Education
He finished second in the 2004 World Orienteering Championships, Middle distance, and third in 2007.
He finished second in the 2004 World Orienteering Championships, Middle distance, and third in 2007.
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.
