17 Facts About Sofya Velikaya

Sofya Velikaya competed in the 2008,2012,2016, and 2020 Olympics, and is a three-time individual silver medalist.

Sofya Velikaya dedicated her team's 2016 Olympic gold medal to those Russians who had been banned for doping.

In January 2024, Sofya Velikaya was included in the list of proxies of presidential candidate Vladimir Putin in the 2024 Russian presidential election.

Sofya Velikaya gave birth to a son, with Olympic wrestler Aleksey Mishin.

Sofya Velikaya came back to international competition in March 2014 at the Antalya World Cup, where she was defeated in the second round by Hungary's Anna Varhelyi.

At the World Championships in Kazan Sofya Velikaya made her way to the quarter-finals, where she met reigning World champion Olga Kharlan of Ukraine.

Sofya Velikaya placed second with Russia in the team event.

Sofya Velikaya proceeded to the final where she defeated Italy's Rossella Gregorio and earned her second gold medal in a row.

Sofya Velikaya reached again the final in the New York Grand Prix.

Sofya Velikaya finally managed to claim Olympic gold a few days later in the team event.

Sofya Velikaya dedicated her squad's 2016 Olympic gold medal to those Russians who had been banned for doping.

On 17 November 2016, Sofya Velikaya was elected the head of the Russian Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission.

Sofya Velikaya was not among the Russian athletes reinstated by the FIE in May 2023, due to her ties with the Russian Army.

In January 2024, the Russian state-owned new agency TASS reported that Sofya Velikaya was included in the list of proxies of presidential candidate Vladimir Putin in the 2024 Russian presidential election.

In February 2024, Sofya Velikaya commented on three fellow Russian Olympic fencers who had escaped from Russia to the United States, Tokyo Olympics epee silver medalist Sergey Bida, his wife Violetta Bida, and sabre fencer Konstantin Lokhanov.

At the age of 15, Sofya Velikaya moved from the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan to Moscow to train in fencing.

Sofya Velikaya is married to 2004 Olympic champion wrestler Aleksey Mishin.