In my last post, many people wanted to know more about our wonderful artists. So who is now the first number of the national team?

personalities

Alexandra Soldatov.

Alexandra Sergeevna Soldatova(born June 1, 1998) - Russian gymnast, member of the Russian national team, two-time world champion in the team event (2014, 2015), two-time European champion in the team event (2015.2017), Russian champion in the individual all-around (2016), bronze medalist in the all-around at the Russian Rhythmic Gymnas Championship (2014).

Programs of 2017.

Hoop:

In my opinion, this is Sasha's most beautiful exercise. I think many people remember the beautiful Yulia Barsukova at the 2000 Olympics, and now, 17 years later, a new wonderful swan appears in the world of gymnastics.

Sasha is often called the most flexible gymnast in the country.

crown element

Alexandra went to the Olympics in Rio

Sasha is trained by Anna Vyacheslavovna Dyachenko (Shumilova)

Excerpts from the interview

Without perseverance, diligence and patience, champions do not become. Your coach Anna Dyachenko told me that there was a time when you and her drove from Dmitrov to Novogorsk every morning and you slept in the back seat. This is true?

Yes. In Novogorsk, I did not start living and training right away, I had to leave Dmitrov early in the morning in order to get to Novogorsk on time. Anna Vyacheslavovna put me in the back seat, I had a pillow there, on the way I fell asleep and woke up already at the entrance to the gates of the base. But it's okay, it's the little things. If you want to achieve something, you will have to deny yourself a lot and suffer.

Sasha, why rhythmic gymnastics? This is love at first sight?

No. It turned out to be quite funny. In Sterlitamak, where I come from, my mother brought me to the rhythmic gymnastics section to record ... my brother. At that time, we simply did not know that gymnastics can be different - sports and artistic. We were told that where they wanted to send my brother, everything was only for girls, then my mother was not at a loss and said: “But I have a girl, take it!” I don’t remember the first workouts, I was little, the awareness of gymnastics came to me only when I was already in the third grade.

You have excellent physical data for gymnastics, I can assume that everything worked out the first time?

Far from it. I agree that I have flexibility, stretching, good feet, but I, for example, lack dexterity. Dina and Arina Averina, in terms of working with the subject, are stronger than me, they are by nature like that.

Which subject is more difficult for you?

I can’t say that some are more difficult, and some are easier. I'm still at the stage of perfection of skill and comprehension of something new.

To get into the Russian national team, you have come a long way. Sterlitamak - Dmitrov - Novogorsk.

They also forgot Pushkino! From Sterlitamak, my family moved to Pushkino, from there I ended up in Dmitrov, where I waited with bated breath ... when they would send me back to Pushkino. First training, second, week, second, third, and then they told me: "You stay here!" My emotion was lightning fast, but meager: "Yes. Good!" I will say right away that I did not have longing for my mother and family, as happens with many girls at the age of 12. I calmly reacted to the fact that I would live separately from my parents and without their guardianship. I was independent!

First meeting with your coach Anna Dyachenko. Did you expect to fall under her care?

I did not expect, but from the first day we had a wonderful duet. From day one, I've been listening to her every comment. The girls and I even competed who would be closer to her during training, who would be the first to ask about something, who would write to her or call her. She is wonderful in every way!

Sasha, how did you get to the training camp with Irina Viner?

I didn’t have such that I somehow unexpectedly saw Irina Alexandrovna at a training session, or she unexpectedly came to the gym, and there I am. She knows who trains with her. We came to the training camp, I saw how Irina Alexandrovna works with other gymnasts, how she communicates. Then, when she already joined the Russian national team, she began to pay more attention to me and, naturally, there was more communication. Irina Alexandrovna is a strict and very attentive mentor.

Photoshoot:

Arina and Dina Averina

Arina.

Arina Alekseevna Averina August 13, 1998 - Zavolzhye) - Russian rhythmic gymnast, member of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team, International Master of Sports. Multiple winner and prize-winner of all-Russian and international tournaments, three-time European champion.

Programs

Dina

Dina Alekseevna Averina(August 13, 1998 - Zavolzhye) - Russian rhythmic gymnast, member of the Russian national gymnastics team, Three-time European Champion 2017, Absolute Champion of Russia 2017, International Master of Sports. Multiple winner and prize-winner of all-Russian and international tournaments.

