Evgenia Kanaeva evenings near Moscow. Evgenia Kanaeva

Evgenia Kanaeva-Musatova is an outstanding Russian athlete, the most titled “artist” on the planet. Born on April 2, 1990 in Omsk.

The wife is only 27 years old, and she - a true legend world sport with a huge number of records.

She won two consecutive Olympics (Beijing 2008 and London 2012) in the individual all-around, which has never been achieved in this sport, and is unlikely to happen in the future. In Beijing, Zhenya was the youngest finalist, and in London she became the oldest Olympic champion in the history of this sport.

She became the absolute world champion three times in a row, and in total she has 17 gold medals at the world championships. During her career, Evgenia won 59 different tournaments without losing a single (!!!) start. Several times she became second, but it was in certain types with the subject, she never lost the all-around.

Official site Olympic Games writes about her simply: the greatest athlete in the history of rhythmic gymnastics. Dot.

At one time, no less outstanding gymnasts competed with her: Anna Bessonova (Ukraine), Inna Zhukova (Belarus), Daria Kondakova (Russia), Olga Kapranova (Russia), Daria Dmitrieva (Russia), Aliya Garayeva (Azerbaijan) and many others. But it was she who, for the 8 years that her adult career lasted, was the absolute prima of rhythmic gymnastics.

Zhenya amazed with her refined technique and was unusually musical and expressive. In one and a half minutes she created an entire mini-performance. She was not afraid to take music that was difficult to interpret on the carpet: Stravinsky, Rachmaninov, Chopin, Glinka, Shchedrin. And most importantly, she did the most difficult things with incredible ease.

The former president of the International Gymnastics Federation, Italian Bruno Grandi, once called her exercises “cosmic” and compared them with the creations of Michelangelo.

Incendiary Carmen with clubs, a crystal ballerina with a ribbon to “Moscow Evenings,” a frantic pagan from Stravinsky’s “Dances of the Goldfinch,” a Russian beauty in “Merry Quadrille.” Evgenia could master any image, she could do anything!

The secret of her success was her incredible work ethic, amazing modesty, constant desire to improve and great love and dedication to the sport. Perhaps genes also played a role: her father was a famous Omsk wrestler, Master of Sports of the USSR in classical wrestling, and her mother was a Master of Sports in rhythmic gymnastics.

My wife is also very lucky. She avoided serious injuries, excellent specialists worked with her - personal trainer Vera Efremovna Shtelbaums, and then Irina Viner herself, the outstanding choreographer Irina Zenovka, then you can list half of Novogorsk (the sports base where the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team trains), because almost everyone who works there is in one way or another involved in Zhenya’s great victories.

As a person who has been following rhythmic gymnastics for a long time, I think that simply performing at the Olympics is already a great achievement for a gymnast. The competition in Russia in this event is enormous; out of hundreds of thousands of aspiring gymnasts, only dozens will make it to the national team. Injuries can end your career at any time. It is also important to be noticed by the Russian national team coaches. And Zhenya was very lucky that everything worked out in her favor. But it seems to me that one must be prepared for such gifts of fate. And she was ready, thanks to her phenomenal hard work and dedication to the sport.

“There are no ideal gymnasts. Some are blessed with beauty, some with a gorgeous body, others with excellent technique. It’s rare to have everything at once.”

"...in general I shy person. I feel uncomfortable when I am filmed or even photographed. I'm very self-critical and weird. For example, I always loved to train. Even when it was hard. Maybe I'm a masochist (laughs)."

“Kanaeva is a symbol of overcoming. A girl with average abilities came into sports and made history.” Irina Viner

“I was a rather chubby child and had a club foot. I was actually sent to the gymnastics section at the age of six just so that I would lose weight and my legs would become straight and slender. No one would have thought that everything would turn out like this.”

"I dreamed of going to the Olympics [Beijing 2008], but I didn't expect it to happen. It seemed to me that everyone was much better than me. It was a shock for me."

“What is the most important thing for gymnastics? To be easy. First, this is the advantage of youth, then it is working on yourself and is synonymous with professionalism.”

“We have a cruel sport. You can’t lose a single start: if you don’t exist, there will be someone else.”

"When I started, they said so many things about me, ugly duckling called. But maybe thanks to this criticism I became stronger. Didn't finish the element, you say? Okay, I'll make sure there's nothing to complain about."

