Heroes of Belarus. Darya Domracheva. Champion of our hearts

The Minsk Times project is dedicated to people awarded the highest Hero of Belarus title

She is referred to as the queen of biathlon and the Belarusian rocket. Darya Domracheva has forever etched her name in the history of world biathlon. The first female biathlete to win three individual races at the Olympic Games, she is also the first to secure four Olympic gold medals, and the first woman to be awarded the Hero of Belarus title.

Presentation of Hero of Belarus medal to Darya Domracheva by President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko       
BELTA

  AWARDS AND HONOURS

• By Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 66 dated February 17th, 2014, Darya Domracheva was awarded the Hero of Belarus title for high professional mastery and exceptional sporting achievements  
• Order of the Fatherland 3rd Class, Order for Personal Courage  
• Special prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus Belarusian Sports Olympus (2012); 
• CIS Intergovernmental Award Stars of the Commonwealth (2018)  
• Sportswoman of the Year in Belarus (2010)  
• Honoured Master of Sports of Belarus (2010)  
• Biathlete of the Year according to the Biathlon Award (2010)  
• Holmenkollen Medal (2014)

Lifelong passion

Darya Domracheva was born in Minsk. At the age of four, she moved with her architect parents to the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. The mother of a future champion was the chief architect of the city of Nyagan under construction, where the family lived for 15 years. It was there that Darya first took to skiing and became captivated by biathlon. In 2003, Darya Domracheva returned to her native Minsk and, at the invitation of Belarusian coaches, joined the Belarusian national team. It is in Belarus that she achieved incredible sports results. Her first major triumph on the international stage came at the 2005 Biathlon Junior World Championships in Finland’s Kontiolahti, where she secured victory in the sprint and the pursuit race. Darya reached the World Cup podium for the first time on January 16th, 2009, taking 3rd place in the sprint race in Ruhpolding, Germany. In the same year, she made history at the world championship in PyeongChang by setting a record for winning back 48 positions in the women’s pursuit race — after 53rd place in the sprint, she almost reached the podium. In the 2009/2010 season, Darya Domracheva became the winner of cup races for the first time, claiming the victory in the sprint and the pursuit race in Kontiolahti.   

Absolute record in world biathlon

Darya Domracheva was part of the Belarusian national biathlon team from 2006 (having debuted in the junior team in 2005) until 2018. She was a leader who not only cemented the team during the rigorous competition days but also created an unparalleled atmosphere of camaraderie and positivity within the squad. Indeed, team spirit and cohesion often prove more crucial than confident shooting skills and speed. Darya is one of a kind both on a biathlon track and in life outside of sports, which earned her the love of a vast number of fans. And of course, we all still miss her dearly.

Throughout her sporting career, Darya Domracheva ascended to the podium 81 times in individual races, having 34 first places, 23 second places, and 24 third places. She is the holder of the Big Crystal Globe and six Small Crystal Globes, and won two gold, four silver and one bronze medals at the world championships. 

In addition, she possesses two golds from the European championships and one at the Universiade. Her achievements at the most prestigious events — the Olympic Games — are particularly remarkable. 
Darya Domracheva is a four-time Olympic champion. 
Darya Domracheva started the medal count in Vancouver in 2010, winning bronze in the most difficult discipline — the 15km individual race. The peak of the Belarusian biathlon queen’s Olympic achievements came in Sochi, where in 2014 she won three awards of the highest calibre in pursuit, individual race, and mass start.

For her outstanding achievements at the Sochi Olympics, Darya Domracheva was awarded the Hero of Belarus title. She became the first woman in the history of the country to receive this high honour.

At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, together with her relay teammates, she clinched her fourth Olympic gold medal. This triumphant victory crowned her as the most decorated biathlete in the world. Domracheva established an absolute record in world biathlon by securing four gold Olympic medals — a feat that had never been accomplished by any female biathlete before. Furthermore, our prima donna stands as the undisputed record holder among Belarusian athletes: no one in the sovereign history of Belarus has managed to earn six Olympic medals. 
On June 25th, 2018, Darya Domracheva officially announced her retirement from active sports. A farewell ceremony took place on February 18th, 2019, at the Raubichi Sports Complex following the Race of Legends festival, an event inspired by the biathlete herself. The festival featured renowned biathletes who have achieved significant victories throughout their careers. The send-off ceremony culminated in a spectacular laser show, fireworks, and prolonged applause from the cheering fans.

Major priority

Beyond her athletic pursuits, Darya has always taken a serious approach to other aspects of life. She holds two higher education degrees from the Belarusian State Economic University: one in Advertising in Tourism Industry, and the other in Business Law, which she completed later on.
On the personal front, all is well for Domracheva. Now, family has become her major priority. Her romance with legendary Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen attracted significant attention from sports enthusiasts; whispers of their relationship grew into joy and congratulations. Darya Domracheva and Ole Einar Bjørndalen tied the knot in 2016, moving through life together in the same confident, victorious stride: raising their daughters Ksenia and Mira, born in Minsk, while not losing sight of their beloved biathlon. Interestingly, this couple has become the most celebrated and esteemed not only in biathlon but in all of world sports, boasting a combined total of 12 Olympic gold medals and 22 world championship titles!

Based on materials of sb.by, belta.by and Heroes of Belarus by Nikolai Machekin