Programs

joint demonstration

Dina in pink, Arina in blue

The sisters are trained by Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina. She also coached Alina Kabaeva.

Excerpt from interview with Irina Aleksandrovna Viner-Usmanova:

Is it possible to say that Dina and Arina somewhere even exceeded their capabilities, somewhere they surprised with their results?

The fact is that Dina and Arina were, as we say, "tricks" from childhood, and now there is such a program that all this counts. Before, we also had very strong girls, and Alina Kabaeva did amazing things, but not everything counted. So their time has come. But they lacked a little bit of feeling, lacked expressiveness, they did it all like a string. And now they do it expressively, they try to make all the exercises very "characteristic" and these movements, tricks, these risks, these interesting masterful elements merge with the music. So that they organically emphasize it, and in Budapest they succeeded.

Arina Dina

private photos

With parents and older sister Polina

Dina on the left, Arina on the right

Together with the national team doctor - Dmitry Ubogov

Arina on the right, Dina on the left

Dina, Arina, sister Polina, mother Ksenia
Arina on the right, Dina on the left

Arina Dina

The girls dreamed of standing in group exercises, but they were not taken because of their short stature.

Arina on the left, Dina on the right

Photoshoot

Group exercises

(Anastasia Bliznyuk, Anastasia Tatareva, Anastasia Maksimova, Maria Tolkacheva, Vera Biryukova - Rio 2016)

Programs

3 balls + 2 ropes

5 hoops

Now it is difficult to talk about the main composition, as it is constantly changing. But most often it includes the following gymnasts.

Anastasia Bliznyuk

Anastasia Ilyinichna Bliznyuk(born June 28, 1994, Zaporozhye, Ukraine) - Russian gymnast. Two-time Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics in group all-around (2012, 2016); world and European champion.

Nastya returned to sports after a serious illness - leptospirosis.

The whole country was worried when you got sick, you got into a difficult situation. How did you manage to continue your career?
I didn't even know that I was so seriously ill. My kidneys failed... Irina Aleksandrovna Wiener treated me in Germany. At first they said that perhaps the kidneys would not start. The chances are very slim and I will always live on dialysis.

But thank God I recovered. And she began working in Novogorsk as a coach of the second team. Somehow it turned out that I decided to lose weight, get in shape. And it turned into a training process.

I got into the second team. Proved to everyone that I can and want. I will be on this team! And made it to the main team.

In general, there is a lot of competition in Russia. Only when it was the last week before the Olympics, I realized that I would perform in Rio. Each start is a very big struggle. If you make some mistake even in training, you will be removed at any time. It doesn't matter that I was an Olympic champion and that the girls won the World Championships. The road started from scratch

More excerpts from the interview:

Nastya! You are the second two-time Olympic champion in the group in our history. There was also the gold of London.
- Third - there is also Elena Posevina and Natalya Lavrova ... Of course, I am extremely happy and grateful to Irina Alexandrovna Viner for this victory. I was able to overcome myself, recover from illness, return with faith in my strength and capabilities. Thanks to the whole team for helping out a lot. This road was extremely difficult. But when you realize that you could do everything, the taste of victory becomes the sweetest.

- And now, five Olympics in a row, we take two gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics.
- I think that only Irina Alexandrovna. Everything rests on Wiener.

For me, she is like a mother. Because she saved my life when I got sick. I was reborn! And I was given a chance to perform in Rio.

- How to set yourself up morally for the new Olympic cycle?
- You know what you're doing it for. But we have insanely hard training. And this medal was harder for me than the first one. Apparently I was younger then. And now I thought: “Maybe I can still do it? Maybe that's not all?

I left gymnastics in 2013 after the World Championships. Now back. And I think: “But I can still!”

Photoshoot

Anastasia Tatareva

Anastasia Alekseevna Tatareva(born July 19, 1997) - Russian gymnast. Olympic champion (2016). Honored Master of Sports of Russia. World and European Champion.

