Egorova Lyubov Ivanovna, first of all, is famous for her stellar performances in big-time sports as a skier. She owns a unique achievement for the total number of gold medals at the Olympic Games, of which she has accumulated as many as six. After graduating from sports, the famous athlete decided to try her hand at politics and now works as a deputy in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg.
Failed ballerina
Date of birth of Lyubov Ivanovna Egorova - May 5, 1966. The birthplace of the legendary athlete was the closed numbered city of Tomsk-7, which is now called Seversk. The girl's parents dreamed that Lyuba would become a ballerina, and sent her to a choreographic circle. However, her physical characteristics were far from ballet, and she left the dance studio.
As time has shown, Lyubov Ivanovna Egorova made the right decision when she became interested in skiing in the sixth grade of the school. The first coach of the girl was Nikolai Kharitonov, under whose leadership shebegan performing at school competitions, where she first discovered her great potential.
Shortly, a native of Tomsk-7 is noticed by the coaches of the main team, and already at the age of seventeen, Lyuba begins to compete at the World Cup.
The first major start in the biography of Lyubov Ivanovna Egorova was the 5 km classic race in Strbske Pleso, Czechoslovakia. A schoolgirl from the Tomsk region immediately took 14th place, gaining her first test points in the overall World Cup.
In 1988, the girl entered the Tomsk State Institute, and soon transferred to Leningrad in connection with the call to the national team of the country.
Breakthrough to the elite
By the 1989/1990 season, Lyubov Ivanovna Egorova reached a qualitatively new level in her development. She got into the top ten at the end of the season in the overall standings, taking the honorable sixth place among the strongest skiers on the planet. In addition, this year Lyubov Ivanovna climbed the podium for the first time at the World Cup stage, taking second place in the 10 km freestyle race in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
From this moment on, she competes on equal terms with the best racers on the planet, regularly winning medals at major starts. Starting from the 1990/1991 season, skiing enthusiasts watched with admiration the confrontation between Lyubov Ivanovna Egorova and Elena Vyalbe, Larisa Lazutina and Italian stars Stefania Belmondo and Manuela di Centa.
In 1991, the Tomsk skier won the gold of the world championships for the first time, having managed to finish first ingrueling 30K freestyle marathon.
To the individual award, she added the main medal in the relay, together with Lazutina and Vyalba, crushing all the other rivals on their heads.
In the course of the season, Lyubov Ivanovna Egorova climbed the podium four times at the World Cup stages, ending up in an honorable third place in the overall standings.
Olympic feats
The 1991/1992 season becomes special for a young skier from Leningrad. She is waging an uncompromising struggle for leadership, gradually pushing the former leaders aside and in fantastic shape is approaching the main starts of the four-year period - the Olympics.
At the games in Albertville, Lyubov Ivanovna Egorova manages to win medals in all disciplines in which she takes part. She won the 15 km freestyle and classic, won the relay with her team, and was second in the 5 km and 30 km marathon. After this triumph, photos of Lyubov Ivanovna Egorova flashed on the front pages of all the country's leading publications.
In the 1992/1993 season, the athlete continues to dominate the world track and for the first time in her career wins the "Crystal Globe", awarded to the overall leader at the end of the season.
The cross-country skiing competition at the 1994 Olympics was a real duel between Yegorova and Manuela di Centa. Only these two riders competed for the gold medals of the tournament.
BAs a result, Lyubov became the Olympic champion at distances of 5 km classical style and 15 km skating style, and also won again as part of the relay team.
Recent years
After winning everything possible in sports, Lyubov Ivanovna decided to take a break from her career to focus on family matters. After the birth of her son Igor, she resumes training and gradually reaches her previous high level. For several years, the Olympic champion continues to be one of the best skiers on the planet.
At the 1997 World Championships, she wins the 5K Classic in brilliant style. However, this triumph was the last in the career of Lyubov Ivanovna Egorova. A few days later, traces of a banned drug called Bromantane were found in her doping test. She was suspended for two years, taking away her recently awarded gold medal.
After this story, Lyubov Egorova was no longer able to return to the sport in her former capacity. She still participated in competitions, was at the 2002 Olympics in S alt Lake City, but was not noted for anything remarkable. In 2003, Egorova announced her retirement.
Political career
Having graduated from sports, Lyubov Ivanovna first took up scientific and teaching activities, defended her Ph. D. thesis, worked as a vice-rector at the Institute of Physical Education.
By 2007, the famed athlete was ripe for a political career. Having joined the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, she is nominated as a deputy inThe Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg and successfully passes the elections.
Since that time, the former skier has become a regular in the City Duma and continues to be elected to deputies, having changed her party affiliation in favor of United Russia.
In 2016, a scandal erupted over the fact that deputy Lyubov Ivanovna Egorova messed up something in her income declaration, forgetting to indicate in it information about her overseas real estate and the proceeds from its sale.
Private life
The husband of the famous champion is Igor Sysoev, a former biathlete. Over the years of marriage, they became the happy parents of two sons - Alexei and Victor. The latter is also a member of the City Duma of St. Petersburg.
