Gabriela Soukalová

Born on 1 November 1989 in Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic, Soukalova is a professional biathlete. She comes from a family that is involved with the winter sports. Her mother is Gabriela Svobodová, a former cross-country skier, who won an Olympic silver medal with the relay team in Sarajevo in 1984. She alongside, her husband Karel Soukal became Gabriela's coaches. Soukalova's first year in biathlon was 2005 and she first appeared in the World Cup on 11 December 2009. The biggest test in her rising career was when she was selected to join the team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Soukalova participated only in 2 events - the Individual where she finished 60th and the relay - 16th. Afterwards a gap of nearly 2 years followed during which Gabriela Soukalova didn't impress neither with shooting or skiing. But on 14 December 2012 she won her first ever World Cup race - the 7.5 km sprint. At the 2013 World Championships in Nove Mesto, Czech republic, her homeland, Soukalova won a bronze medal with the mixed relay. In the other disciplines she placed 12th in the Individual, 14th in the sprint, 20th in the pursuit, 18th in the mass start and 10th in the relay. But when the World Cup was at an end, the last races that took place traditionally in Khanty-Mansyisk, Soukalova won all 3 events in a row - the 7.5 km sprint, the following 10 km pursuit and the 12.5 km mass start. During the 2013-2014 is signed with 3 victories - in the Individual in Östersund, the first race of the season's schedule, again in the Individual discipline and in the sprint in Ruhpolding. But the highlight of the season were the Olympics in Sochi in February 2014. Soukalova won 2 silver medals - in the mass start and the mixed relay. The season concluded for her holding the small crystal globe for the Individual. Soukalova took her first discipline career title. On 18 December 2014 she won the 7.5 km sprint in Pokljuka. That was the only individual victory for her during the 2014-2015 season. She had success and three first places with the relay team in Oberhof, the next week in Ruhpolding and Holmenkollen. At the 2015 World Championships in Kontiolahti, Soukalova won 2 medals - a silver in the Individual and a gold in the mixed relay. She finished 18th in the sprint, 5th in the pursuit and mass start and 8th in the relay. Gabi took 6th place in the overall. The most successful season in her career so far was the 2015-2016 season. It began with a victory in the sprint in Östersund, then the mass start in Ruhpolding and the sprint, pursuit and relay in Presque Isle. This phenomenal season during which Soukalova proved her shooting abilities of a 95% from the prone position and 89% from the standing position, together make a total of 92% plus her fast skiing, won her the discipline title, a leader in the overall and 3 discipline titles - for the sprint, pursuit and mass start. She is the first Czech biathlete in history with such accomplishments.