoruchenkov, who won the individual road race at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Despite her father's cycling background, Zabelinskaya was separated from him during her early life and first met him when she was 16 years old.
3. Cycling Career
Olga Zabelinskaya's cycling career spans significant achievements from her junior years, including world championship titles, through multiple Olympic Games, and a notable change in national representation.
3.1. Junior and Early Professional Career
Zabelinskaya began her career with remarkable success in junior competitions. In 1997, she became a junior world champion twice, securing titles in both the road individual time trial and the track points race. The following year, at the 1998 UCI Junior Road World Championships, she earned two silver medals in the junior road race and junior time trial. She also took a silver medal in the points race at the 1998 UCI Junior Track World Championships. As an under-23 rider, she achieved a bronze medal in the time trial at the 2001 European Road Championships and a gold medal in the time trial at the 2002 European Road Championships.
Her early professional career saw her join various teams, including Carpe Diem-Itera (2001-2002), Velodames-Colnago (2003), and Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung (2004). She took a break from competitive cycling in 2004 due to the birth of a child, missing the 2004 Summer Olympics. She temporarily quit cycling in 2006 but made a comeback in 2009, subsequently joining teams such as SAF (2010-2011) and RusVelo (2012-2014).
3.2. Olympic Success and Comeback
After her return to cycling, Zabelinskaya quickly re-established herself as a top competitor, particularly excelling in the Olympic Games. She qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where she achieved significant success by winning two bronze medals: one in the women's road race and another in the women's road time trial. Her performance made her the first Russian female cyclist to win two Olympic medals in road events. She continued her Olympic success at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, securing a silver medal in the women's road time trial.
3.3. Change of Nationality and Later Career
In 2018, Olga Zabelinskaya made a pivotal decision to change her national allegiance from Russia to Uzbekistan. She had represented Russia in international competitions from 2002 until 2018. Following this change, she began competing under the Uzbekistani flag. She joined the UCI Women's Continental Team Cogeas-Mettler-Look in 2018 and has continued to ride for them. Her career post-nationality change has been marked by continued strong performances, particularly in Asian championships and games, adding numerous titles to her name while representing Uzbekistan.
4. Major Results
1997
- 1st in the Time trial at the UCI Junior Road World Championships (Junior World Champion)
- 1st in the Points race at the UCI Junior Track World Championships (Junior World Champion)
1998
- UCI Junior Road World Championships
- 2nd Road race
- 2nd Time trial
- 2nd Points race, UCI Junior Track World Championships
2001
- 3rd Time trial, UEC European Under-23 Road Championships
- 3rd Chrono Champenois-Trophée Européen
- 7th Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio
- 7th Overall Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
- 9th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
2002
- 1st in the Time trial at the UEC European Under-23 Road Championships (European Champion)
2003
- 3rd Overall Holland Ladies Tour
- 4th Overall Novilon Internationale Damesronde van Drenthe
- 5th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
- 9th Overall Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale
- 1st Stage 1 & 9
2006
- 1st Stage 7b Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
2010
- 1st Overall at the International Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen (Yellow Jersey winner)
- National Road Championships
- 2nd Time trial
- 5th Road race
- 3rd Chrono Champenois - Trophée Européen
- 3rd Overall Route de France Féminine
- 4th Memorial Davide Fardelli
- 9th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
- 9th Grand Prix de Plouay
- 10th Trofeo Alfredo Binda
2011
- National Road Championships
- 2nd Time trial
- 10th Road race
- 3rd Chrono des Nations
- 4th Chrono Champenois - Trophée Européen
- 5th Memorial Davide Fardelli
- 6th Open de Suède Vårgårda Team Time Trial
