Today, Russian athletes dominate the world of rhythmic gymnastics, and no one can seriously compete with them. One of the few schools that can at least somehow fight with the wards of Irina Viner is Belarusian. A bright representative of the Minsk school is Lyubov Cherkashina. The biography of this athlete is quite interesting. Her late arrival in the world of rhythmic gymnastics is curious.
The girl is the sporting pride of Belarus, as well as remarkable intelligence. Her ability to confidently and competently answer tricky questions became the reason for the invitation to work in the National Olympic Committee after the end of her sports career.
A girl from a border city
The future star was born in Brest in 1987. All members of her family loved sports, although they did not practice it professionally. Dad played football, mom was not limited to any one kind. Older brother and sister also did not stay away from family hobbies. First, they together visited the karate section, then the girl turned to equestrian sport.
Lyubov Cherkashin did not immediately decide on her preference. From the very beginning of her life, contingencies guided fate. Luba's mother worked as an insurance agent and, going around her site, met a girl who worked as an acrobatics trainer. So, at the age of six, Lyuba begins her career in sports. Soon her trainer goes abroad, and Cherkashin goes into gymnastics.
Lyuba did not achieve much success in these disciplines, and together with her mother they decide to try themselves in a less athletic sport and not tied to acrobatic elements. At nine years old, the girl begins to study in the school № 6 in the city of Brest, in the section on rhythmic gymnastics. Evgenia Nikolaevna Zolotnitskaya became her first mentor. At first, everyone was doubtful about Lyuba's prospects - after acrobatic disciplines, she had a dense strong figure with pumped up muscles. However, she soon shows herself in all its glory and begins to speak at city competitions.
From Brest to Minsk
Republican competitions of 11-year-olds became the first tournament where Lyubov Cherkashin attracts attention. The gymnast gets there almost by accident and takes one of the last places. But experienced coaches saw great potential in a Brest girl. In 2000, Lyuba was taken to Minsk and determined to study at a sports boarding school.
Initially, mentors decide to change her sports specialization and send them to the team for group exercises. Lyubov Cherkashina achieves certain successes and as part of the team takes bronze medals at the Junior European Championship.
Despite the successes, she soon returned to singing. A major role in this was played by Luba's first mentor - Evgenia Zolotnitskaya, who saw in her only a solo artist. The new program impressed the national team coach Irina Leparskaya, and she included a gymnast in the national team.
Cherkashina was especially remembered for her first major tournament - the Baltic Cup, where she competed with athletes, who until recently were practically celestials for her. She takes third place, letting forward only the legendary Alina Kabaeva and Irina Chashchina.
Big career
In the Belarusian team, Lyubov Cherkashina, whose photo is already appearing in sports publications, becomes the second number after Inna Zhukova. Having started performing at a professional level, she begins to collect awards at major international tournaments. Followed by bronze medals in team competitions at the 2003 and 2005 world championships.
At the world championship of 2007, where licenses for the Olympic tournament were also won, silver medals were received. Only the invincible Russian team was allowed forward. The Beijing Olympics was the first Cherkashin in life, but because of personal tragedy, she could not concentrate on the competitions. In 2007, her mother dies. The athlete is going through a difficult period in her life. All of 2008 as a whole was the most unfortunate in her career.
In the rank of leader of the national team
Gradually, the girl comes to herself and returns to her usual high level. Fixing themselves on the conquered lines, Belarusian athletes again take silver medals in the team at the 2009 and 2010 world championships. After the departure of Inna Zhukova, Lyubov Cherkashina becomes the first number of the national team. In 2011, she manages to win her first personal award at the world championships. The gymnast receives bronze for exercises with the ball.
The home championship of Europe in Minsk in 2011 was a triumph for her. In the native arena, Lyubov Cherkashina is unstoppable and collects a whole scattering of awards. Gold medals for exercises with a ball and ribbon, bronze for a hoop and the usual silver in team competitions.
The most important tournament in her life was the Olympic Games in London. Lyudmila Cherkashina went there as the main star of the Belarusian team. There was practically no chance to get ahead of the Russian gymnasts from the very beginning, and the bronze medal in the all-around, in fact, became a gold medal for the athlete. Ahead were only the "artist" Irina Wiener.
Life after a big sport
After the Olympics in London, Lyubov Cherkashina, a gymnast, whose photo shows off on the front pages of all Belarusian publications, having reached the peak of her career, decided to end her active performances. It is time to think about the future. Love was known not only as a talented gymnast, but also as a very intelligent, confident person. And the athlete’s acquaintances are not surprised by her invitation to work in the executive committee of the National Olympic Committee of the republic. She becomes a sports functionary and the youngest NOC official. Nevertheless, Cherkashin does not leave rhythmic gymnastics. She goes to the Rio Olympics as one of the coaches and provides great support to the team.
Personal life
Spending all her time in the gyms, Lyubov Cherkashina also finds her other half there. Future husband Victor, like her, studied at the Republican College of Olympic Reserve, played football for Belarusian teams on a professional level.
The athletes got married already in 2008 - the girl did not postpone the device of her personal life until the end of her career.
Lyubov Cherkashin is one of the most graceful and plastic gymnasts of her generation. It can serve as an example of how the first impression of a child’s potential in sports is not always true, and all can be achieved by hard work and perseverance.