Wikipedia

Asaf Kazimov

Asaf Kazimovich Kazimov (Russian: Асаф Казимович Казимов; born 12 March 2000) is a Russian-born German-Spanish ice dancer who currently competes for Spain. With his skating partner, Sofía Val, he is the 2025 Winter World University Games champion, three-time national silver medalist, Skate to Milano bronze medalist, and 2026 Winter Olympian.

Asaf Kazimov
Personal information
Native name
Асаф Казимович Казимов
Full nameAsaf Kazimovich Kazimov
Born (2000-03-12) 12 March 2000 (age 26)
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Home townDortmund, Germany
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Figure skating career
Country Spain (since 2023)
 Germany (until 2023)
DisciplineIce dance
PartnerSofía Val (since 2022)
Viktoriia Lopusova (2019–22)
Lara Luft (2015–19)
Diana Scheidt (until 2015)
CoachKirill Khaliavin
Sara Hurtado
Ksenia Monko
Oscar Muñoz
Skating clubSK International Ice Dance School
Began skating2006
Medal record
Representing  Spain
Spanish Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Logroño Ice dance
Silver medal – second place 2025 Logroño Ice dance
Silver medal – second place 2026 Jaca Ice dance

Personal life

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Kazimov was born on 12 March 2000 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.[1] He also has a younger brother, Daniel.[2] Kazimov and his family immigrated to Germany in 2012. He obtained a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at the Technical University of Dortmund before earning a master's degree at the Technical University of Madrid.[3][4] Additionally, he is able to speak Russian, German, Spanish, and English.[5][6]

In September 2025, he was granted Spanish citizenship.[7]

Career

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Early years

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Kazimov began learning how to skate in 2006 in his native Saint Petersburg under the guidance of coach Elena Vlasova. Then he moved to a group led by Valentina Chebotareva, where he studied until he was eleven years old. Kazimov and his family emigrated from Russia to Germany in 2012, and there he took up the sport with his first competitive partner, Diana Scheidt.[3] Scheidt/Kazimov competed as advanced novices both internationally and domestically during the 2014–15 season before splitting during the first half of 2015.

2015–2019: Partnership with Lara Luft for Germany

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Kazimov teamed up with his second skating partner, Lara Luft, in 2015.[8] They competed for Germany for three seasons together, from 2016 to 2019, including three Junior Grand Prix assignments, a bronze medal in the junior ice dance category at the 2017 Christmas Cup, and a silver medal at the 2019 German junior national championship. Luft/Kazimov split in 2019.

2019–2022: Partnership with Viktoriia Lopusova for Germany

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Kazimov next formed a partnership with fellow Russian-born skater Viktoriia Lopusova, with whom he competed for three seasons from 2019 to 2022 and made his senior international debut. Lopusova/Kazimov competed at two junior international events during the 2019–20 season and won the bronze medal at the 2019 German junior national championship, but did not appear internationally or domestically during the 2020–21 season.

The team returned to make their senior international debut at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, the final qualifying event to the 2022 Winter Olympics, where they finished fifteenth. They competed at six other international senior B events over the course of the 2021–22 season, and finished 4th at the 2021 German Championships.

Partnership with Sofía Val for Spain

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2022–23 season: Debut of Val/Kazimov

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Lopusova/Kazimov split in September 2022, despite having prepared for the upcoming 2022–23 season. Following this, Kazimov's coach, Maurizio Margaglio helped him get in contact Spanish coach, Sara Hurtado, who in turn, asked Kazimov if he wanted to have a tryout with her then partnerless student, Sofía Val. Kazimov agreed to this proposal and flew to Madrid for a five-day tryout period that same month. The duo elected to team up for Val's native Spain not long after, and Kazimov relocated to Madrid to train under Hurtado and her former skating partner, Kirill Khaliavin.[9]

The new team was ineligible to compete internationally until January 2023 when Kazimov received his release from the German Ice Skating Union. Val/Kazimov debuted at the 2023 Challenge Cup at the end of February where they placed sixth of 14 and secured their technical minimum scores to be eligible to compete at the 2023 World Championships.[10]