Excerpts from the interview

- The age of gymnasts is very short. Many have only one Olympics, then they have to end their careers ... Doesn't that scare you?
– Life is beautiful, and there are so many interesting things in it! I'm not afraid that I'll have to say goodbye to sports. This is fine. I study at the university - at the correspondence department of the Institute of International Relations. So that's what I'll probably do next. Life will show.

- An interesting choice. Perhaps you speak a foreign language well?
– English. Not bad, but I need to learn more - that's what I'll do. There is a lot of language practice at competitions!

- Do you have time to study?
- All forces go to training. Especially when preparing for competitions. We have to study on Skype ... And they send us assignments, we complete them and send them back.

- Teachers do not give discounts, do not simplify the task?
- Not. Who am I to make things easy for me? (laughs).

- You compete in the team competition. Do you want to go private?
- I started, by the way, in the personal. Then they called me to the team ... No, I don’t want to - I like it more in the team - here, of course, the responsibility is higher. But you feel that we are together. There is something called "team spirit". We have a very friendly team. If we quarrel, then rarely. And we make up quickly.

- Do you know that you are compared on the forums with Alina Kabaeva?
- I have not heard about that! I think we are very different. I'm not like her ... I think we should remain ourselves, not strive to be like others.

Photoshoot:

private photos

Vera Biryukova

Vera Leonidovna Biryukova(born April 11, 1998 - Omsk) - Russian gymnast. Member of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team. Master of Sports of Russia of international class. 2016 Summer Olympic champion. Honored Master of Sports. European Champion.

Interview

Vera Biryukova burst into the Rio Olympics at the speed of a meteor and almost at the last moment. A month and a half before the Games, neither numerous fans of rhythmic gymnastics, nor the Omsk "artist" herself even thought about such a development of events.

- If I had any hopes of getting into the main team, then a couple of months before the Olympics, they almost dissipated, - says Vera. - I calmly worked in the second team, trained and didn’t really count on anything. Judge for yourself: there is nothing left before the Games, who will make changes to the existing group? But it turned out that one of the girls was injured, and the coaches decided to try me. And you know, it worked out well. Even Irina Alexandrovna Viner praised. She said that it was almost imperceptible to her that a new person had joined the group. “You will go to Kazan, and we will see there,” were her words. Only two starts remained before the Olympic Games: the World Cup stages in Kazan and Baku. To be honest, I thought that after Kazan I would be removed from the squad. But this did not happen either after Kazan or after Baku! But I could only believe that I was going to Rio on a plane flying to Brazil.

- Did you manage to have a good rest after the Games?
- Yes, the whole team sent us to the sea, we rested in Sardinia, it was great. Then each went to their hometown. I also enjoyed my week at home.
- Did you and your mother remember how it all began?
- From the sea and Turkey! We rested there, and my mother only had time to make sure that I didn’t climb where I didn’t need to. The energy was overflowing! Well, I always loved to dance, "bent" in all directions. Then my mother suggested that I try gymnastics. I immediately agreed, although I really had no idea what it was! Maybe I saw it on TV a couple of times. When we returned home, my mother brought me to the hall. And that's how I started training at the age of five. Mom said that parents were not allowed to train so that the children would not be distracted. But she managed to look out the window. He says I always tried, I didn’t mess around. I trained conscientiously, even if the coach left the gym. Although I don't remember that time very well.

- And the first medal?
-I remember. At school competitions, she shared first place with another girl.

- You once mentioned that in childhood your idol in gymnastics was Laysan Utyasheva. But Omsk people traditionally call Irina Chashchina, Evgenia Kanaeva ...
- Irina and Evgenia are great gymnasts. But it's true: it was Laysan that I admired. I always liked the way she moves, works with the subject, her emotionality. Yes, for me she was the best gymnast. And over time, it did not go anywhere, she is still my idol. And not only as an athlete, but also as a person.
- Before the Olympics, did you turn to her for advice?
- Unfortunately, before the Olympics, I was not yet familiar with her. My childhood dream came true after the Games. We were introduced by Nastya Bliznyuk. This happened when the girls and I performed at the Alexei Nemov show in Moscow. Laysan also participated in it, we even changed clothes in the same locker room.

- Laysan, after completing her gymnastic career, found herself as a TV presenter. Have you already thought about the future?
- To be honest, this is a difficult topic for me. I have not yet decided on new goals in life, in gymnastics. Now sports take up 100% of my time and it is very difficult to fit something else into my life with such a schedule. So for now I can't answer this question!

