Natalia Podolskaia

An Olympic veteran and gold medalist in multiple International Canoe Federation events, Natalia Podolskaya is a Russian sprint canoeist who made her Olympic debut at just 18 years old.

Born in Vologda, Russia in 1993, Podolskaya began training when she was 11 years old and later attended Moscow State Academy of Physical Education. Just a few years later, she finished seventh in the K4 500 metre competition at the London 2012 games alongside Yuliana Salakhova, Vera Sobetova, and Yulia Kachalova. The next year, she won gold in the K2 500 metre at the ICF Junior World Championships in Ontario, Canada. Also making her senior level debut in 2013, she memorably took home two silver medals and one bronze at the ICF World Cups. This began a trend of consistent top finishes in ICF competitions, winning a combined ten medals at these events throughout the past decade.

Podolskaya participated in the annual European Games in 2015, taking silver in the K1 200M. She has seen similar success in the European Championships, recently earning another silver at the 2018 event in Belgrade, Serbia, then taking home the gold medal in the K1 200M at the 2018 World Cup in Duisburg, Germany. Coached by her uncle Andrey Tyapkov, Podolskaya holds the title of Master of Sport of International Class in her home country and is undoubtedly one of her sport’s brightest talents.