title: Valentin Zakharov
text: # Valentin Zakharov
  
  Valentin Dmitriyevich Zakharov (Russian: Валентин Дмитриевич Захаров) was a Soviet former figure skater. He was a two-time Soviet national champion. In 1956, Zakharov was included in the Soviet Union's first-ever team to the European Championships. He placed 16th at the 1956 Europeans in Paris, 11th at the 1957 Europeans in Vienna, and 11th at the 1958 Europeans in Bratislava. In 1958, he competed at the World Championships in Paris – the Soviet Union's debut at the event. He finished 20th.
  
  ## Competitive highlights
  
  International :
  
  | Event | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | World Champ. | | | | | | 20th |
  | European Champ. | | | | 16th | 11th | 11th |
  | National |||||||
  | Soviet Champ. | 1st | 1st | 3rd | | 2nd | 3rd |
  