“She is a very modest and reserved girl and never talks about her life, especially since she had no personal life. She had no life outside of rhythmic gymnastics. Only before the Olympics in London did she meet her love, as it has now become known. She met She loved her in the clinic where she was being treated, and he was also being treated there." Irina Viner

“If we continue the theme of appearance, then my ideal is the actress Audrey Hepburn. Plus, when I was a child, I collected stickers with Princess Diana. I was sure that she was an angel!”

“I was invited to television. But I believe that to engage in this activity you need to receive a special education and be a competent person in this environment. Go on television simply because you have a name and title Olympic champion, - it is not right."

“I can sacrifice a lot for the sake of the cause. Many were surprised that I won the Olympics right away, but Vera Efremovna and I trained a lot. At half past six in the morning we were already in the hall, so as not to wait later for the carpet to be free. Then the choreography , light breakfast, rest, second training, lunch, rest, third training..."

“I have a lot of shortcomings. For example, it would be nice to improve the jump, make it higher. The stretching is far from ideal. I definitely wouldn’t be accepted into ballet with such a foot.”

“Very talented girls trained next to me. Much more capable than me. They had better data, better figures, and more expressive faces. Collectively, they were amazing gymnasts.”

“I have my own trick [at competitions, when the fear of making a mistake appears]. I begin to think that my mother will not love me any less.”

"Advice to young gymnasts? We live once and we should enjoy it. Don’t be constrained, don’t be afraid of mistakes. They will happen in any case. Everyone goes through this. There are no victories without losses, so you shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes. We should probably , be afraid of something else - repeated mistakes."

"In London, I already had a goal - to go through the entire cycle and reach the end. It was very difficult. You know, everything really coincided there. And it coincides once in a million."

“Thank God that sport opens up some opportunities. You know... thanks to sport, I saw the sea for the first time when I went to Sochi for a training camp. Thanks to sport, I got an apartment.”

“Irina Aleksandrovna “strives” to find Tatar roots in every gymnast. I don’t know, it’s quite possible that I have them, but I want to say that I have a lot of blood mixed together.”

“To perform at the Olympics is a great happiness and success.”

“I promised myself never to show my fatigue on the carpet, not to show it to the audience. We are actresses on the carpet, and everything we do should look easy and simple.”

“I clearly remember that the coaches called me “goosebumps”. At one time, some of them said about me: no, Zhenya will remain small, unnoticed. And she won’t grow up. I was very worried about this. But, Thank God I grew up."

“I don’t have the most ideal parameters for doing rhythmic gymnastics and I don’t have the most long legs. I just absolutely love what I do, and I don’t know what rest is. In my case, if you don’t work out for a month, the ligaments become ossified.”

“I will repeat for the hundredth time that the “Kanaeva phenomenon” is hard work. And talent. Not a single medal has fallen from the sky into her hands.” Elena Arais, first coach.

“The hardest thing in our sport is nerves. Sometimes learning the most difficult element is easier than controlling yourself. And I still have to work and work on this task.”

“I am sure of one thing: if you want to be better than others, work harder than everyone else. I can’t stand still, I need to progress and show something new. This is the only way to stay at the top."

“Chashchina and Kabaeva became a huge example for me. Alina turned the world of gymnastics upside down, opened it up from a different side. She was so emotional, artistic and sincere in her performances that it was impossible to tear herself away. For this, the entire sports world loves and respects her. And Ira "she captivated everyone with her plasticity. And no one owned and does not own the object like she does. In general, creatures from another planet."

As a child, Zhenya made a wish and wrote in her diary that she wanted to become an Olympic champion. She doesn’t remember this; her mother, Svetlana Kanaeva, showed her the recording years later.

She became the first gymnast in the history of rhythmic gymnastics who managed to get the highest score under a 30-point judging system.

On June 8, 2013, she married hockey player Igor Musatov. Wedding Dress Marina Gogua sewed for Zhenya, the one who dressed her in gymnastic leotards for the last 4-5 years.

In 2013 she graduated from NSU. them. P.F. Lesgaft in St. Petersburg.

Now Evgenia Kanaeva-Musatova works as a coach and educates young gymnasts.

