Alina Kabaeva
Encyclopedia
Alina Maratovna Kabaeva is a Russia
n Honored Master of Sports, retired rhythmic gymnast, and politician
. Since 2007, she has been a State Duma
deputy from the United Russia
party.
Kabaeva is Russia's most successful rhythmic gymnast to date, and is also one of the most decorated gymnasts in the history of rhythmic gymnastics with two Olympic medals, 18 world championship medals and 25 European championship medals.
father and Russian
mother, was born in Tashkent
, Uzbek SSR
, in the Soviet Union
. She started rhythmic gymnastics there at the age of 3 with coach Margarita Samuilovna. Her father Marat Kabayev
was a professional football (soccer) player and the family was constantly following him to different places in Uzbekistan
, Kazakhstan
and Russia. At first, many coaches did not like Alina because they considered her "too heavy" and "ugly" to be a rhythmic gymnast, none of them seemed to consider her a rhythmic gymnast of any particular talent. In her young teens she moved to Russia, where her mother took her to the Russian head coach Irina Viner
, who liked her from the start.
She stayed with Viner and made her international debut in 1996. In 1998 the 15-year-old Kabaeva won the European Championships in Portugal
. At the time she was the youngest member of the Russian squad, competing alongside internationally recognized teammates, like Amina Zaripova
. In 1999 Kabaeva became European Champion for the second consecutive time and won the World title in Osaka
, Japan
. She went on to win a total of 5 all-around titles at the European Championships and added another World title in 2003 in Budapest
, Hungary
.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Kabaeva was expected to claim gold in all-around, but, due to an error in an otherwise exceptional performance—she dropped her hoop
and ran to retrieve it outside the competition area – took home the bronze with the final score of 39.466 (Rope 9.925, Hoop 9.641, Ball 9.950, Ribbon 9.950).
At the 2001 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
, she won the gold for the ball
, clubs
and rope
, and silver in the Individual All-Around and hoop
. However, Kabaeva and her teammate Irina Tchachina
tested positive to a banned diuretic
(furosemide
) and were stripped of their medals.
Irina Viner, the Russian head coach, who also served as the Vice President of the FIG
Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee at the time, said her gymnasts had been taking a food supplement called "Hyper" which contained mild diuretics, which, according to Viner, the gymnasts were taking for pre-menstrual syndrome. When the supply ran out shortly before the Goodwill Games, the team physiotherapist restocked at a local pharmacy. According to Viner, the supplement sold there was fake and contained furosemide. The commission requested the Goodwill Games organizing committee to nullify Kabaeva and Tchachina's results. The FIG also nullified their results from the World Championships in Madrid, causing Ukraine's
Tamara Yerofeeva
to be declared the 2001 World Champion.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics Kabaeva took home the gold medal in the individual all-around for rhythmic gymnastics with a score of 108.400 (Hoop 26.800, Ball 27.350, Clubs 27.150, Ribbon 27.100), the silver medal went to her teammate Irina Tchachina
.
In October 2004, Kabaeva announced her retirement from the sport. However, in June 2005, the Russian head coach Irina Viner announced a possible comeback. Kabaeva resumed her sport career at an Italy
-Russia friendly competition in Genoa
, on 10 September 2005. On March 5, 2006, She won the Gazprom Moscow Grand Prix, with fellow Russians Vera Sessina
and Olga Kapranova
taking the second and third places.
.
She also appeared briefly in the 2001 Japanese movie Red Shadow, performing her gymnastic routine.
Since 2007, Kabaeva has been a member of the Russian parliament, the State Duma
, representing the pro-Kremlin United Russia
party.
in mid-June, after he left office. It sourced the news to a St. Petersburg based planner bidding to conduct the wedding reception. On April 18, 2008 Putin addressed the article in a press conference with Silvio Berlusconi
, saying, "There is not a single word of truth" in it. While Putin had been abroad and unavailable for comment, Kabaeva's spokeswoman had already refused to discuss "this nonsense".
in January 2011, Alina Kabaeva appeared on the cover of Vogue Russia.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Honored Master of Sports, retired rhythmic gymnast, and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Since 2007, she has been a State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
deputy from the United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
party.
