The winner of the Olympic Games in rhythmic gymnastics, Anna Rizatdinova, by the standards of her sport, can be considered a real veteran. She has been performing at a high level for many years, having won many awards during this time and becoming a true legend in her homeland. Given the incredible level of competition from Russian girls, her position in rhythmic gymnastics is highly rated by all.
Sailor's daughter
Anna Sergeyevna Rizatdinova was born in 1993 in Simferopol. Her father was a long-distance sailor, her mother worked as a gymnastics coach. At that time, in the Crimea this sport developed quite dynamically, there was a good base with beautiful spacious halls. Local trainers brought up a number of good gymnasts, among which Ekaterina Serebryanskaya can be distinguished.
Given the above, it is not surprising that from an early age, Anna began to engage in rhythmic gymnastics under the strict guidance of her mother-trainer. I must say that nature rather sparingly awarded Anya with the physical data necessary for the gymnast. According to Rizatdinova herself, she lacked stretching, flexibility, and she terribly roared in childhood, when the trainers stretched her.
However, the girl soon became involved in classes and could no longer imagine her life without rhythmic gymnastics. At a certain point, it became clear to everyone that Anna Rizatdinova had outgrown the regional level, after which she went to Kiev, where she became a diligent student of the legendary school of Albina and Irina Deryugin.
The beginning of a great career
The youthful exploits of a native of Simferopol at the international level delighted the girl’s trainers and allowed them to hope for a great sporting future. In 2008, Anna Rizatdinova, together with Tatyana Zagorodnya and Victoria Mazur, won third place in the team classification of the European Junior Championship. In addition, the girl successfully performed in personal forms, falling into the top five in exercises with a hoop and ribbon.
All these achievements allowed Anna to get into the national team of Ukraine, where a personnel crisis has long been felt after Anna Bessonova left the sport . For several years, the girl got used to moving to an adult level, not particularly pleased with her results in the individual competition.
Nevertheless, the overall high level of the national team of Ukraine allowed Anna and her friends to regularly achieve good performance in team events. So, in 2011, Rizatdinova became the bronze medalist of the World and European Championships in the team competition (together with Victoria Mazur, Alina Maksimenko and Victoria Shinkarenko).
First olympic attempt
The 2011 World Championships in Montpellier was of particular importance to the young Ukrainian gymnast, as licenses for participation in the Olympic Games in London were played here. However, the young Anna Rizatdinova could not stand the load of psychological pressure and performed much lower than her capabilities, taking only eighteenth place in the individual all-around.
Nevertheless, the girl had one more chance to get to the main starts of the four-year period. For this it was necessary to go through an additional round of selection, held in London. Anna Rizatdinova gathered and calmly completed the task, having won a license to participate in the Olympics.
The general rehearsal of the Olympics was the continent championship, held in Nizhny Novgorod. Here, the Ukrainian managed to get into the top ten strongest, becoming the eighth.
Anna Rizatdinova went to London in the status of the first number of the Ukrainian team. Everyone was waiting for a breakthrough from the girl, but according to Ani herself, at that time she was pretty cool about training, and could not make a qualitative leap in her development.
At the 2012 Games, the girl became the tenth, again stopping at a respectable distance from the podium.
Victory Time
The obscure performance in London was the impetus that made Anna Rizatdinova reconsider her attitude to her beloved business. For a long time, it was dampened by the lack of real competition in the Ukrainian team. However, she realized that her best years in rhythmic gymnastics were left behind, and took up the mind, beginning to give all the best in training rooms.
Anna Rizatdinova made a real breakthrough in her career in 2013. She first won the individual award in the championship of the continent, taking silver in exercises with a ribbon, and also helped the team become the second in team competitions.
The most successful for the girl was the home world championship, held in Kiev. She won her first world championship gold medal in hoop exercises, and also brilliantly performed in the all-around, wedged herself with her silver medal on the podium between the two Russians.
Rio
By the time the Rio Olympic Games began, Anna Rizatdinova was 23 years old - a critical age for representatives of rhythmic gymnastics.
A native of Simferopol worthily used her last chance and took a bronze medal, losing only to the inaccessible Russian gymnasts.