About the second, historic victory in London:

“I would like to use this opportunity to thank everyone who helped me, who put part of their soul into this victory and not only this, but also all previous ones. I am very grateful to my mentor Vera Efremovna Shtelbaums, the head coach of the national team Irina Alexandrovna Viner, her husband Alisher Burkhanovich for the enormous support of rhythmic gymnastics, my director Irina Borisovna Zenovka, the national team's choreographers, doctors, massage therapists and everyone, everyone who contributed part of their soul to this victory. I also want to thank my first coach Elena Arais for everything. , Amin Zaripova and Natalya Kukushkina, who trained me at the Olympic training center in Moscow. Thank you very much to all of them! If not for all these people, I would not have been able to achieve what I have achieved. To my loved ones, my family and my future husband Igor, for his support and for his love.To be loved is a great happiness.

And to you, the fans, thanks a lot. Special thanks to Zoya, as we call her, who flew to London from Taiwan to support me and cheer for our Russian team. I have always felt the support of loved ones and even those I don’t know... But this year it was especially strong. This was our common victory."

Kanaeva Evgenia Olegovna

Honored Master of Sports in Rhythmic Gymnastics

Born in Omsk

Trainers: Elena Arais, Vera Shtelbaums, Irina Viner

The first ever two-time Olympic champion in the individual all-around

Winner of the Games of the XXX Olympiad 2012 in London

Winner of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad 2008 in Beijing

Three-time absolute World champion 2009, 2010, 2011.

Multiple European champion 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012.

Two-time absolute champion of Russia 2008, 2009.

Two-time winner of the World Universiade 2009, 2011.

Winner of the 2009 World Games

Multiple winner of the World Cup and Grand Prix tournaments

Knight of the Order of Friendship

Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree

...And be happy just like that - from the sun

On snowy fir trees.

This is a craft.

And firmly know that living differently is heresy.

Love words. Live without words for years.

Be Mozart. Kill the Salieri in you.

And become yourself.

And this is a craft.

(Boris Smolensky)

Victory over oneself is the only triumph in which luck has no share. (R. Sheridan)

In the history of rhythmic gymnastics, only one athlete managed to become a two-time Olympic champion in the individual all-around. This unique achievement belongs to Omsk gymnast Evgenia Kanaeva.

It may seem that Evgenia is an iron lady with nerves of steel, who does not know fatigue or defeat. But that's not true. She is the same girl as millions of others, subject to experiences, weaknesses and feelings. What is the secret of the champions' success? Of course, behind every gold medal are years of life, woven from endless training, pain, tears, disappointments, overcoming and every day more and more perfect mastery in the most difficult art - subordinating our weaknesses, feelings and experiences to that inner spiritual force that makes us move forward to those peaks that seem unattainable, but are achievable. To those peaks for the sake of conquering which we come into this world.

Friends, today I want to dedicate my post to a beautiful, fragile, but strong girl, the current Olympic champion and legend of grace - Evgenia Kanaeva.

Of course, sporting achievements have great importance, but while working on this article, Kanaeva’s personality opened up for me in a new light. Reading numerous interviews, I understood that it was not so much Zhenya’s sports records that were a revelation, but her attitude to life, charming radiance and deep and clear wisdom beyond her years.

A girl capable of bringing light, creating an aura of joy and harmony around herself, and her path to the championship. What helped her climb Olympus twice and touch the rainbow above its top?..

Childhood

Evgenia Kanaeva was born on April 2, 1990 in Omsk. Her mother, Svetlana Kanaeva, is a master of sports in rhythmic gymnastics. However, at the age of six, Evgenia was brought into the sport by her grandmother, who loved rhythmic gymnastics and figure skating.

I was a rather chubby child and had a club foot as a child. To remedy the situation, my grandmother put me in sports when I was 6 years old. I remember how in the first year of training I came home and jumped around the room, repeating all the exercises especially for her.

Despite her young age, Zhenya showed great potential. Her first coach, Elena Arais (daughter of Evgenia Kanaeva’s future personal trainer, Vera Shtelbaums), was amazed by her desire to learn new complex elements. Shtelbaums, who worked at the same sports school, also remembers the times when Zhenya stayed in the gym after all the children had gone home, trained for long hours, and the grandmother waited for her granddaughter in the cold, dark corridor.

In addition to her love for rhythmic gymnastics, little Evgenia was distinguished by her kindness and care for the people around her. Coaches and parents of athletes nicknamed her Mother Teresa.

