Oxana Skaldina
Encyclopedia
Oxana Skaldina (born 24 May 1972 in Zaporozhye, Ukraine
) is a former Individual Rhythmic Gymnast
. She started training in gymnastics at the age of 5 with Liudmilla Koval. When she moved to the Kiev
she began training at the rhythmics school of Albina and Irina Deriugina
.
With the break-up of the USSR, Oksana and her teammate Alexandra Timoshenko
, both coached by the coaching Albina and Irina Deriugina, competed at the 1992 European Championships in Stuttgart
, Germany
for Ukraine. Oxana placed 5th in the All-Around, but still managed to win 3 apparatus golds.
There was a controversy about the team members chosen for the Barcelona Olympics some weeks after the European Championships. The ex-USSR countries went to the competition as a Unified Team
. Oxana Kostina
was the favorite to go and had a better competitive season, but Skaldina was named to the team instead. She finished 3rd in the All-Around in Barcelona. She is remembered to have been in tears minutes after her last routine and famously refused to congratulate or acknowledge Carolina Pascual
on her silver-medal victory, an event that would become legendary. She is currently a coach in Moscow, Russia. Her daughter, Daria Svatkovskaya, is also a rhythmic gymnast.
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...
) is a former Individual Rhythmic Gymnast
Rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which individuals or teams of competitors manipulate one or two pieces of apparatus: rope, clubs, hoop, ball, ribbon and Free . An individual athlete only manipulates 1 apparatus at a time...
. She started training in gymnastics at the age of 5 with Liudmilla Koval. When she moved to the Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
she began training at the rhythmics school of Albina and Irina Deriugina
Irina Deriugina
Irina Deriugina is a Ukrainian former individual Rhythmic Gymnast. She is the only Soviet rhythmic gymnast who possesses two all around world titles, which she won in 1977 and 1979. Her mother, Albina, was her coach...
.
With the break-up of the USSR, Oksana and her teammate Alexandra Timoshenko
Alexandra Timoshenko
Olexandra Olexandrivna Tymoshenko born 18 February 1972 in Boguslav, Ukraine, USSR) is a former Soviet Individual Rhythmic Gymnast. She started gymnastics in 1980 at age 8 and she retired at age 20 in 1992. She was coached by the famous mother/daughter combination of Albina and Irina Deriugina...
, both coached by the coaching Albina and Irina Deriugina, competed at the 1992 European Championships in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for Ukraine. Oxana placed 5th in the All-Around, but still managed to win 3 apparatus golds.
There was a controversy about the team members chosen for the Barcelona Olympics some weeks after the European Championships. The ex-USSR countries went to the competition as a Unified Team
Unified Team
The Unified Team was the name used for the sports team of the former Soviet Union at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The IOC country code was EUN, after the French name, Équipe Unifiée...
. Oxana Kostina
Oxana Kostina
Oksana A. Kostina, was a former Soviet Individual Rhythmic Gymnast. She was born in Irkutsk, Russia.For years Oksana Kostina remained in the shadow of the two Ukrainian gymnasts Oxana Skaldina and Alexandra Timoshenko, even though she won many international events before her excellent results at...
was the favorite to go and had a better competitive season, but Skaldina was named to the team instead. She finished 3rd in the All-Around in Barcelona. She is remembered to have been in tears minutes after her last routine and famously refused to congratulate or acknowledge Carolina Pascual
Carolina Pascual
Carolina Pascual Gracia was an Individual Rhythmic Gymnast. Pascual was doing ballet when at age seven her ballet teacher told her mother that her daughter had excellent qualities for Rhythmic Gymnastics...
on her silver-medal victory, an event that would become legendary. She is currently a coach in Moscow, Russia. Her daughter, Daria Svatkovskaya, is also a rhythmic gymnast.