Natalia Kocherova (born 23 February 1990) is Russian Paralympic wheelchair and cross-country skier from Omsk.[1]

Natalia Kocherova
Personal information
NationalityRussian
Born (1990-02-23) 23 February 1990 (age 34)
Yegorovka, Omsk region RUSSIA
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight51 kg (112 lb)
Sport
CountryRussia
SportWheelchair racing, Cross-country skiing
ClubRezept-sport
Coached byGromova Irina
Medal record
Representing  Russia
Nordic skiing/Biathlon
IPC Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Cable 12.5km Individual - Sitting
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Cable 4 x 2.5km Relay Mixed
IPC Athletics European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Grosseto 200m T53/54
Gold medal – first place 2016 Grosseto 400m T54
Gold medal – first place 2016 Grosseto 800m T54
Gold medal – first place 2016 Grosseto 1500m T54
Gold medal – first place 2016 Grosseto 5000m T54
Silver medal – second place 2016 Grosseto 100m T54

Early life

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Kocherova was born in Yegorovka, Russia in 1990.[2] An accident resulted in her right leg being amputated above the knee.[1]

Skiing career

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Kocherova first major international event as a Nordic skier was at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi. There she competed in two events, the 12 km Free (sitting) where she finished ninth, and the 1 km Sprint (sitting), which after taking the twelfth and final spot during qualification, she qualified for the final, finishing in fifth position.[1]

The following year she qualified for the 2015 IPC Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing World Championships in Cable, Wisconsin. Kocherova entered three events in the biathlon, winning a bronze medal in the 12.5 km Individual (Sitting). She followed this with four events in the cross-country, and was part of the gold medal-winning Russian team in the 4 x 2.5 km mixed relay.[1]

She won the bronze medal in the women's 6 km sitting biathlon event at the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships held in Lillehammer, Norway.[3] She also won the silver medal in the women's 10 km sitting biathlon event.[4][5]

Track and field career

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2015 saw Kocherova qualify for the Russian team for the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships. She entered seven events, including all distances in the T54: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, and 5000m. Her best result was fourth in the 800m.[1] The next year she entered the 2016 IPC Athletics European Championships, and became the tournaments most successful athlete after winning five gold and a single silver medal.[6] At Grosseto she set championship records in the 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m and 5000m races.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Natalia Kocherova", IPC, archived from the original on 18 August 2016, retrieved 10 July 2016
  2. ^ "Athlete Profile: Kocherova, Natalia", IPC, retrieved 10 July 2016
  3. ^ Houston, Michael (15 January 2022). "Russians take biathlon golds at World Para Snow Sports Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Belarus' Yury Holub reigns supreme for second gold medal despite icy slip". Paralympic.org. 16 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  5. ^ Houston, Michael (16 January 2022). "Russian trio win again in biathlon at the World Para Snow Sports Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  6. ^ Goude, Renaud. "Grosseto 2016: Un Beau Final". athletisme-handisport.org (in French). Retrieved 10 July 2016.