- 8th Trofeo Costa Etrusca
- 9th Overall Energiewacht Tour
- 9th Overall Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira
- 10th Trofeo Vannucci Alberto
2012
- National Road Championships
- 1st in the Time trial (Russian National Champion)
- 8th Road race
- 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino Alto Adige-Südtirol
- 2nd Celtic Chrono
- Olympic Games
- 3rd in the Road Race (Bronze Medal)
- 3rd in the Time Trial (Bronze Medal)
- 3rd Chrono Champenois - Trophée Européen
- 5th Team time trial, UCI Road World Championships
- 8th National Road Race Championships
- 9th Overall Tour de Free State
2013
- UCI Road World Championships
- 4th Team time trial
- 7th Time trial
- 4th Chrono des Nations
- 5th Chrono Champenois - Trophée Européen
2014
- 1st Overall Vuelta Femenina a Costa Rica
- 1st Stage 2 (ITT)
2016
- 2nd in the Time Trial at the Olympic Games (Silver Medal)
- 2nd Overall Tour of Zhoushan Island
- 2nd Ljubljana-Domžale-Ljubljana
- 2nd Chrono Champenois - Trophée Européen
- 3rd Time trial, UEC European Road Championships
- 4th Overall Gracia-Orlová
- UCI Road World Championships
- 4th Team time trial
- 4th Time trial
- 5th Time trial, National Road Championships
- 7th Overall Internationale Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen
- 1st Stage 2
- 7th Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial
2017
- 1st in the Points race at the National Track Championships (Russian National Champion)
- UEC European Road Championships
- 3rd Road race
- 8th Time trial
- 4th Chrono des Nations
- 6th Overall Internationale Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen
- 8th Team time trial, UCI Road World Championships
- 8th Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes
2018
- 1st in the Time trial at the National Road Championships (Russian National Champion)
- 1st Overall at The Princess Maha Chackri Sirindhorn's Cup "Women's Tour of Thailand" (Yellow Jersey winner)
- 1st Stage 1a (TTT)
- 1st Overall at the Tour of Eftalia Hotels & Velo Alanya (Pink Jersey winner)
- 1st Prologue & Stage 1
- 1st Ljubljana-Domžale-Ljubljana TT
- 1st Chrono des Nations
- 2nd Overall Gracia-Orlová
- 1st Stage 3 (ITT)
- 2nd Chrono Champenois-Trophée Européen
- 3rd Omnium, Six Days of Bremen
- 7th Overall Emakumeen Euskal Bira
- 10th Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria
2019
- Asian Track Championships
- 1st Points race
- 2nd Individual pursuit
- 3rd Madison
- 3rd Omnium
- Asian Road Championships
- 1st Road race
- 1st Time trial
- National Road Championships
- 1st in the Road Race (Uzbekistani National Champion)
- 1st in the Time Trial (Uzbekistani National Champion)
- 1st Aphrodite Sanctuary Cycling Race
- 1st Aphrodite Cycling Race Individual Time Trial
- 2nd Chrono Kristin Armstrong
- 2nd Ljubljana-Domžale-Ljubljana
- 4th Grand Prix Justiniano Hotels
- 4th Grand Prix Alanya
- 4th Grand Prix Gazipasa
- 7th Chrono Champenois-Trophée Européen
- 10th Grand Prix Velo Alanya
2021
- 1st Grand Prix Kayseri
- 1st Germenica Grand Prix Road Race
- 2nd Grand Prix Gündoğmuş
- 8th Kahramanmaraş Grand Prix Road Race
- 9th Road race, Olympic Games
- 10th Grand Prix Velo Alanya
2022
- Islamic Solidarity Games
- 1st Road race
- 1st Time trial
2023
- 1st The Tour Oqtosh - Chorvoq - Mountain Ladies
- Asian Road Championships
- 1st Time trial
- 2nd Mixed relay
- 7th Road race
- 2nd Tour of Bostonliq I Ladies
- 2nd Tour of Bostonliq II Ladies
- 2nd Aphrodite Cycling Race Individual Time Trial
- 4th Aphrodite Cycling Race - Women for future
- 4th The Tour Oqtosh - Chorvoq - Mountain Ladies II
- 5th Umag Trophy LADIES
- 8th Poreč Trophy LADIES
- 8th Aphrodite Cycling Race - RR
5. Doping Controversy
In July 2014, it was reported that Olga Zabelinskaya had tested positive for the substance octopamine at an international race held in the spring of that year. In February 2016, she formally accepted an 18-month ban issued for this doping violation. However, the ban was considered to have already been served, as it had expired in September 2015. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Zabelinskaya reached an agreement for her to withdraw her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
6. Personal Life
Olga Zabelinskaya is a mother of three children. Her height is 67 in (170 cm) and she weighs 134 lb (61 kg). She is known to spend her winters training in Cyprus and her summers in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Her father is the Olympic champion cyclist Sergei Sukhoruchenkov.