Kabaeva is Russia's most successful rhythmic gymnast to date, and is also one of the most decorated gymnasts in the history of rhythmic gymnastics with two Olympic medals, 18 world championship medals and 25 European championship medals.
Athletic career
Kabaeva, the daughter of a TatarTatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
father and Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
mother, was born in Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
, Uzbek SSR
Uzbek SSR
The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Uzbek SSR for short, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union since its creation in 1924...
, in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. She started rhythmic gymnastics there at the age of 3 with coach Margarita Samuilovna. Her father Marat Kabayev
Marat Kabayev
Marat Vazykhovich Kabayev born May 27, 1961 in a Tatar family. He is a professional football coach and a former player. Currently, he manages the Under-19 Uzbekistan national football team.He is the father of the famous gymnast Alina Kabayeva....
was a professional football (soccer) player and the family was constantly following him to different places in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
and Russia. At first, many coaches did not like Alina because they considered her "too heavy" and "ugly" to be a rhythmic gymnast, none of them seemed to consider her a rhythmic gymnast of any particular talent. In her young teens she moved to Russia, where her mother took her to the Russian head coach Irina Viner
Irina Viner
Irina Aleksandrovna Viner is a Russian rhythmic gymnastics coach who is head trainer of the Russian national team. She is Jewish. She has trained sportwomen like:...
, who liked her from the start.
She stayed with Viner and made her international debut in 1996. In 1998 the 15-year-old Kabaeva won the European Championships in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. At the time she was the youngest member of the Russian squad, competing alongside internationally recognized teammates, like Amina Zaripova
Amina Zaripova
Amina Zaripova is a retired rhythmic gymnast with Tatar roots. She competed for Russia. Her older sister, Venera Zaripova, is also a retired rhythmic gymnast. Her husband is Alexei Kortnev, lead singer of Neschastny Sluchai.-External links:...
. In 1999 Kabaeva became European Champion for the second consecutive time and won the World title in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She went on to win a total of 5 all-around titles at the European Championships and added another World title in 2003 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Kabaeva was expected to claim gold in all-around, but, due to an error in an otherwise exceptional performance—she dropped her hoop
Hoop (rhythmic gymnastics)
A hoop is an apparatus in rhythmic gymnastics and may be made of plastic or wood, provided that it retains its shape during the routine. The interior diameter is from 51 to 90 cm, and the hoop must weigh a minimum of 300g...
and ran to retrieve it outside the competition area – took home the bronze with the final score of 39.466 (Rope 9.925, Hoop 9.641, Ball 9.950, Ribbon 9.950).
At the 2001 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
2001 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
XXIV World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships were held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, October 18–21, 2001-Individual All-Around:-Individual Rope:-Individual Hoop:-Individual Ball:-Individual Clubs:-Team All-Around:-References:**...
, she won the gold for the ball
Ball (rhythmic gymnastics)
The Ball is a piece of apparatus used in rhythmic gymnastics. It is made of either rubber or synthetic material provided it possesses the same elasticity as rubber. It is from 18 to 20 cm in diameter and must have a minimum weight of 400g. The ball can be of any colour...
, clubs
Juggling club
Juggling clubs, or simply clubs are a prop used by jugglers, as are other props such as balls or rings. A typical club is in the range of long, weighs between , is slim at the "handle" end, and has its center of balance nearer the wider "body" end...
and rope
Rope (rhythmic gymnastics)
Rope may be made of hemp or a synthetic material which retains the qualities of lightness and suppleness. Its length is in proportion to the size of the gymnast. The rope should, when held down by the feet, reach both of the gymnasts' armpits. One or two knots at each end are for keeping hold of...
, and silver in the Individual All-Around and hoop
Hoop (rhythmic gymnastics)
A hoop is an apparatus in rhythmic gymnastics and may be made of plastic or wood, provided that it retains its shape during the routine. The interior diameter is from 51 to 90 cm, and the hoop must weigh a minimum of 300g...