At the World Championships in March, Val/Kazimov placed thirtieth in the rhythm dance and did not advance to the free dance portion of the competition.[10]

2023–24 season

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Val/Kazimov opened their first full competitive season with a thirteenth-place finish at the 2023 CS Nepela Memorial. They set new personal bests in both segments of competition, as well as overall, at their next ISU Challenger Series assignment, the 2023 CS Budapest Trophy, where they placed sixth. The team won their first international medal a week later at the 2023 Trophée Métropole Nice, taking the title ahead of Lithuanian and Chinese teams Ramanauskaitė/Kizala and Xiao/He.[10]

Competing at their first Spanish Championships in December, Val/Kazimov won the silver medal behind the new team Smart/Dieck.[11] Despite the latter being the national champions, it was initially announced by the Spanish federation that Val/Kazimov would represent the country at the 2024 European and World Championships. Following controversy around the criteria used to arrive at this result, on 27 December the Spanish federation announced that Smart/Dieck would instead be given the country's lone World Championship berth, while Val/Kazimov would go to the European Championships.[12][13]

In the rhythm dance at the European Championships in Kaunas, Val lost a level on her twizzle sequence, and both partners had low levels on their step sequences. They were twenty-third in the segment, and missed the cut for the free dance.[14]

2024–25 season

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Val/Kazimov opened their second full competitive season with an eleventh-place finish at the 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. They set new personal bests in both segments of competition, as well as overall, at their second ISU Challenger Series assignment, the ISU 2024 CS Tallinn Trophy, where they placed sixth. Besides, the team won their first medal of the season (silver) at the 2024 Pavel Roman Memorial, and gold at the 2025 Ephesus Cup in Izmir, Turkey. However, the gold medal won at the 2025 Winter University Games was very special for them.

Competing at the Spanish Championships in December, Val/Kazimov won for second consecutive year the silver medal behind the team Smart/Dieck.[15]

2025–26 season: Milano Cortina Olympics

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Val/Kazimov began their season in August by winning gold at the 2025 International Ice Dance Dordrecht. They then competed at the ISU Skate to Milano, the final qualifying event for the 2026 Winter Olympics. "Qualifying for the Olympics was super meaningful for us. Not only for the fact that that it was our ticket to Milan, but also because only we know how much we worked and what we had to go through to get us there," said Val.[16] At the event, Val/Kazimov won the bronze medal and with this result, won a second Olympic spot for Spain at the upcoming Olympics.[15][17]

The duo subsequently competed on the 2025–26 Challenger Series, finishing sixth at the 2025 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge, seventh at the 2025 CS Warsaw Cup, and fifth at the 2025 CS Tallinn Trophy.[15]

In December, Val/Kazimov won the silver medal at the 2026 Spanish Championships. The following month, they won gold at the 2026 Sofia Trophy and finished fourteenth at the 2026 European Championships in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom.

In February, they competed at the Olympics, placing 20th in the rhythm dance and 19th in the free dance for a 19th-place finish overall.[15] “The Olympic Games were definitely a life-shaping experience for both of us," said Kazimov. “Until we arrived in Milan, I was not able to realize that we are going to be the part of it and can call ourselves Olympians.”[16]

In spite of being confirmed for the 2026 World Championships in Prague, they were forced to withdrew due to Kazimov's surgery for appendicitis. “I started feeling a sharp pain in my stomach on March 10th, and after the first practice, it was getting worse,” said Kazimov. His recovery lasted approximately four weeks, and he returned to the ice in early April.[16] As a result, the Olympics brought an end to their season.

