In my past, many people wanted to know more about our beautiful artists. So who is the first number of the national team now?
Lichnits
Alexandra Soldatova.
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), champion of Russia in the individual all-around (2016), bronze medalist in the all-around Russian gymnasium championship (2014).
2017 programs.
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 wonderful new 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 as a substitute
Sasha is coached by Anna Vyacheslavovna Dyachenko (Shumilova)
Interview excerpts
Without perseverance, hard work and patience, they do not become champions. Your coach Anna Dyachenko told that there was a time when you drove with her every morning from Dmitrov by car to Novogorsk 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 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, these are trifles. If you want to achieve something, you will have to deny yourself a lot and be patient.
Sasha, why exactly rhythmic gymnastics? This is love at first sight?
No. It turned out quite funny. In Sterlitamak, where I come from, my mother brought me to the rhythmic gymnastics section to record ... my brother. Then we just did not know that gymnastics can be different - sports and rhythmic. We were told that where they wanted to give my brother, everything was only for girls, then my mother was not at a loss and said: "And I have a girl, take it!" I don’t remember the first trainings, I was small, the awareness of gymnastics came to me only when I was already in the third grade.
You have excellent physical data for gymnastics, can I 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 an object, are stronger than me, they are by nature like that.
What subject is more difficult for you?
I can't say that some are more difficult, but some are easier. I am still at the stage of excellence in mastery and comprehension of something new. 
You have come a long way to get into the Russian national team. Sterlitamak - Dmitrov - Novogorsk.
They also forgot Pushkino! From Sterlitamak, my family moved to Pushkino, from there I got to Dmitrov, where I waited with bated breath ... when they would send me back to Pushkino. The first training session, the second, the week, the second, the 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 it 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 care. I was independent!
First meeting with your coach Anna Dyachenko. Did you expect to fall under her care?
I didn't expect it, but from the first day we had a wonderful duet. From the first day, I caught her every comment. The girls and I even competed about who would get up close to her in 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 for Irina Viner?
I did not have such that I somehow unexpectedly saw Irina Aleksandrovna at training or she unexpectedly came to the gym, and there I was. She knows who trains with her. We came to the training camp, I saw how Irina Aleksandrovna works with other gymnasts, how she communicates. Then, when she became a member of the Russian national team, she began to pay more attention to me and, naturally, there was more communication. Irina Aleksandrovna 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 national rhythmic gymnastics team, International Master of Sports. Multiple winner and medalist 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 medalist 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 trained Alina Kabaeva.
Excerpt from interview with Irina Aleksandrovna Viner-Usmanova:
Can we say that Dina and Arina somewhere even surpassed their capabilities, somewhere they surprised with their results?
The fact is that since childhood Dina and Arina were, as we say, "tricks", and now the program is such that all this counts. Previously, we also had very strong girls, and Alina Kabaeva did amazing things, but not everything was counted. Therefore, their time has come. But they lacked a little bit of feeling, lacked expressiveness, they did it all as if by a thread. 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 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 due to their short stature, they were not taken.
Arina on the left, Dina on the right
Photoshoot
Group exercise
(Anastasia Bliznyuk, Anastasia Tatareva, Anastasia Maksimova, Maria Tolkacheva, Vera Biryukova - Rio 2016)
Programs
3 balls + 2 skipping ropes
5 hoops
Now it is difficult to talk about the main line-up, as it is constantly changing. But most often it includes the following gymnasts.
Anastasia Bliznyuk
Anastasia Ilyinichna Bliznyuk(born June 28, 1994, Zaporozhe, 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 I was so seriously ill. My kidneys failed ... Irina Aleksandrovna Viner treated me in Germany. At first they said that the kidneys might 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 grew into a training process.
I got into the second line-up. Proved to everyone that I can and want. I will stand on this team! And she made her way to the main team.
In general, there is a lot of competition in Russia. It was only when the last week before the Olympics was left that I realized that I would be performing in Rio. Each start is a very big fight. If you make any mistake, even in training, they will remove you at any time. It doesn't matter that I was an Olympic champion or 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.
- The third - there is also Elena Posevina and Natalya Lavrova ... Of course, I am incredibly happy and grateful to Irina Aleksandrovna 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 who helped a lot. This road was extremely difficult. But when you realize that you did everything, the taste of victory becomes the sweetest.
- And for five Olympics in a row, we take two gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics.
- I believe 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 born again! And they gave me the chance to perform in Rio.