. However, Kabaeva and her teammate Irina Tchachina
Irina Tchachina
Irina Viktorovna Tchachina is an Individual rhythmic gymnast born 24 April 1982 in Omsk, Russia. Known for her jumps and clean technique, Irina is considered to be one of the most elegant and technical gymnasts ever. She has been quoted as saying “Besides your body, you should train your mind too...
tested positive to a banned diuretic
Diuretic
A diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
(furosemide
Furosemide
Furosemide or frusemide is a loop diuretic used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and edema. It is most commonly marketed by Sanofi-Aventis under the brand name Lasix...
) and were stripped of their medals.
Irina Viner, the Russian head coach, who also served as the Vice President of the FIG
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique
The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique or International Federation of Gymnastics is the governing body of competitive gymnastics. Its headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was founded on July 23, 1881 in Liège, Belgium, making it the oldest international sport organisation...
Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee at the time, said her gymnasts had been taking a food supplement called "Hyper" which contained mild diuretics, which, according to Viner, the gymnasts were taking for pre-menstrual syndrome. When the supply ran out shortly before the Goodwill Games, the team physiotherapist restocked at a local pharmacy. According to Viner, the supplement sold there was fake and contained furosemide. The commission requested the Goodwill Games organizing committee to nullify Kabaeva and Tchachina's results. The FIG also nullified their results from the World Championships in Madrid, causing Ukraine's
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Tamara Yerofeeva
Tamara Yerofeeva
Tamara Yerofeyeva was a Rhythmic Gymnast. She was born in Kiev, in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union - in present day Ukraine.She won the 2001 world championships because of the disqualifications of Alina Kabaeva and Irina Tchachina...
to be declared the 2001 World Champion.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics Kabaeva took home the gold medal in the individual all-around for rhythmic gymnastics with a score of 108.400 (Hoop 26.800, Ball 27.350, Clubs 27.150, Ribbon 27.100), the silver medal went to her teammate Irina Tchachina
Irina Tchachina
Irina Viktorovna Tchachina is an Individual rhythmic gymnast born 24 April 1982 in Omsk, Russia. Known for her jumps and clean technique, Irina is considered to be one of the most elegant and technical gymnasts ever. She has been quoted as saying “Besides your body, you should train your mind too...
.
In October 2004, Kabaeva announced her retirement from the sport. However, in June 2005, the Russian head coach Irina Viner announced a possible comeback. Kabaeva resumed her sport career at an Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-Russia friendly competition in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, on 10 September 2005. On March 5, 2006, She won the Gazprom Moscow Grand Prix, with fellow Russians Vera Sessina
Vera Sessina
Vera Sessina is a Russian individual rhythmic gymnast. She trains in Moscow at the MGFCO - Dinamo Club. She started rhythmic gymnastics in 1993....
and Olga Kapranova
Olga Kapranova
Olga Sergeyevna Kapranova is a rhythmic gymnast from Moscow, Russia.She first took up the sport of rhythmic gymnastics in 1993 and trained with Elena Nefedova...
taking the second and third places.
After retirement
Since 2005 Kabaeva has been a member of the Public Chamber of RussiaPublic Chamber of Russia
The Public Chamber is a state institution with 126 members created in 2005 in Russia to analyze draft legislation and monitor the activities of the parliament, government and other government bodies of Russia and its Federal Subjects. It has a role similar to an oversight committee and has...
.
She also appeared briefly in the 2001 Japanese movie Red Shadow, performing her gymnastic routine.
Since 2007, Kabaeva has been a member of the Russian parliament, the State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
, representing the pro-Kremlin United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
party.
Marriage controversy
In mid-April 2008 the Russian paper Moskovsky Korrespondent stated that she was engaged to marry the Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
in mid-June, after he left office. It sourced the news to a St. Petersburg based planner bidding to conduct the wedding reception. On April 18, 2008 Putin addressed the article in a press conference with Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
, saying, "There is not a single word of truth" in it. While Putin had been abroad and unavailable for comment, Kabaeva's spokeswoman had already refused to discuss "this nonsense".
in January 2011, Alina Kabaeva appeared on the cover of Vogue Russia.