How to practice a sincere smile? - No way. You won't work. Live correctly, love people, appreciate them, do not judge or envy. Sincerity and purity should remain in people even after they become adults.

At the age of 12, Evgenia Kanaeva was invited to a training camp in Moscow as part of a group of young gymnasts from Omsk. Her performance attracted the attention of Amina Zaripova, the coach responsible for training juniors. Evgenia was invited to train at the Olympic reserve school. The young athlete improved her results, including thanks to the help of Vera Shtelbaums, who was present in Moscow, and at that time the personal trainer of another Omsk gymnast, member of the Russian national team, Irina Chashchina.

What qualities do you consider the most important in a coach? - Patience, understanding, humanity, love for your work and your students and, most importantly, FAITH.

In 2003, Evgenia competed for Gazprom at the Club World Championship in the junior category ( Aeon Cup), which took place in Japan, where she won one of her first victories.

When I started, they said so many things about me, they called me an ugly duckling. But maybe thanks to this criticism I became stronger. Didn't finish the element, you say? Okay, I'll make sure there's nothing to complain about.

Not everything was easy and simple for Evgenia.

2003 Little Zhenya loses her mace, but not her smile and faith.)

year 2012. Corbeil-Essonne. An exercise with clubs, which a few months later will become one of those that will bring Kanaeva her second Olympic gold.

I noticed her around the same time Main coach Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team Irina Viner.

She was a good girl, but she didn't really shine. But over time, this girl made herself, of course, with the help of a coach and all the conditions that were created for her. Her main quality is the ability to work on herself, very hard and persistently. From the moment she got to Moscow, she slowly and confidently walked towards that goal - the title of two-time Olympic champion in individual program, which happened for the first time in history in rhythmic gymnastics. (Irina Viner)

Evgenia was invited to train at the Novogorsk training center - the base of the Russian national team members. According to Irina Viner, this was a turning point in the athlete’s life.

I was not the only gymnast, but I had a huge advantage - I trained on the same mat with Ira Chashchina! She was a great example for me in sports.

Climbing

Kanaeva's climb to the senior podium was not easy due to the fact that Russia has a large number of talented gymnasts. Since the end of the 2004 Olympics, where Kabaeva and Chashchina won gold and silver, respectively, Vera Sesina and Olga Kapranova began their ascent and became the leaders of Russian rhythmic gymnastics. Since Kabaeva continued to perform, there was simply no room left for Kanaeva in the team. But she continued to work hard. In the summer of 2007, the composition of the Russian national team for the European Championship in Baku was already known - Kabaeva, Sesina, Kapranov. But, having received a serious injury, Alina Kabaeva left the team. To replace Kabaeva, Wiener chose Kanaeva and entrusted her with one item - a ribbon. Despite the fleeting appearance of her appearance on the mat, Kanaeva did not let her coaches and fans down. Evgeniya won gold in the ribbon final and in the team competition.

– And yet, why did you cry on the pedestal? - From happiness. I couldn't contain myself. Journalists came up for interviews, and I didn’t even cry, I sobbed. She sobbed into the microphone. All the girls congratulated and said: “You won, well done!” – but I still couldn’t calm down. At such moments, you experience thousands of training sessions as one, remembering all the pain and disappointments. There is no time for emotions on the carpet. You just do your program, don’t look at anyone, try not to let down the coach who has invested all his strength and skills in you.

A few months later, Eugenia won gold at the World Championships in Patras, Greece, in the team competition.

Olympic season 2008

All four programs at the 2008 Olympics (hoop, clubs, jump rope and ribbon) were designed to be highly challenging, musically thoughtful, and revealed her individuality. One of the programs - a tape - was composed for the original version of “Moscow Evenings”, performed on the piano. Kanaeva began the 2008 season in the shadow of Sesina, Kapranova and the current world champion Anna Bessonova. However, by mid-spring she managed to overcome all obstacles and win the absolute championship at all stages of the Grand Prix and World Cups and win the title of absolute Champion of Russia. At the European Championships in Turin, Italy, she was no longer listed in the reserves, but was a full-fledged member of the Russian team.

Kanaeva was the youngest among all the finalists in the rhythmic gymnastics competition at the Olympics. At the same time, she was the most collected and made the fewest mistakes. “The Olympics are not like other competitions. It requires complete concentration on yourself, the carpet and the subject. You can't be distracted by anything else. I convinced myself that everything would be fine and that I had nothing to worry about,” following this mindset, Kanaeva won the Olympics with an excellent result of 75.50 points, ahead of her closest pursuer Inna Zhukova from Belarus by 3.50 points. What Kanaeva achieved in winning by a huge margin won't be easy for any gymnast to replicate in the near future, Wiener said.

