Athlete of the Week: Viktoriya KOVAL (UKR)

The winner of the Antalya World Cup in 2010, she now combines her sports career with the upbringing of a baby. She’s going to be present in London as a Member of the World Archery Executive Board.   Viktoriya KOVAL is the Chairwoman of the World Archery Athletes’ Committee, whose role is to represent the archers and ensure communication between World Archery and the athletes.

The daughter of a champion of USSR, Viktoriya discovered archery at the age of 3, but didn’t shoot seriously until the age of 12. In 2001, at age 18, she competed in her first international event, the European Junior Cup in Croatia, where she won her first international medal.

Viktoriya KOVAL’s best individual result was a victory at the 2010 Antalya World Cup on her 25th birthday, and she received her prize from none other than the Ukrainian pole vault legend and Member of the International Olympic Committee Sergey BUBKA. She won the European Grand Prix in Moscow shortly after.

That same year, Viktoriya KOVAL qualified for the World Cup Final in Edinburgh, Scotland where she finished 2nd, defeated in the gold medal match only by Korea’s YUN Ok-Hee.

The native of Kharkiv gave birth to daughter Diana in early 2012, and was back on the shooting line just one month later. She takes her baby with her to the training field, where her mother and husband work as coaches. A 2008 Olympian, she was not back to full form in time to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games, but she is going to be present in London as a Member of the World Archery Executive Board.
 
Read a recent interview with Viktoriya KOVAL here.
  
Biography Extract:   Viktoriya KOVAL (UKR) – Born 11 June 1985 in Kharkiv, Ukraine       5th Team World Championships Turin 2012 17th Individual World Championships Turin 2012 2nd Individual World Cup Final Edinburgh
2010 1st Individual European Grand Prix Moscow 2010 1st Individual World Cup Antalya 2010 1st Team World Cup Porec
2010 2nd Team Universiade Belgrade 2009 23rd Individual Olympic Games Beijing 2008 3rd Team World Indoor Championships Izmir 2007 3rd Individual Universiade Izmir 2005   
Find more information on Viktoriya KOVAL (and all other archers) on the World Archery website.   World Archery Communication