Photoshoot

private photos

Sofia Skomorokh

Sofia Pavlovna Skomorokh(born August 18, 1999 Omsk) - Russian gymnast, world and European champion.

Shortly before the Olympics, Sonya was injured and could not go there, although she was in the first team all year.

private photos

Maria Tolkacheva

Maria Yurievna Tolkacheva(born August 18, 1997 - Zhukov) - Russian gymnast, three-time world champion, three-time European champion, two-time European Games champion, Olympic champion (2016) in group exercises. Honored Master of Sports

In my opinion, Masha is the most beautiful gymnast of the national team. Although, of course, they are all beautiful.

Masha and Nastya Tatareva are best friends

That's all! Thank you all for your attention, and the girls new victories)

Today, the resounding victories of Russian gymnasts in various competitions are familiar to contemporaries. But even 30 years ago, these achievements did not exist at the Olympic Games. The history at the Olympics, in that impeccable and victorious form, began not so long ago.

Olympic history of rhythmic gymnastics

Rhythmic gymnastics as a type of competition came to the Olympics only in 1984. The decision to accept this sport as part of the Olympic tournaments was made at a congress held after the 1980 Olympics. 1984 became the starting point for the Olympic competitions in rhythmic gymnastics, where only women's teams take part. However, the USSR team did not take part in these debut competitions - the Union announced a boycott and refused to participate in this Olympics. It was a response to the US boycott of the 1980 Olympics.

The very first Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics was the Canadian athlete Lori Fang. Of course, without the participation of Soviet athletes, other countries of the world had a good chance of winning. But, refusing to participate in the games at the Olympics-84, many countries united and created an alternative tournament. Here, in rhythmic gymnastics, gymnasts from Bulgaria especially excelled.

Golden Age of Bulgarian gymnasts

The unofficial games of the Soviet countries were held in Sofia, and two Bulgarian gymnasts then received the highest award. The debut performance of the USSR national team in rhythmic gymnastics was marked by the second place.

Marina Lobach went down in history as the first Soviet Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics.

At the 1988 Olympics, the struggle for championship in gymnastics was already much more serious. Bets were placed on the brilliant performance of Bulgarian athletes in the past, but the girls from the USSR national team did not plan to retreat and were excellently prepared. The final fight between two Bulgarians and girls from the USSR was brilliant, but Marina Lobach flawlessly completed the program of qualifying tests, so she got the gold. And so began the triumphal procession of Russian gymnasts on the Olympic pedestals.

The victory at the Olympics-88 for the gymnasts of the Soviet Union was final. After the collapse of the USSR, a national team formed from gymnasts from the CIS countries went to the 1992 Olympic Games. The team included Alexandra Timoshenko and Oksana Skaldina, both girls were from Ukraine. The gold medal of those games went to Alexandra, and the silver went to Spain.

The Summer Games in 1996 were not so victorious for the Russian team. The speakers of Yana Batyrshina stunned the audience and the jury on the spot with their new elements and general approach to the performance. But Yana could only get silver in the individual all-around. In the group performance, Russia was awarded bronze. This alignment only spurred the coach Irina Viner and the athletes, and already at the next Olympics, Russia becomes the owner of the gold medal.

Viner, Zaripova, Kabaeva, Batyrshina at competitions in Japan. 1997

The Sydney Olympics in 2000 became "gold" for Yulia Barsukova, however, according to journalists, Alina Kabaeva unanimously became the star of the games. It is she who will get the gold medal at the next Olympic competition. In 2004, the team will take home 2 medals in total - they deserve silver in these competitions.

Olympic champions

In 2008, the sports world met a unique Russian gymnast - Evgenia Kanaeva. The winner of the Beijing Games was Anna Bessonova, who took first place, who took home the bronze. Returning to Moscow, the girls worked even harder, preparing for new Olympic heights. The next Olympics, held in London in 2012, left no chance for gymnasts from other countries to win. Both the highest awards - both gold and silver medals in the individual all-around went to Russia with their owners - Zhenya Kanaeva and Dasha Dmitrieva. Gold in group exercises deserved from Ukraine. Two-time winner, Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics Evgenia Kanaeva almost completes her sports career, but worthy athletes are already preparing to replace her.