Programs

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Ice dance with Sofía Val (for Spain)

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance
2025–2026
[1]
  • Exogenesis: Symphony
    Part 3: Redemption
    Part 2: Cross-pollination
    Part 3: Redemption
    by Muse
    choreo. by Kirill Khaliavin
2024–2025
[18]
2023–2024
[19]
2022–2023
[20]

Ice dance with Viktoriia Lopusova (for Germany)

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance
2022–2023
[21]
2021–2022
[22]

Ice dance with Lara Luft (for Germany)

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance
2018–2019
[8]
2017–2018
[23]

Competitive highlights

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Ice dance with Sofía Val (for Spain)

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Ice dance with Viktoriia Lopusova (for Germany)

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International[24]
Event 19–20 21–22
CS Nebelhorn Trophy15th
CS Warsaw Cup20th
Bavarian Open8th
Challenge Cup7th
Egna Dance Trophy9th
Open d'Andorra9th
Trophée Métropole Nice10th
International: Junior[24]
Golden Spin10th
Grand Prix of Bratislava4th
National[24]
German Champ.3rd J4th

Ice dance with Lara Luft (for Germany)

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International: Junior[25][26]
Event 16–17 17–18 18–19
JGP Armenia11th
JGP Austria16th
JGP Lithuania10th
Bavarian Open19th
Christmas Cup3rd
Ice Star7th
Mentor Toruń Cup10th
Volvo Open Cup11th
National[25][26]
German Champ.2nd J

Detailed results

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Ice dance with Sofía Val (for Spain)

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ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [15]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS181.452025 CS Tallinn Trophy
Short program TSS70.592025 CS Tallinn Trophy
TES40.072025 CS Tallinn Trophy
PCS30.522025 CS Tallinn Trophy
Free skating TSS110.862025 CS Tallinn Trophy
TES63.562025 CS Tallinn Trophy
PCS47.302025 CS Tallinn Trophy
Results in the 2022–23 season [15]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Feb 23–26, 2023 Netherlands 2023 Challenge Cup 5 61.85 6 97.49 6 159.34
Mar 20–26, 2023 Japan 2023 World Championships 30 53.94 - - 30 53.94
Results in the 2023–24 season [15]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Sep 28–30, 2023 Slovakia 2023 CS Nepela Memorial 13 56.96 13 86.92 13 143.88
Oct 13–15, 2023 Hungary 2023 CS Budapest Trophy 6 65.51 6 102.83 6 168.34
Oct 18–22, 2023 France 2023 Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur 1 60.34 1 95.55 1 155.89
Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2023 Turkey 2023 Bosphorus Cup 3 69.99 3 106.37 3 176.36
Dec 15–17, 2023 Spain 2024 Spanish Championships 2 70.71 2 108.08 2 178.79
Jan 8–14, 2024 Lithuania 2024 European Championships 23 58.04 - - 23 58.04
Jan 25–28, 2024 Turkey 2024 Ephesus Cup 1 70.89 1 107.32 1 178.21
Results in the 2024–25 season [15]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Sep 19–21, 2024 Germany 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 7 6404 12 91.02 11 155.06
Nov 8–10, 2024 Czech Republic 2024 Pavel Roman Memorial 2 69.54 2 104.24 2 173.78
Nov 12–17, 2024 Estonia 2024 CS Tallinn Trophy 8 66.67 6 103.83 6 170.50
Dec 12–15, 2024 Spain 2025 Spanish Championships 2 70.35 2 105.95 2 176.30
Jan 16–18, 2025 Italy 2025 Winter University Games 1 66.42 1 106.35 1 172.77
Results in the 2025–26 season [15]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Aug 16–17, 2025 Netherlands 2025 International ICE Dance Dordrecht 1 69.74 1 106.93 1 176.67
Sep 18–21, 2025 China 2025 ISU Skate to Milano 5 68.35 4 101.97 3 170.32
Oct 1–4, 2025 Kazakhstan 2025 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge 6 66.09 6 99.52 6 165.61
Nov 19–23, 2025 Poland 2025 CS Warsaw Cup 7 68.81 5 110.48 7 179.29
Nov 25–30, 2025 Estonia 2025 CS Tallinn Trophy 5 70.59 4 110.86 5 181.45
Dec 11–14, 2025 Spain 2026 Spanish Championships 2 72.12 2 118.05 2 190.17
Jan 6–11, 2026 Bulgaria 2026 Sofia Trophy 1 76.04 1 117.16 1 193.20
Jan 13–18, 2026 United Kingdom 2026 European Championships 15 67.11 14 106.62 14 173.73
Feb 9-11, 2026 Italy 2026 Winter Olympics 20 64.98 19 100.25 19 165.23

