Antipova Svetlana is a professional basketball player who is known throughout the world. This defender in her career has won many club and international victories. She made a great contribution to the development of women's basketball in Russia.
First steps in sports
Svetlana Antipova (then still Zabolueva) was born on August 20, 1966 in Mytishchi. The girl was no different from her peers with the exception of high growth. It was thanks to him that she became interested in basketball at school. Svetlana in her childhood dreamed of a career in figure skating. She wanted to ride on ice in an elegant dress. But at that time in his hometown there was no ice palace for figure skating.
Perhaps this is for the better, because then our country would not have had such a talented defender as Svetlana Antipova. The athlete warmly recalls her first coach, Elena Mikhailovna Tarasova. It was she who taught Svetlana the basic technical techniques in basketball and accustomed the girl to hard work.
The beginning of a professional career
At 13, Svetlana began to play for the team from Mytishchi. Antipova’s talent was so obvious that at the very first tournament it was noted by experts from many basketball teams. Then she became a player in the CSKA basketball team. But then the coach of the national team Leonid Yachmenev did not call for the USSR national team.
Only after his resignation did the new coach Yevgeny Gomelsky begin to invite this gifted basketball player to the national team. Svetlana Antipova at a young age was known throughout the country. She achieved such success thanks to her work. No circumstances distracted her from her favorite sport.
Performances at the European Championship
The first success was waiting for Svetlana in 1989 at the European Championships in Varna. Throughout the championship, she showed a consistently high level of professionalism. But the best game for the athlete was the final battle against the team from Czechoslovakia. In that final, she scored 12 points and made a great contribution to the victory of our team at the European Championship. Svetlana Antipova at the end of the tournament entered the symbolic team.
Pause in career and return to professional sports
After winning the international tournament, Svetlana Antipova married basketball player Sergei Antipov. In 1990, the couple had a daughter, Anastasia. But soon the marriage broke up. The athlete quickly moved away from childbirth and returned to professional sports.
At the European Championships, this defender was the 5th most successful team. Svetlana spent her best match in the final again, gaining 14 points. Our team beat the Yugoslav team with a score of 97:84. After this event, difficult times began in the country. Difficulties affected the financing of sports. At the Olympics in Barcelona, the CIS team performed under the white flag. No one expected big victories from her. The most difficult for the women's basketball team was the semifinals against athletes from the United States. All specialists in this sport gave victory to the American team. But, despite this, the Russian team won, and then confidently outplayed the Chinese team in the final with a score of 76:66.
Svetlana Antipova (Olympic champion) in the semifinals against the United States spent 28 minutes of playing time on the field. This success at the Olympics still remains in the memory of Russian basketball fans. Antipova after a historical victory was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports.
Champion team breakdown
After a successful Olympics, the strongest team broke up. At the European Championships held a year later, the women's basketball team took only 7th place. Our athletes gave all the best in each game, but the losses of strong players made themselves felt.
In the championship of Russia, the basketball team CSKA, in which Svetlana Antipova played for a long time, was a clear favorite. This Moscow team won the Russian championship from 1992 to 1997.
Failed Olympics and meeting with the future husband
At the Olympics in 1996, the famous basketball player Antipova played just one game. In a match against Japan, she received an ankle injury. The Russian team at the end of the tournament took 5th place. Svetlana Antipova, for whom basketball has always been a thing of her life, at the Olympics she met her love - Sergey Belov. At the games in Atlanta, he coached the men's basketball team. A year later, lovers began to live together.
Career continuation
Svetlana took part in the qualifying matches at the European Championship, where her team took second place and went to the final tournament, which was held in Hungary. There, our women's basketball team took 6th place, winning only 4 matches out of 8. At the European Championships next year, the team together with Antipova performed more successfully. In the qualifying tournament, she confidently took first place in the group. And in the championship itself, our international team won silver, losing only 2 games - both the American women's team.
In the championship of Russia, the women's basketball team “CSKA” in 1999 became a bronze medalist. After that, Antipova moved to the Dynamo team. In the same year, Belov left to train the Ural-Grade club. From 2006 to 2008, he was president of the club. Svetlana also went to the Urals after her husband. There they were allotted land, and they built a house. Sergey and Svetlana lived together for 17 happy years. At the 70th year of life, Sergey Belov died.
Svetlana Antipova, whose biography was successful, at the end of her professional career, took up coaching work. This defender made a great contribution to the success of women's basketball. She forever entered the history of this sport in Russia.