Polina Kuznetsova

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Viktorovna and the family name is Kuznetsova.

Polina Viktorovna Kuznetsova (Russian: Полина Викторовна Кузнецова, IPA: [pɐˈlʲinə kʊzʲnʲɪˈtsovə], née Vyakhireva; born 10 June 1987) is a Russian handball player for Rostov-Don and formerly the Russian national team.^[1]

Polina Kuznetsova
Kuznetsova at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Polina Viktorovna Kuznetsova
Born	(1987-06-10) 10 June 1987 (age 38) Shopokov, Kyrgyzstan
Nationality	Russian
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Playing position	Left wing
Club information
Current club	Rostov-Don
Number	88
Senior clubs
Years	Team
2002–2003	Dinamo Volgograd
2003–2004	Rostov-Don
2004–2006	Handball Club Lada
2006–2013	Zvezda Zvenigorod
2013–2016	HC Astrakhanochka
2016–2017	HC Kuban Krasnodar
2017–2018	HC Vardar
2018–	Rostov-Don
National team
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2021	Russia	157	(419)
Medal record Representing  ROC Olympic Games 2020 Tokyo Team Representing  Russia Olympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team World Championship 2005 Russia Team 2007 France Team 2019 Japan Team European Championship 2006 Sweden Team 2018 France Team European Junior Championship 2004 Czech Republic Team European Youth Championship 2003 Russia Team

National team

She won gold medals with the Russian national team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2005 and 2007 world championships, and was included into the 2007 championship's All-Star Team.^[2][3] She retired from the national team, in August 2021.^[4]

She competes internationally alongside her sister Anna Vyakhireva.^[5]

Career

Kuznetzova started for career at Dinamo Volgograd in 2002 before joining Rostov-Don after a single season. In 2004 she joined Handball Club Lada where she won the 2005 and 2006 Russian championship.^[6] In February 2007 she joined Zvezda Zvenigorod,^[7] where she won the 2007 Russian championship and EHF European League, the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014 Russian cup and the 2008 EHF Champions League.^[8]

In 2014 she joined HC Astrakhanochka,^[9] where she won the 2016 Russian championship.

After 2 years she joined HC Kuban Krasnodar..^[10] After a season she joined North Macedonian HC Vardar.^[11] Here she won the double in the single season she played at the club. She then returned to Rostov-Don.^[12] Here she won the 2019, 2020 and 2022 Russian championships.

Individual awards

• All-Star Left Wing of the World Championship: 2007^[2]
• All-Star Left Wing of the European Championship: 2012^[13]
• Team of the Tournament Left Wing of the Bucharest Trophy: 2014^[14]
• All-Star Left Wing of the Summer Olympics: 2016,^[15] 2020^[16]