Zulfiya Zabirova

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Zulfiya Zabirova

---

image_caption = Zabirova prior to her start in the time trial
at the 1998 Women's Challenge
fullname = Zulfiya Zabirova
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1973|12|19
country = KAZ
height = convert|5|ft|10|in|m
weight = convert|143|lb|kg
currentteam =
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype =
amateuryears =
amateurteams =
proyears = 1999
2000–2001
2002
2003
2004
2005–
proteams = Acca Due O
Acca Due O - Lorena Camichie
USC Chirio
Team Prato Marathon Bike
Team Let's Go Finland
Bigla Cycling Team
majorwins =
updated = 11 August 2008

Zulfiya Zabirova ( _ru. Зульфия Хасановна Забирова; born December 19, 1973) [cite web| url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/1/230691.shtml| title=Athlete Biography - ZABIROVA Zulfiya| publisher=Beijing Olympics official website] is a Russian professional cycle racer who won the Gold medal in the time trial event in the 1996 Olympics and later, in 2002, won the World Time Trial Championship.

Biography

Zulfiya was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on December 19, 1973. She is an ethnic Uzbek. In 1993 two years after the break up of the Soviet Union she emigrated to Russia and lived in Rostov-on-Don. As the main reason for her emigration she cited that the Islamist leadership of the newly independent Uzbekistan is hostile to the women sports and the rights of women in general. In 1996 she became famous after winning the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta.

In 2005 she obtained the citizenship of Kazakhstan and announced her intention to compete as a member of the Kazakhstan team. As the reason for her decision she cited the better conditions for training and her desire to be closer to her native Uzbekistan (Kazakhstan has a reputation to be the much more secular and democratic than Uzbekistan) as well as her family circumstances. According to the Russian Newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, Zabirova's main place of residence and training is Lugano, Switzerland (as of 2005).

Palmarès

Note: Beginning in 1997, the Union Cycliste Internationale implemented a points listing whereby points were awarded riders based on their performances in racing events. For this purpose, the races were classified into categories. Although the exact system has evolved over the years, the major stage races are generally classified as category 1 (strongest), and category 2. In the listings below, these categories, where known, are given in parentheses. The abbreviation GC stands for General Classification.

;1996:1st Time Trial:1st RUS National Road Championships Time Trial:2nd RUS National Road Championships Road Race:1st GP Kanton Zurich:2 Stage wins, Tour Cycliste Feminin:3rd Tour du Finistere

;1997:3rd UCI Points Rankings::2nd UCI Women's Road World Championships Time Trial:1st RUS National Road Championship:2 Stage wins, Tour Cycliste Feminin:1st Overall and Stage win, Etoile Vosgienne:1st Overall and Stage win, Trois Jours de Vendee:1st Chrono der Herbiers:Stage win, Tour de Finistere:2nd Chrono Champenois:2nd GP des Nations Time Trial:3rd Overall and 2 Stage wins, Women's Challenge:2nd Thrift Drug Classic:3rd Overall, Grazia Tour

;1998:8th UCI Points Rankings:2nd UCI Women's Road World Championships Time Trial:1st World Cup (Switzerland):1st GP des Nations Time Trial:1st Josef Voegeli Memorial:Stage win, Tour Cycliste Feminin:4th Overall, Thuringen Rundfahrt

;1999:7th UCI Points Rankings:1st Overall and Stage win, Tour de Suisse Feminin (cat. 1):5th Overall and 3 Stage wins, Giro d'Italia Femminile (cat. 1):3rd Overall and Stage win, Women's Challenge

;2000:15th UCI Points Rankings:1st RUS National Time Trial Championships:1st Overall and Stage win, Tour de Suisse Feminin (cat. 1):5th Overall and 2 Stage wins, Grande Boucle (cat. 1):7th Olympic Games (Sydney, Aus) Road Race

;2001:Did not compete.

;2002:10th UCI Points Rankings:1st flagiconUCI UCI Women's Road World Championships Time Trial:1st Overall and Stage win, Thüringen-Rundfahrt (cat. 1):1st GP Carnevale d'Europa (cat. 2):1st Chrono Champenois-Trophee Europeen (cat. 2):2 Stage wins, Grande Boucle Féminine (cat. 1):Stage win, Giro della Toscana (cat. 1):7th Overall, Giro d'Italia Femminile:9th, GP Suisse (SUI) féminin World Cup

;2003:9th UCI Points Rankings:3rd UCI Women's Road World Championships Time Trial:1st Overall and 2 stage wins, Castilla y Leon (cat. 1):1st Primavera Rosa (Ita) World Cup:2 Stage wins, Grande Boucle (cat. 1):4th Overall, Trophee d'Or (cat. 2)

;2004:7th UCI Points Rankings:UCI Women's Road World Championships::12th Road Race::3rd Time Trial:1st Ronde van Vlaanderen World Cup:1st Primavera Rosa World Cup:1st Overall and Stage win, Thuringen-Rundfahrt (cat. 1):8th Olympic Games Time Trial:10th Overall and Stage win, Giro d'Italia Femminile (cat. 1)

;2005:1st KAZ National Road Championships Time Trial:1st KAZ National Road Championships Road Race:6th UCI Women's Road World Championships Time Trial:Stage win, Giro di San Marino (cat. 2):Stage win, Giro d'Italia Femminile (cat. 1)

;2008:2 Stage wins (stage 3 and 7), Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Feminin:10th Road race, 2008 Summer Olympics

References

External links

*it icon [http://www.zabirova.ch Official website]
* [http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/coureurfiche.php?coureurid=6515 Cycling Website profile]
* [http://www.kp.kz/html/april/07.04/zab.php Article in Komsomolskaya Pravda about Zabirova]
*ru icon [http://www.relga.rsu.ru/n43/sport43.htm "Olympic Champion Zulfiya Zabirova"]
*ru icon [http://utro.ru/articles/2005/04/11/427057.shtml "Russian olympicist began to emigrate," article in the newspapaper Utro.ru about Zabirova's plans to move to Kazakhstan]