- How to set yourself up mentally for the new Olympic cycle?
“You know what you're doing this for. But we have insanely hard training. And this medal was more difficult for me than the first one. Apparently I was younger then. And now I thought: “Maybe I can still? Maybe that's not all? "
I retired from gymnastics in 2013 after the World Championships. Now I have returned. 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.
Interview excerpts
- The age of gymnasts is very short. Many have only one Olympics, then they have to end their careers ... Does this not scare you?
- Life is beautiful, and there are so many interesting things in it! I'm not afraid that I will 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 I will probably do this later. Life will show.
- An interesting choice. Probably a good command of a foreign language?
- English. Not bad, but I have 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 are spent on training. Especially when there is preparation for the competition. We have to study on Skype ... And they send us assignments, we carry them out and send them back.
- Teachers don't make discounts, don't simplify the task?
- No. And who am I to simplify my task? (laughs).
- You compete in the team all-around. Do you want your personal views?
- I started personally, by the way. 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 then you feel that we are together. There is what is called "team spirit". We have a very friendly line-up. If we quarrel, it is rare. And we quickly put up.
- Do you know that on the forums you are compared with Alina Kabaeva?
- I have not heard about that! It seems to me that we are completely different. I am not like her ... I think you need to remain yourself, 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. International Master of Sports of Russia. Champion of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Honored Master of Sports. European Champion.
Interview
Vera Biryukova "burst" into the Olympics in Rio with the speed of a meteor and almost at the last moment. Even 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 disappeared, - says Vera. - I calmly worked in the second team, trained and did not 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 Aleksandrovna Viner praised. She said, almost imperceptibly, that a new person had joined the group. “You go to Kazan, and there we'll see,” - such were her words. There were only two starts left before the Olympic Games: the World Cup stages in Kazan and in 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 an airplane flying to Brazil.
- Did you have a good rest after the Games?
- Yes, our whole team was sent to the sea, we rested in Sardinia, it was great. Then each went to her hometown. I also enjoyed spending a week at home.
- Did you remember with your mother how it all began?
- From the sea and Turkey! We rested there, and my mother only had time to make sure that I did not climb where it was not necessary. The energy was overflowing! Well, I have 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've seen it on TV a couple of times. When we returned home, my mother took me to the gym. And so, at the age of five, I started training. Mom said that parents were not allowed to train so that the children would not be distracted. But she managed to peep out the window. She says I always tried, I didn’t cheat. She trained conscientiously, even if the coach left the gym. Although I myself do not remember that time very well.
- And the first medal?
- I remember. At school competitions, she shared the first place with another girl.
- You once mentioned that in childhood your idol in gymnastics was Lyaysan Utyasheva. But Omsk residents traditionally call Irina Chashchina, Evgenia Kanaeva ...
- Irina and Evgenia are great gymnasts. But it's true: it was Laysan that I admired. I have 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 now my idol. And not only as an athlete, but also as a person.
- Did you ask her for advice before the Olympics?
- Unfortunately, before the Olympics, I was not familiar with her yet. 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?
- Honestly, this is a difficult topic for me so far. 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. Therefore, I cannot answer this question yet!
Photoshoot
private photos
Sophia 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 new victories to the 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. The stars of the world rhythmic gymnastics, who took place in life after the end of their professional career. And also - real sexy world sports.
But they are already 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 September 10 to 16 this year in Sofia. Level 90 beauty.
Dina Averina
2017 absolute world champion, multiple European champion and winner of the World Cup and Grand Prix stages. By the age of 20, she had won almost everything except the Olympics. We hope that Dina Averina will definitely have a chance in Tokyo in two years. 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 a regular secondary school. The efforts were not in vain. Arina also boasts a scattering of awards, including victories at the World and European Championships.
Alexandra Soldatova
Soldatova's star lit up even earlier than the star of the Averin sisters. A native of Sterlitamak this year also turned 20 years old. 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 in the world championship due to injury, but now she is set for a serious fight.
Anastasia Bliznyuk
Anastasia Bliznyuk by the age of 24 has already won two Olympics - London 2012 and Rio 2016. Football fans will probably remember the Ukrainian goalkeeper of "Rostov" Ilya Bliznyuk, who lit up in the early and mid-2000s in the Russian championship. Anastasia is his daughter. Bliznyuk has repeatedly won the World and European Championships, so it's not worth talking about the seriousness of her ambitions at the upcoming World Cup.
