Sophia Yakushina
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 January 2006 Krasnodar, Russia |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Events | Heptathlon, Pentathlon |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | Heptathlon: 6260 (2025) Pentathlon: 4556 (2025) |
Sophia Yakushina (born 7 January 2006) is a Russian-born multi-event athlete. Her points tally in the pentathlon whilst competing for Texas A&M University in the United States placed her in the top-ten worldwide in 2025.[1]
Biography
Born in Krasnodar, Russia,[2] Yakushina won the women's heptathlon at the Russian Combined Events Cup in Sochi, with 5809 points, in May 2023.[3] She placed second in the heptathlon at the 2024 Russian Athletics Championships in Yekaterinburg, with a tally of 5957 points.[4]
Competing as a freshman in the United States for Texas A&M University, Yakashina was runner-up to Pippi Lotta Enok in the pentathlon at the 2025 SEC Championships.[5][6] She finished ahead of Enok but behind Jadin O'Brien in finishing second in the pentathlon at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships, in Virginia Beach.[7] She finished the year ranked 9th in the world for the short track pentathlon.[8]
Competing outdoors, Yakashina set a new personal best of 6260 points for the heptathlon whilst competing in Texas in April 2025, to move to the top of the NCAA standings.[9][10][11] The following month, she won the heptathlon title at the SEC Outdoor Championships in May.[12] In June, she placed third behind O'Brien and Enok in the heptathlon at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon.[13][14] She finished the year ranked 23rd in the world for the heptathlon.[15]
In 2026, it was reported that she was becoming a naturalised citizen of Turkey, via a talent acquisition program overseen by the Turkish Youth and Sports Ministry.[16][17] Onder Ozbilen, the team coordinator for Turkey's Olympic athletics team, confirmed the decision in March 2026.[18] The application was declined by World Athletics in April 2026, alongside ten others, deemed as "inconsistent with the core principles of the regulations".[19]
References
- ↑ "Sophia Yakushina". World Athletics. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "Russian-born star athlete Sofia Yakushina is now a Turkish citizen!". Uyan32.com. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "Russian Combined Events Cup". World Athletics. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "Russian Championships". World Athletics. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "Pentathlon athlete Pippi Lotta Enok wins Oklahoma's first SEC Championship". OU Daily. 28 February 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "Southeastern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship". World Athletics. 1 March 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships". World Athletics. 14 March 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "Pentathlon Short Track Women 2025". World Athletics. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "With Big Shoes To Fill, Anthaya Charlton Wins SEC Long Jump Title". Runnerspace. 17 May 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "44 Farms Team Invitational". World Athletics. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ Allen, Sky (14 April 2025). "NCAA freshman record set at 44 Farms Team Invitational track and field meet". Thebatt.com. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ Shaw, Tim (16 May 2025). "Aggie claim two titles on Day Two of SEC Outdoor Championships". kbtx.com. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships". World Athletics. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ Willman, Howard (July 2025). "NCAA Women's Heptathlon — Enok Returns To Podium Top". Track and Field News. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "Heptathlon Women 2025". World Athletics. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "Sofia crisis: Türkiye-Russia standoff over heptathlete Yakushina". Daily Sabah. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "Young Russian athlete to compete for Türkiye". hurriyetdailynews. 8 August 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ "Turkey invests in foreign legion to deliver LA Olympics gold". France24.com. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ↑ "World Athletics Nationality Review Panel refuses 11 transfer of allegiance applications". World Athletics. 16 April 2026. Retrieved 16 April 2026.