The 2016 Rio Olympics made the Russian team the absolute winner in both types of performances - both in the group and in the individual all-around, the girls took first places. The amazing exercises of Russia, which were demonstrated by the gymnasts, brought Yana Kudryavtseva to the final with a silver medal. And in the group all-around, the victory was not easy - the number with ribbons barely brought the Russian team into the TOP-3 according to estimates, which made all the fans nervous. But a little later, in the room with hoops and clubs, the athletes resolutely took the lead, leaving no chance for other teams.

At the same Olympics, a new star of Russian gymnastics, Margarita Mamun, lit up in the sports sky. According to the results of the competition, a young, 19-year-old girl won an unconditional victory in the individual all-around.

Undoubtedly, rhythmic gymnastics and Russia are almost inseparable concepts in the world of sports. Being the winners of all Olympic competitions, Russian gymnasts do not stop, winning more and more new titles and titles in other tournaments. And many athletes in the standings based on the results of all their victories have titles with the prefixes "multiple", "absolute" or "record". This speaks of the phenomenal diligence and diligence of fragile but strong girls.

Russian rhythmic gymnastics is the absolute pride of our sport. Alina Kabaeva, Irina Chashchina, Yana Kudryavtseva, Laysan Utyasheva, Margarita Mamun, Daria Dmitrieva, Yana Batyrshina - all of Russia knows these names. Stars of the world rhythmic gymnastics, which took place in life after the end of their professional career. And also - the real sexy world of sports.

But they are already the past, and who is our present? Let's get acquainted. The preliminary composition of the Russian national team for the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, which will be held from 10 to 16 September this year in Sofia. Beauty level 90.

Dina Averina

Absolute world champion in 2017, multiple European champion and winner of the World Cup and Grand Prix. By the age of 20, she had won almost everything except the Olympics. We hope that Dina Averina will definitely have a chance in two years in Tokyo. Again we have to repeat the phrase "if we are allowed there."

Arina Averina

Dina's twin sister. The girls were born in the Volga region and from the age of four they were engaged in gymnastics and even studied according to individual programs in an ordinary comprehensive school. The efforts were not in vain. Arina also boasts a lot of awards, including victories at the World and European Championships.

Alexandra Soldatova

The star of Soldatova lit up even earlier than the star of the Averin sisters. A native of Sterlitamak also turned 20 this year. At 16, she already became the European champion in the team, and a year later she repeated the achievement. Last year, Alexandra was unable to compete at the world championship due to injury, but now she is set for a serious fight.

Anastasia Bliznyuk

By the age of 24, Anastasia Bliznyuk has already won two Olympics - London 2012 and Rio 2016. Football fans probably remember the Ukrainian goalkeeper of "Rostov" Ilya Bliznyuk, who ignited in the early and mid-2000s in the Russian championship. Anastasia is his daughter. Bliznyuk has repeatedly won the World and European Championships, so the seriousness of her ambitions at the upcoming World Cup should not be said once again.

Maria Kravtsova

17-year-old Maria Kravtsova from Omsk is already an honored master of sports. Actually, like all the other girls we talked about earlier. Maria is the absolute world champion in 2017 in group exercises and our bright future.

Evgenia Levanova

Another 17-year-old wonderful athlete who has already won the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship twice. A native of Cheboksary, at the age of 12, she entered the Nizhny Novgorod Olympic Reserve School and since last year has been a member of the national team under the strict guidance of Irina Viner-Usmanova.

Ksenia Polyakova

17 years old is a great age for rhythmic gymnastics. Ksenia Polyakova began to play sports, not even reaching the age of four. Blame the discovered flat feet, which marked the beginning of an excellent career in rhythmic gymnastics. In 2016, Ksenia became the European champion, and a year later she added the world champion title to this title.

Maria Tolkacheva

Maria was born in Zhukovsky near Moscow 21 years ago and has already managed to become an Olympic champion in group exercises. It was, as you understand, in Brazil in 2016. Tolkacheva, along with Bliznyuk, are our most experienced athletes at the upcoming World Championships, so they will be given additional responsibility.