Gymnastics is one of the most fascinating sports. At first, gymnastics appeared. It included various exercises, vaulting and competition on the apparatus.
Rhythmic gymnastics appeared much later . Competitions in this sport are held to music with any subject. In fact, this is an acrobatic and graceful dance. The subjects that athletes perform include: ribbon, club, ball, jump rope and hoop.
If we compare sports and rhythmic gymnastics, then the latter is a safer and more beautiful sport. Russian gymnasts take first place in gold medals at various international competitions. In 1999, a professional holiday was approved for athletes, which takes place annually on the last Saturday of October.
Russia gave the world performances of the most beautiful and titled athletes in the entire era of gymnastics. Many of them have completed their careers, but are engaged in social activities and lead an active public life. The performance of Russian gymnasts still captures the views of numerous fans of this sport around the world.
Pioneers
Lyudmila Savinkova was the first champion in rhythmic gymnastics. She was born in 1936. The girl’s coach was Tamara Lisitsian, later her sister, Maria. Lyudmila won her award in Budapest, among the 28 athletes she was the first.
Svetlana Khorkina - a native of the city of Belgorod. Born in 1979. She entered the sport in 1983. In 1992, thanks to hard work and extraordinary talent, she entered the national gymnastics team. The trainer was Boris Pilkin. Gold at the Olympics in 1996 and 2000 in parallel exercises. Three-time world champion and three-time absolute European champion. Honored Master of Sports of Russia (1995). At that time, all the young gymnasts of Russia were equal to her.
In 2004, Svetlana announced the completion of her career. In 2005, Khorkina gave birth to a son, Svyatoslav. The birth was in Los Angeles, so the child automatically received US citizenship. In 2011, Svetlana’s life changes dramatically, and she marries security general Oleg Kochnev. In 2007, a monument was erected in Belgorod Svetlana Khorkina. Today she holds the position of vice president in the Russian Federation of Gymnastics. And also Svetlana, a beloved woman and a caring mother.
Artistic gymnasts of Russia
Irina Chashchina was born in Omsk in 1982. She entered the sport at the age of 6, by the age of 12 she was already a member of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team. At a young age she won the CIS Spartakiad. 2004 brought Olympic silver to Athens. Her trainer was the famous Irina Viner. In 2001, there was an unpleasant disqualification from the sport for two years due to a doping scandal.
After the end of her career, Irina began to participate in television shows, opened a school of rhythmic gymnastics in Barnaul. Personal life is also good. She met Evgeny Arkhipov and got married in 2011. Russian gymnasts are educating the young generation today, and they do it no worse than performing at international competitions.
Talents from Tashkent
Alina Kabaeva is from Tashkent. Born in 1983. With 3 years Alina began to play sports. Alina's mother, watching the development of sports talent in the girl, decided to move to Moscow. Irina Wiener was Alina’s coach. Since 1996, she is also a full member of the Russian team.
Kabaeva is one of the most titled gymnasts. In her piggy bank 25 gold medals, 6 silver and 5 bronze. In 2007, she completed her sports career and entered politics the same year. Alina became a State Duma deputy. The gymnasts of the Russian national team are doing very well in public affairs.
Yana Batyrshina. This athlete, like Alina Kabaeva, a native of the city of Tashkent. Born in 1979. I came to gymnastics at 5 years old. First, she played for the national team of Uzbekistan. After the collapse of the USSR, she moved to Russia and began to play for the national team. Her achievements are impressive. Yana has 180 medals of various denominations. In 1997, Yana was awarded the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", II degree. She left the big sport at the age of 19. I went to Brazil and worked as a head coach in rhythmic gymnastics. She is happy in marriage with Timur Weinstein, has two daughters.
Bashkir beauty
Laysan Utyasheva. This beautiful athlete gave us Bashkiria. She was born in 1985. Parents wanted to give the girl to the ballet, but she was accidentally noticed in the store by Nadezhda Kasyanova, a gymnastics coach. Since 1994, Laysan trained with Tatyana Sorokina, and then with Alla Yanina and Oksana Valentinovna Skaldina.
In the 90s, Laysan deservedly received the title of master of sports. In 2001, she became the absolute winner at the World Cup stage and received a gold medal at the championship in Madrid. In 2002, she was injured, undergoing treatment, but she was contraindicated in sports anyway. In 2006, she left the sport.
After completing her career, she did not go into the shadows. Laysan starred in the series, works as a sports commentator, and broadcasts. The gymnast successfully married TV presenter Pavel Volya and gave birth to her son Robert and daughter Sofia.
Pupil of Irina Viner
Evgenia Kanaeva. A native of the city of Omsk. Born in 1990. Her mother was a master of sports in gymnastics, so the future of the girl was determined from early childhood. From the age of 12 she played in the youth team of Moscow. After Zhenya trained at the school of the Olympic reserve. Her trainer was also Irina Viner.
Kanaeva has many achievements and awards, of which 57 are gold and 3 are silver medals. In 2012, she ended her career. Personal life is successful, she is married, and already in 2014 her firstborn, son Vladimir, was born.
All these greatest gymnasts of Russia are Honored Masters of Sports, and some are world-class sports masters.
Rio de Janeiro
At the last Olympic tournament, the gymnasts were the main hope of the fans. Russia, the Olympics for which was associated with unpleasant doping scandals, had hoped for athletes as never before.
And if the gold in the team championship in rhythmic gymnastics was predictable, then the bronze awards in sports became a pleasant surprise.