# Zulfiya Zabirova

Zulfiya Khasanovna Zabirova (Зульфия Хасановна Забирова; born 19 December 1973) 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 19 December 1973. She is an ethnic Uzbek. In 1993 two years after the breakup 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 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).

## Major results
### 1994

    3rd UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships (Individual pursuit)

### 1995

    2nd National Road Championships, Time Trial

### 1996

    1st Olympic Games Time Trial
    National Road Championships
       1st Time Trial
       2nd Road Race
    1st GP Kanton Zurich
    Tour Cycliste Feminin
       Two Stage wins
    3rd Tour du Finistère

### 1997

    1st National Road Championships, Road Race
    1st Overall Étoile Vosgienne
       One stage win
    1st Overall Trois Jours de Vendée
       One stage win
    1st Chrono des Herbiers
    1st Tour du Finistère
    Tour Cycliste Feminin
       Two Stage wins
    2nd UCI Road World Championships Time Trial
    2nd Chrono Champenois
    2nd GP des Nations
    2nd Thrift Drug Classic
    3rd Overall Women's Challenge
       Two stage wins
    3rd Overall Gracia–Orlová

### 1998

    1st GP Suisse Féminin
    1st GP des Nations
    1st Josef Voegeli Memorial
    Tour Cycliste Feminin
       One stage win
    2nd UCI Road World Championships, Time Trial
    4th Overall Thuringen Rundfahrt der Frauen

### 1999

    1st Overall Tour de Suisse Feminin
       1st One stage win
    3rd Overall Women's Challenge
       One stage win
    5th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
       1st Stages 4, 7, & 9

### 2000

    1st National Road Championships, Time Trial
    1st Overall Tour de Suisse Feminin
       One stage win
    5th Overall Grande Boucle
       1st Stage 9 & 13
    7th Olympic Games Road Race

### 2002

    1st UCI Road World Championships, Time Trial
    1st Overall Thuringen Rundfahrt der Frauen
       One stage win
    1st GP Carnevale d'Europa
    1st Chrono Champenois-Trophee Europeen
    Grande Boucle
       Two stage wins
    1st Stage 4 Giro della Toscana
    7th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
    9th GP Suisse

### 2003

    1st Overall Vuelta Castilla y Leon
       1st Stages 2 & 3
    1st Primavera Rosa
    Grande Boucle
       Two stage wins
    3rd UCI Road World Championships, Time Trial
    4th Overall Trophée d'Or Féminin

### 2004

    3rd UCI Road World Championships, Time Trial
    1st Tour of Flanders
    1st Primavera Rosa
    1st Overall Thuringen Rundfahrt der Frauen
       1st Stage 5
    8th Olympic Games, Time Trial
    10th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
       1st Stage 5

### 2005

    National Road Championships
       1st Time Trial
       1st Road Race
    1st Prologue Giro di San Marino
    1st Stage 4 Giro d'Italia Femminile
    6th UCI Road World Championships, Time Trial

### 2006

    National Road Championships
       1st Time Trial
       1st Road Race
    1st Overall Trophée d'Or Féminin
       1st Stage 1
    1st Tour de Berne
    2nd Chrono des Nations

### 2007

    National Road Championships
       1st Time Trial
       1st Road Race
    2nd Tour of Flanders

### 2008

    National Road Championships
       1st Time Trial
       1st Road Race
    1st Stages 3 & 3 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
    10th Olympic Games, Road race