Education He finished second in the 2004 World Orienteering Championships, Middle distance, and third in 2007.
Achievements He is a two time Relay World Champion, from 2006 and 2007 as a member of the Russian winning teams, and earned a silver medal in 2004. Novikov received two individual gold medals at the 2000 European Championships in Truskavets, and a bronze medal at the 2006 European Championships in Otepää. He received also a gold medal in the relay at the 2008 European Orienteering Championships in Ventspils, together with Andrey Khramov and Dmitriy Tsvetkov. In 2004 Valentin became the first non-Scandinavian man who won O-Ringen.