Maria Kravtsova
17-year-old Maria Kravtsova from Omsk is already an honored master of sports. Actually, like all the other girls that we talked about earlier. Maria is the 2017 absolute world champion in group exercises and our bright future.
Evgeniya Levanova
Another 17-year-old wonderful athlete who has already won the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships 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 is a great age for rhythmic gymnastics. Ksenia Polyakova began to play sports before reaching the age of four. This is due to 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 become an Olympic champion in group exercises. It was, as you know, in Brazil in 2016. Tolkacheva, together with Bliznyuk, are our most experienced athletes at the upcoming World Championships, so they will have additional responsibility.
Today, the deafening victories of Russian gymnasts in all kinds of competitions are familiar to contemporaries. But even 30 years ago, these achievements did not exist at the Olympic Games. History at the Olympics, in that flawless and victorious form, began not so long ago.
Olympic history of rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics as a form of competition came to the Olympics only in 1984. The decision to admit this sport to the Olympic tournaments was made at the 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 national team did not take part in these debut competitions - the Union declared a boycott and refused to participate in this Olympics. It was a response to the US boycott at the 1980 Olympics.
The very first Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics was the Canadian athlete Laurie Fang. Of course, without the participation of Soviet athletes, other countries of the world had significant chances of winning. But, having refused to participate in the games at the Olympics-84, many countries united and created an alternative tournament. Here gymnasts from Bulgaria excelled in rhythmic gymnastics.
Golden time of Bulgarian gymnasts
The unofficial games of the Soviet countries were held in Sofia, and then two Bulgarian gymnasts received the highest award. The debut performance of the USSR national rhythmic gymnastics team 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 fight for the championship in gymnastics was already much more serious. The bets were placed on the brilliant performance of the Bulgarian athletes in the past, but the girls from the USSR national team did not plan to retreat and were perfectly prepared. The final fight between the two Bulgarians and girls from the USSR was brilliant, but Marina Lobach flawlessly completed the qualification test program, so it was she who got the gold. So the triumphal procession of Russian gymnasts on the Olympic pedestals began.
The victory at the Olympic Games-88 for the gymnasts of the Soviet Union was final. After the collapse of the USSR, a team formed from gymnasts from the CIS countries went to the 1992 Olympic Games. The national 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.
Summer games in 1996 were not so victorious for the Russian national team. The speakers of Yana Batyrshin amazed the audience and the jury with their new elements and general approach to the performance. But Yana was able to get only silver in the individual all-around. In the group performance, Russia was awarded the bronze. This alignment only spurred the coach Irina Viner and the athletes, and at the next Olympics Russia becomes the owner of the gold medal.
Viner, Zaripova, Kabaeva, Batyrshina at competitions in Japan. 1997 year
The 2000 Sydney Olympics became "golden" for Yulia Barsukova, but Alina Kabaeva became the unanimous star of the games in the opinion of journalists. It is she who will get the gold medal at the next Olympic competitions. In 2004, the national team will take home 2 medals in total - they will deserve silver in these competitions.
Olympic champions
In 2008, the sports world met a unique Russian gymnast - Evgenia Kanaeva. The winners of the Beijing Games were Anna Bessonova, who took first place, and took home the bronze. Returning to Moscow, the girls worked even more intensively, preparing for new Olympic heights. The next Olympics, held in London in 2012, left no chances for victory for gymnasts from other countries. Both the highest awards - both gold and silver medals in the individual all-around event - went to Russia with their winners - Zhenya Kanaeva and Dasha Dmitrieva. She earned gold in group exercises from Ukraine. Two-time winner, Olympic champion of rhythmic gymnastics Evgenia Kanaeva almost ends her sports career at this point, but worthy athletes are already preparing to replace her.
The 2016 Rio Olympics made the Russian national 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, led to the final and Yana Kudryavtseva with a silver medal. And in the group all-around, the victory was not easy - the number with ribbons barely brought the Russian team to the TOP-3 according to estimates, which made all the fans nervous. But a little later, in a room with hoops and clubs, the athletes decisively took the lead, leaving no chance for other teams.
At the same Olympics, a new star of Russian gymnastics, Margarita Mamun, was lit on the sports horizon. 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 titles and titles in other tournaments. And many athletes in the standings on the basis of all their victories have titles with the prefixes "multiple", "absolute" or "record". This speaks of the phenomenal zeal and hard work of fragile but strong girls.