References

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  1. 1 2 "Sofia VAL / Asaf KAZIMOV: 2025/2026". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 4 September 2025.
  2. ↑ Asaf, Kazimov. "#brothers". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  3. 1 2 Morelli, Matteo (27 April 2023). "Val & Kazimov Develop Their Own Style". ice-dance.com.
  4. ↑ Kazimov, Asaf. "Asaf Kazimov". LinkedIn. LinkedIn. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  5. ↑ Márquez, José Miguel. "El perfil de Asaf Kazimov, patinador de 25 años que debutará en febrero en unos Juegos Olímpicos y que sueña con ser ingeniero 🤩⛸️". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  6. ↑ "Sofía Val & Asaf Kazimov locked in Spain's second Olympic quota spot at the #SkateToMilano Olympic Qualifier in Beijing. A moment that will go down in history". Instagram. International Skating Union. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  7. ↑ "🇪🇸 Tim Dieck and Asaf Kazimov have been granted Spanish citizenship". X. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  8. 1 2 "Lara LUFT / Asaf KAZIMOV: 2018/2019". International Skating Union. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "Sofia Val & Asaf Kazimov dance to their dream". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 "Sofia VAL / Asaf KAZIMOV: Competition Results". International Skating Union. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  11. ↑ "Tomàs Guarino y Olivia Smart & Tim Dieck brillan en el cierre del Campeonato de España Iberdrola de Patinaje 2023-24 en Logroño" [Tomàs Guarino and Olivia Smart & Tim Dieck shine at the closing of the 2023-24 Iberdrola Spanish Skating Championships in Logroño] (in Spanish). Real Federación Española de Deportes de Hielo. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "España competirá con la pareja Val-Kazimov en el Europeo de Patinaje y con Smart-Dieck en el Mundial" [Spain will compete with the Val/Kazimov couple in the European Skating Championships and with Smart/Dieck in the World Championship] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 27 December 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  13. ↑ "Comunicado RFEDH acerca de la selección de parejas de danza para el Campeonato de Europa y Campeonato del Mundo 2024" [RFEDH statement about the selection of dance couples for the 2024 European Championships and World Championships] (in Spanish). Real Federación Española de Deportes de Hielo. 27 December 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  14. ↑ "El equipo español completa su participación en el Europeo de Kaunas" [The Spanish team completes its participation in the European Championship in Kaunas] (in Spanish). Real Federación Española de Deportes de Hielo. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "ESP-Sofia VAL / Asaf KAZIMOV". Skating Scores. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 Flade, Tatjana (May 8, 2026). "Sofia Val and Asaf Kazimov Fueled by Olympic Experience". Golden Skate.
  17. ↑ "Ice Dancers and five Men snatch last Olympic spots at ISU Skate to Milano Qualifier". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "Sofia VAL / Asaf KAZIMOV: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024.
  19. ↑ "Sofia VAL / Asaf KAZIMOV: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024.
  20. ↑ "Sofia VAL / Asaf KAZIMOV: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "Viktoriia LOPUSOVA / Asaf KAZIMOV: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  22. ↑ "Viktoriia LOPUSOVA / Asaf KAZIMOV: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 16 January 2022.
  23. ↑ "Lara LUFT / Asaf KAZIMOV: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017.
  24. 1 2 3 "Viktoriia LOPUSOVA / Asaf KAZIMOV: Competition Results". International Skating Union. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  25. 1 2 "Asaf KAZIMOV / Sofía VAL". RinkResults.com. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  26. 1 2 "Lara LUFT / Asaf KAZIMOV:Competition Results". International Skating Union. Retrieved 27 September 2024.


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