Anton Shipulin

Born Anton Vladimirovich Shipulin on 21 August 1987 in Tyumen, Russia, he is a professional biathlete and younger brother of two times gold Olympic medalist from the sprint in 2010 in Vancouver and 2014 in Sochi, Anastasiya Kuzmina. Shipulin's first year in the sport was 2003. He made his World Cup debut on 10 January 2009. Until then Shipulin had tremendous success at Junior World Championships from 2005 until 2008. He has won 6 medals over the years - 4 gold and 2 in the silver. On 20 January 2011 without wasting any time on the World Cup tour, Anton Shipulin won his first victory in the 10 km sprint in Antholz-Anterselva. Later because of his performance, Anton Shipulin was chosen to represent his country at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. And he fulfilled the confidence the coaches placed in him. Shipulin helped the efforts in the relay and one his first Olympic medal - a bronze. In the other disciplines he placed 36th in the Individual, 30th in the sprint, 20th in the pursuit and 22nd in the mass start. For a debut at Olympic Games, Shipulin proved stable finishes. He finished the season 19th in the overall. During the 2011-2012 season, Anton Shipulin took his second victory in the 12.5 km pursuit in Nove Mesto. At the 2012 World Championships in Ruhpolding he won a bronze medal in the same discipline - the pursuit. One year earlier during the World Championships in Khanty-Mansyisk, Shipulin won a silver medal in the relay. In 2012-2013 he made two victories in a row in the sprint and the pursuit in Antholz-Anterselva. And at the 2013 World Championships in Nove Mesto, Shipulin won two medals - a silver in the mass start and a bronze medal in the pursuit. In the other races he positioned 33th in the Individual, 7th in the sprint and 4th in the relay. The season concluded for him at 9th place in the overall. The 2013-2014 season was very difficult because it was time for the Olympics in Sochi. The pressure on biathletes who were hosts for the Games was enormous. A lot was expected and asked from them. Anton Shipulin wasn't an exception. So the Russian relay team succeeded in winning the gold medal thanks to the efforts, talent and focus of Anton Shipulin, Alexey Volkov, Dmitry Malyshko and Evgeny Ustyugov. In the other disciplines, Shipulin placed 4th in the sprint, 14th in the pursuit and 11th in the mass start. After the Games on 8 March 2014 in Pokljuka, Shipulin won the pursuit and came for the second time 3rd in the overall for the pursuit discipline. In 2014-2015 he achieved another two victories in his record table. Shipulin won the sprint and the mass start in Pokljuka. At the 2015 World Championships in Kontiolahti he won a silver medal in the pursuit. In the other events finished 16th in the Individual, 18th in the sprint, 7th in the mass start and 4th in the relay. Anton Shipulin made his best finish in the overall for the 2014-2015 season at number 2 and he proudly holds the small crystal globe for his first discipline career title for the mass start. In 2015-2016 Shipulin won the pursuit in Antholz-Anterselva, finished 2nd twice in the sprints in Canmore and Presque Isle and was 3rd three times in the pursuits in Pokljuka and Presque Isle and in the Individual in Ruhpolding. At the 2016 World Championships Shipulin didn't win anything nor he made the podium. He placed 14th in the Individual, 45th in the sprint, twice 9th in the pursuit and mass start and 6th in the relay. The season concluded at number 3 for him in the overall. Anton Shipulin married Luiza Sabitova on 22 June 2015. In December the same year the newlyweds celebrated the birth of their first child - a son named Dmitry.