Valeria Sorokina

Valeria Mihailovna Sorokina (; born 29 March 1984) is a Russian badminton player. She specialized in both the women's and mixed doubles, achieving her career-high ranking of world number 4 in women's doubles in early 2011. Her most significant career milestone occurred at the 2012 London Olympics, where she and her longtime partner, Nina Vislova, captured the bronze medal in the women's doubles. The duo became the only Russian Olympic medalist in badminton.

Sorokina was a dominant force in European badminton for over a decade. Her journey began with a stellar performance at the 2003 European Junior Championships, where she won the gold medal in girls' doubles and two bronze medals in mixed doubles and the team event. This excellence translated to the senior level, where she secured the gold medal at the 2010 European Championships and earned multiple bronze medals in the same competition in 2008 and 2012. Throughout her career, she also claimed several titles on the BWF Grand Prix circuit, including multiple wins at the Russian Open and the Dutch Open alongside partners such as Nina Vislova and Aleksandr Nikolaenko; as well amassed a remarkable total of nine titles at the Russian National Championships. Her contributions to the sport have solidified her legacy as one of Russia's most successful and was awarded the second class of the Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland".

Career Sorokina won the gold medal at the 2010 European Badminton Championships and bronze medals in 2008 and 2012 in the women's doubles with Nina Vislova. In her home country, she won seven national titles before 2013.

Achievements

Olympic Games She played in women's doubles discipline with Nina Vislova and finished in third place after winning bronze medal match against Canadian women's doubles players, Bruce and Li with 21–9, 21–10.

Women's doubles

European Championships Women's doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2008 Messecenter, Herning, Denmark Nina Vislova Lena Frier Kristiansen Kamilla Rytter Juhl 19–21, 20–22 Bronze Bronze 2010 Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester, England Nina Vislova Petya Nedelcheva Anastasia Russkikh 21–18, 21–14 Gold Gold 2012 Telenor Arena, Karlskrona, Sweden Nina Vislova Line Damkjær Kruse Marie Røpke 20–22, 21–13, 12–21 Bronze Bronze

European Junior Championships Girls' doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2003 Esbjerg Badminton Center, Esbjerg, Denmark Nina Vislova Therésè Nawrath Birgit Overzier 5–11, 11–5, 11–0 Gold Gold

Mixed doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2003 Esbjerg Badminton Center, Esbjerg, Denmark Anton Nazarenko Marc Zwiebler Birgit Overzier 9–11, 9–11 Bronze Bronze

BWF Grand Prix The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017. The World Badminton Grand Prix was sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation from 1983 to 2006.

Women's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 2005 Russian Open Nina Vislova Ekaterina Ananina Anna Larchenko 15–11, 15–8 Winner 2006 U.S. Open Nina Vislova Ella Karachkova Marina Yakusheva 21–15, 21–18 Winner 2006 Bulgaria Open Nina Vislova Meiliana Jauhari Purwati 10–21, 9–21 Runner-up 2007 Dutch Open Nina Vislova Ekaterina Ananina Anastasia Russkikh 22–20, 15–21, 13–21 Runner-up 2008 Russian Open Nina Vislova Petya Nedelcheva Dimitria Popstoikova 21–18, 21–8 Winner 2009 Russian Open Nina Vislova Tatjana Bibik Olga Golovanova 21–8, 22–20 Winner 2009 Dutch Open Nina Vislova Sandra Marinello Birgit Overzier 21–13, 21–17 Winner 2010 Russian Open Nina Vislova Yuriko Miki Koharu Yonemoto 21–18, 21–18 Winner 2010 Dutch Open Nina Vislova Mizuki Fujii Reika Kakiiwa 21–19, 21–19 Winner 2011 Russian Open Nina Vislova Misaki Matsutomo Ayaka Takahashi 22–20, 21–18 Winner 2012 Russian Open Nina Vislova Tatjana Bibik Anastasia Chervaykova Walkover Winner 2012 U.S. Open Nina Vislova Misaki Matsutomo Ayaka Takahashi 19–21, 17–21 Runner-up

