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Vitalina SIMONOVA
Sport Swimming
NOC Russia   
GenderWomen
Born18 Sep 1992 in Orsk, RUS
Height1.73 m
 Human Interest 
Further Personal Information
Residence
Novosibirsk, RUS
Sport Specific Information
Club / Team
Novosibirsk Regional Sports Training Centre: Russia
Further Personal Information
Higher education
Coaching, Physical Education - Orenburg State Pedagogical University: Russia
General Interest
Hobbies
Reading, embroidery. (Athlete, 11 Dec 2021)
Memorable sporting achievement
Winning silver in the 200m breaststroke at the 2013 European Short Course Championships in Herning, Denmark. (Athlete, 11 Dec 2021)
Famous relatives
Her father Oleg Simonov holds the title of Master of Sport in swimming. (Athlete, 19 Jan 2016)
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport?
Her father introduced her to the sport.
General Interest
Ambitions
To win gold at the Olympic Games and to set world records in the 100m and 200m breaststroke. (Athlete, 11 Dec 2021)
Awards and honours
In 2013 she received the title of Honoured Master of Sport in the Russian Federation. (minsport.gov.ru, 22 Mar 2021; ural56.ru, 17 Nov 2014)
Sport Specific Information
Name of coach
Alexander Ilyin [personal], RUS, from 2008
When and where did you begin this sport?
She began training at age six in Orsk, Russian Federation.
Further Personal Information
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
Russian
General Interest
Nicknames
Vita (VK profile, 08 Dec 2021)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Nothing in life can throw us out of the saddle." (Athlete, 19 Jan 2016)
Other information
SANCTION
In June 2015 she tested positive for excessive testosterone in an out-of-competition test at a training camp in Greece. She claimed the positive test was a result of a tainted supplement purchased at a store in Greece that she was advised to take by her coach and the store manager. A FINA doping panel initially found she was at fault and suspended her for four years, but the ban was later reduced to two years on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS], ending 28 June 2017. FINA said it agreed to cut her ban to two years because she "could identify the source in contaminated supplements and had promptly admitted the anti-doping rule violation". (fina.org, 01 Jan 2018; espn.co.uk, 08 Dec 2016; swimswam.com, 02 Dec 2016)
Other sports
She has represented the Russian Federation in finswimming and won gold medals at the world championships in 2011, 2013 and 2018. (SportsDeskOnline, 13 Dec 2021; infosport.ru, 01 Jan 2018)

 Competition Highlights
World Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
7 2015 Kazan, RUS 200m Breaststroke 2:23.59
Heats 2015 Kazan, RUS 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
World Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Semifinal 2018 Hangzhou, CHN 100m Breaststroke 1:05.54
Heats 2018 Hangzhou, CHN 200m Breaststroke 2:22.38
Heats 2018 Hangzhou, CHN 50m Breaststroke 31.20
5 2018 Hangzhou, CHN 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
8 2014 Doha, QAT 200m Breaststroke 2:19.65
Semifinal 2014 Doha, QAT 100m Individual Medley 1:00.66
Heats 2012 Istanbul, TUR 50m Breaststroke 31.82
11 2012 Istanbul, TUR 200m Breaststroke 2:23.22 
Heats 2012 Istanbul, TUR 100m Individual Medley 1:01.77
5 2012 Istanbul, TUR 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:36.72
European Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Semifinal 2018 Glasgow, SCO 200m Breaststroke 2:26.89
Semifinal 2018 Glasgow, SCO 100m Breaststroke 1:07.90
Heats 2018 Glasgow, SCO 50m Breaststroke 32.77
1 2018 Glasgow, SCO 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
4 2014 Berlin, GER 200m Breaststroke 2:24.87
Heats 2014 Berlin, GER 50m Breaststroke 32.03
6 2014 Berlin, GER 100m Breaststroke 1:07.99
3 2014 Berlin, GER 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:47.34
6 2014 Berlin, GER 4 x 100m Medley Relay 4:01.56
European Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
4 2017 Copenhagen, DEN 200m Breaststroke 2:20.06
3 2013 Herning, DEN 200m Breaststroke 2:18.88
Heats 2013 Herning, DEN 100m Breaststroke 1:07.33
Heats 2013 Herning, DEN 200m Individual Medley 2:10.87
12 2010 Eindhoven, NED 200m Breaststroke 2:30.56
17 2010 Eindhoven, NED 50m Breaststroke 31.74
Heats 2010 Eindhoven, NED 100m Breaststroke 1:10.10
World Cup
Rank Year Venue Event Result
32 2021   Overall Ranking  
2 2021 Kazan, RUS 100m Breaststroke 1:04.57
1 2021 Kazan, RUS 200m Breaststroke 2:19.22
3 2021 Kazan, RUS 50m Breaststroke 30.46
5 2019 Berlin, GER 100m Breaststroke 1:09.49
  2019 Budapest, HUN 100m Breaststroke  DSQ
4 2019 Budapest, HUN 200m Breaststroke 2:27.83
3 2019 Budapest, HUN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:51.10
2 2019 Doha, QAT 200m Breaststroke 2:29.98
2 2019 Doha, QAT 100m Breaststroke 1:08.64
8 2019 Doha, QAT 400m Individual Medley 5:02.69
4 2019 Doha, QAT 50m Breaststroke 32.20
1 2019 Jinan, CHN 200m Breaststroke 2:24.52
5 2019 Jinan, CHN 400m Individual Medley 4:59.76
2 2019 Jinan, CHN 100m Breaststroke 1:08.03
6 2019 Jinan, CHN 800m Freestyle 9:05.36
6 2019 Jinan, CHN 100m Butterfly 1:04.69
5 2019 Jinan, CHN 50m Breaststroke 32.54
6 2019 Jinan, CHN 100m Freestyle 58.22
4 2019 Jinan, CHN 200m Individual Medley 2:21.10
3 2019 Kazan, RUS 200m Breaststroke 2:28.32
8 2019 Kazan, RUS 100m Breaststroke 1:11.27
1 2019 Singapore, SGP 200m Breaststroke 2:25.65
3 2019 Singapore, SGP 400m Individual Medley 4:52.49
8 2019 Singapore, SGP 200m Freestyle 2:05.06
3 2019 Singapore, SGP 100m Breaststroke 1:09.33
4 2019 Singapore, SGP 800m Freestyle 9:01.22
5 2019 Singapore, SGP 50m Breaststroke 32.27
3 2019 Singapore, SGP 200m Individual Medley 2:18.43
8 2019 Tokyo, JPN 200m Breaststroke 2:27.15
10 2018   Overall Ranking  
3 2018 Beijing, CHN 100m Breaststroke 1:05.90
5 2018 Beijing, CHN 50m Breaststroke 31.05
2 2018 Beijing, CHN 200m Breaststroke 2:19.86
2 2018 Budapest, HUN 200m Breaststroke 2:19.43
3 2018 Budapest, HUN 100m Breaststroke 1:04.67
4 2018 Budapest, HUN 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 1:31.45
2 2018 Doha, QAT 200m Breaststroke 2:24.06
7 2018 Doha, QAT 400m Freestyle 4:29.60
5 2018 Doha, QAT 100m Backstroke 1:08.39
2 2018 Doha, QAT 100m Breaststroke 1:07.90
6 2018 Doha, QAT 100m Freestyle 58.00
6 2018 Doha, QAT 100m Butterfly 1:04.40
8 2018 Doha, QAT 200m Freestyle 2:05.71
6 2018 Doha, QAT 200m Individual Medley 2:19.74
8 2018 Doha, QAT 50m Butterfly 29.56
2 2018 Doha, QAT 50m Breaststroke 32.01
4 2018 Doha, QAT 400m Individual Medley 4:59.54
6 2018 Doha, QAT 800m Freestyle 9:16.11
2 2018 Eindhoven, NED 200m Breaststroke 2:19.65
8 2018 Eindhoven, NED 400m Individual Medley 4:45.91
1 2018 Kazan, RUS 200m Breaststroke 2:23.86
2 2018 Kazan, RUS 100m Breaststroke 1:07.56
6 2018 Kazan, RUS 50m Breaststroke 32.54
6 2018 Kazan, RUS 200m Individual Medley 2:19.07
3 2018 Singapore, SGP 200m Breaststroke 2:20.96
3 2018 Singapore, SGP 100m Breaststroke 1:05.53
3 2018 Singapore, SGP 400m Individual Medley 4:43.91
5 2018 Singapore, SGP 800m Freestyle 8:49.62
3 2018 Singapore, SGP 50m Breaststroke 31.11
5 2018 Singapore, SGP 200m Individual Medley 2:12.56
2 2018 Tokyo, JPN 200m Breaststroke 2:19.53
5 2018 Tokyo, JPN 100m Breaststroke 1:05.78
6 2018 Tokyo, JPN 50m Breaststroke 30.98
51 2014   Overall  
6 2014 Moscow, RUS 100m Breaststroke 1:07.71
6 2014 Moscow, RUS 200m Individual Medley 2:13.58
7 2014 Moscow, RUS 50m Breaststroke 31.67
2 2014 Moscow, RUS 200m Breaststroke 2:21.52
8 2014 Moscow, RUS 100m Individual Medley 1:04.63
6 2013 Moscow, RUS 200m Freestyle 1:58.07
4 2013 Moscow, RUS 200m Individual Medley 2:09.99
2 2013 Moscow, RUS 200m Breaststroke 2:19.22
5 2012 Moscow, RUS 200m Freestyle 1:58.47
6 2012 Moscow, RUS 100m Freestyle 55.49
4 2012 Moscow, RUS 200m Breaststroke 2:23.48
3 2010 Moscow, RUS 200m Breaststroke 2:25.23
3 2008 Moscow, RUS 200m Breaststroke 2:24.48