Viktoriia Andreevna Safonova (; born 8 May 2003) is a Russian-Belarusian figure skater. She is the 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb silver medalist, the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy bronze medalist, the 2020 Ice Star champion, the 2019 Volvo Open Cup champion, and a seven-time Belarusian national champion (2020âÂÂ26). Viktoriia is capable of landing the Quadruple Loop jump in practice, the only Belarusian woman to do so.
Safonova represented Belarus at the 2022 Winter Olympics and competed as an Individual Neutral Athlete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Viktoriia Safonova was born on 8 May 2003 in Moscow, Russia.
Safonova placed fourteenth at the 2018 Russian Junior Championships and eighth at the 2019 Russian Junior Championships. Competing for Russia, she was the 2018 Ice Star junior champion.
Safonova switched to representing Belarus in August 2019, alongside former Russian national teammates Konstantin Milyukov and Victoria Yatsenko / Daniil Parkman. She placed fourth at a Russian domestic event earlier in the summer, but was not included into the national team. Safonova won the Summer Cup of the Skating Union of Belarus in her domestic debut.
According to International Skating Union rules for switching nationalities, Safonova was required to sit out international competition for a year dating from her last international appearance, ruling her ineligible for Junior Grand Prix events. Safonova made her international debut for Belarus at the 2019 Volvo Open Cup, where she won the gold medal ahead of Azerbaijan's Ekaterina Ryabova and Alina Urushadze of Georgia. She then placed seventh at 2019 CS Warsaw Cup. Safonova earned personal bests in all segments to win the silver medal at 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, behind Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia and ahead of Germany's Nicole Schott.
Safonova won the national title in her first attempt at the 2020 Belarusian Championships, ahead of Milana Ramashova and Anastasiya Sidorenko. She then finished fourteenth at the 2020 European Championships. Safonova had been assigned to compete at the World Championships in Montreal, but those were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Safonova opened her season at the 2020 Ice Star in October, winning gold ahead of Russians Anastasiia Guliakova and Sofia Samodurova. She was assigned to make her Grand Prix debut at the 2020 Rostelecom Cup, placing eighth at the event. Safonova was scheduled to compete at the 2021 World Championships but was forced to withdraw two days before the ladies' short program due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Following the withdrawal from the World Championships, Safonova competed at the beginning of the new season at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, seeking a second opportunity to qualify a berth for Belarus at the 2022 Winter Olympics. She was third in both segments to win the bronze medal, taking the third of six available spots. She went on to place eighth at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy and repeat as gold medalist at the Ice Star. She won the gold medal at the 2021 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge. Safonova was invited to compete on the Grand Prix at the 2021 Rostelecom Cup following the withdrawal of Kazakh skater Elizabet Tursynbaeva. She placed seventh at the event.âÂÂ
At the 2022 European Championships in Tallinn, Safonova finished ninth. Named to the Belarusian team for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Safonova placed seventeenth in the short program of the women's event. Thirteenth in the free skate, she rose to thirteenth overall.
In March 2022, the International Skating Union banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in international competitions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In May 2025, the International Skating Union announced that Safonova had been approved as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN), making her eligible to compete at the 2025 ISU Olympic Qualifying Competition to vie for a spot to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She competed at the Skate To Milano competition in Beijing, China, finishing in fourth place and securing herself an Olympic spot.
In late November, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially declared Safonova as eligible to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Viktoriia skated her short program at the Olympic Games on the 17th of February. She doubled out on what was intended to be a triple toe on her combination jump. This costly mistake led her to finish in 26th place, failing to qualify for the freeskate.