Mixed doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 2006 U.S. Open Vitalij Durkin Sergey Ivlev Nina Vislova 21–15, 15–21, 21–16 Runner-up 2008 Russian Open Aleksandr Nikolaenko Vitalij Durkin Nina Vislova 21–19, 21–19 Winner 2009 Russian Open Aleksandr Nikolaenko Vitalij Durkin Nina Vislova 16–21, 16–21 Runner-up 2009 Dutch Open Aleksandr Nikolaenko Vitalij Durkin Nina Vislova 13–21, 21–16, 21–12 Winner 2010 Russian Open Aleksandr Nikolaenko Vitalij Durkin Nina Vislova 8–21, 21–14, 21–16 Winner 2010 Dutch Open Aleksandr Nikolaenko Shintaro Ikeda Reiko Shiota 22–20, 21–9 Winner 2011 Russian Open Aleksandr Nikolaenko Shintaro Ikeda Reiko Shiota 21–18, 21–14 Winner 2012 Russian Open Aleksandr Nikolaenko Vitalij Durkin Nina Vislova 21–19, 21–17 Winner 2016 Russian Open Vladimir Ivanov Pranav Chopra N. Sikki Reddy 17–21, 19–21 Runner-up BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament BWF & IBF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series Women's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 2004 Russian International Nina Vislova Irina Ruslyakova Anastasia Russkikh 2–15, 3–15 Runner-up 2005 Swedish International Nina Vislova Noriko Okuma Miyuki Tai 2–15, 4–15 Runner-up 2005 Italian International Nina Vislova Ella Karachkova Marina Yakusheva 2–15, 15–8, 15–5 Winner 2005 Scottish International Nina Vislova Elin Bergblom Johanna Persson 15–5, 15–10 Winner 2006 Italian International Nina Vislova Cai Jiani Yu Qi 12–21, 16–21 Runner-up 2006 Belgian International Nina Vislova Elena Shimko Marina Yakusheva 13–21, 13–21 Runner-up 2006 Polish International Nina Vislova Kamila Augustyn Nadieżda Kostiuczyk 21–14, 12–21, 18–21 Runner-up 2006 Le Volant d'Or de Toulouse Nina Vislova Ekaterina Ananina Anastasia Russkikh 21–10, 18–21, 21–14 Winner 2006 Scottish International Nina Vislova Elena Shimko Marina Yakusheva 20–22, 13–21 Runner-up 2007 White Nights Nina Vislova Ekaterina Ananina Anastasia Russkikh 15–21, 14–21 Runner-up 2007 Bulgarian International Nina Vislova Lim Pek Siah Haw Chiou Hwee 16–21, 21–13, 21–5 Winner 2007 Norwegian International Nina Vislova Ekaterina Ananina Anastasia Russkikh 14–21, 22–20, 13–21 Runner-up 2007 Scottish International Nina Vislova Mariana Agathangelou Gabrielle White 21–14, 21–14 Winner 2007 Italian International Nina Vislova Ekaterina Ananina Anastasia Russkikh 15–21, 24–26 Runner-up 2008 European Circuit Finals Nina Vislova Ekaterina Ananina Anastasia Russkikh 21–19, 13–21, 15–21 Runner-up 2008 White Nights Nina Vislova Ekaterina Ananina Anastasia Russkikh 12–21, 18–21 Runner-up 2008 Belgian International Nina Vislova Rachel van Cutsen Paulien van Dooremalen 21–10, 21–12 Winner 2008 Bulgarian International Nina Vislova Emelie Lennartsson Emma Wengberg 21–16, 21–6 Winner 2008 Italian International Nina Vislova Emelie Lennartsson Emma Wengberg 23–21, 21–14 Winner 2009 Finnish International Nina Vislova Sandra Marinello Birgit Overzier 16–21, 21–12, 21–13 Winner 2009 Le Volant d'Or de Toulouse Nina Vislova Laura Choinet Weny Rahmawati 21–12, 15–21, 21–9 Winner 2009 White Nights Nina Vislova Anastasia Prokopenko Anastasia Russkikh 21–19, 13–21, 21–17 Winner 2009 Welsh International Nina Vislova Anita Raj Kaur Joanne Quay 21–14, 21–16 Winner 2009 Scottish Open Nina Vislova Mariana Agathangelou Emma Mason 21–16, 21–16 Winner 2010 White Nights Nina Vislova Petya Nedelcheva Anastasia Russkikh 21–17, 21–15 Winner 2011 Dutch International Nina Vislova Lotte Jonathans Paulien van Dooremalen 24–22, 21–12 Winner 2011 Czech International Nina Vislova Nicole Grether Charmaine Reid 21–10, 21–16 Winner 2011 Italian International Nina Vislova Sandra Marinello Birgit Michels 21–14, 21–9 Winner

Mixed doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 2004 Russian International Aleksandr Nikolaenko Vitalij Durkin Tatjana Bibik 15–7, 15–13 Winner 2005 Italian International Aleksandr Nikolaenko Vitalij Durkin Marina Yakusheva 10–15, 9–15 Runner-up 2006 Italian International Vitalij Durkin Peter Steffensen Mette Schjoldager 20–22, 12–21 Runner-up 2006 Belgian International Vitalij Durkin Svetoslav Stoyanov Élodie Eymard 21–14, 21–13 Winner 2006 Polish International Vitalij Durkin Robert Mateusiak Nadieżda Kostiuczyk 4–21, 21–9, 13–21 Runner-up 2006 Scottish International Vitalij Durkin Aleksandr Nikolaenko Nina Vislova 22–20, 21–11 Winner 2007 Austrian International Vitalij Durkin Aleksandr Nikolaenko Nina Vislova 21–14, 22–20 Winner 2007 Norwegian International Vitalij Durkin Kristof Hopp Birgit Overzier 15–21, 21–13, 15–21 Runner-up 2007 Italian International Vitalij Durkin Aleksandr Nikolaenko Nina Vislova 15–21, 21–18, 16–21 Runner-up 2009 Welsh International Aleksandr Nikolaenko Vitalij Durkin Nina Vislova 13–21, 13–21 Runner-up 2009 Scottish Open Aleksandr Nikolaenko Raj Veeran Renuga Veeran 21–11, 21–16 Winner 2011 Dutch International Aleksandr Nikolaenko Mikkel Delbo Larsen Mie Schjøtt-Kristensen 13–21, 12–11 retired Winner 2011 Czech International Aleksandr Nikolaenko Gert Künka Amanda Högström 21–15, 21–12 Winner 2011 Italian International Aleksandr Nikolaenko Vitalij Durkin Nina Vislova 13–21, 21–18, 21–17 Winner BWF International Challenge tournament BWF International Series tournament