A lot depends on expressiveness, on the soul, on what Lately began to place more emphasis. The sport is quite artistic. But, in my opinion, the main thing is not to cross the line. And this can be achieved only without straying from sincerity. In the world, by the way, there is not enough sincerity. As well as kindness. It's the same in sports.

Record holder

The main thing is to do your work with full dedication and love, to put your soul into it.

I couldn’t leave the gym without working out more, without pushing myself to the last. And I got a kick out of it. I liked to push my limits.

I promised myself never to show my fatigue on the carpet, never to show it to the audience. We are actresses on the carpet, and everything we do should look easy and simple.

When you step off the pedestal, you just have to forget that you won something. You need to pull yourself together again and train with redoubled force. Demand the maximum from yourself again.

My main rival is, of course, myself.

I take victories calmly. It's nice to win, of course. But as soon as she left the pedestal, she had to start all over again. For me this is the law.

With the introduction of new rules in 2009, Evgenia Kanaeva’s style has changed significantly. At the beginning of the season, the athlete was plagued by injuries and fatigue. However, she continued to win every competition in absolute championship, and only some finals in certain types of programs she lost to Vera Sesina or Anna Bessonova. In May, at the European Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, Kanaeva won gold in all four events of the program. In July, she won all the gold medals (9 in total) at the Universiade in Belgrade and the World Games in Taiwan. The five gold medals it won at the World Games allowed Russia to take the lead in the overall standings. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev thanked Evgenia Kanaeva for her contribution to achieving victory, and Evgenia was awarded the title “Heroine of the Games” on the official website of the 2009 Universiade in Belgrade.

Although no one thought that the World Championships in the Japanese city of Mye would break records, Kanaeva's advantage was obvious. After three types of the program, she took the leading position, ahead of her teammate Daria Kondakova by 0.850 points.

You shouldn’t be afraid of your opponents, you need to learn from them.

After Kondakova masterfully completed her last event - the jump rope, receiving the highest score of 28.400 points, the atmosphere in the hall became tense to the limit. After the performance of all five other finalists, Kanaeva came out onto the mat with the ball in her hands. Her performance was final and triumphant. With a difference of 0.600 points, Kanaeva won her sixth medal, and thereby set a new record for the number of gold medals won by an athlete at one single world championship in rhythmic gymnastics. After the performance, Kanaeva gave vent to tears in the arms of the coaching staff.

At the 2011 World Championships, held in Montpellier, France, Evgenia Kanaeva managed to repeat her amazing achievement: she was again able to win all 6 out of 6 possible highest awards in personal disciplines. As a result of the championship, Evgenia became a 17-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics.

Olympic season 2012

Patience and pain are part of the path to achieving your goal.

I give myself completely to this sport, trying to make it enjoyable for both the audience and myself. Although I am rarely satisfied with myself. I can’t look at my performances: it always seems to me that everything is wrong. Therefore, I constantly work on myself, try to become better. And I hope I succeed at least a little.

In the summer of 2012 in London, Evgenia Kanaeva became a two-time Olympic champion.

In one of her interviews, Evgenia admitted that this success was much more difficult for her than four years ago in Beijing, noted that she had matured noticeably during this period and in her new programs tried to give as many bright emotions to the fans as possible.

London, like Beijing, still needed to be reached. Some said: “Come on, why are you worried? You go, you perform, everything will be fine.” It’s nice, of course, when they believe in you like that, but it was wildly difficult. There were injuries, illnesses, doubts. And the other gymnasts performed very well. For example, a very young girl, Sasha Merkulova, appeared - young and light. And I need to rebuild, urgently lose five kilograms in order to look just as ethereal against her background. I had to be in the hall until 12 at night and endure a lot. Our sport is brutal. You can’t lose a single start: if you don’t exist, there will be someone else.

- If we compare the gold in Beijing and the victory in London. Which success was more difficult?

The current gold was much more difficult, because it is always more difficult to confirm your level. Then four years ago I was much younger and did not fully imagine everything that awaited me. Now I initially set the goal to win at all costs, and the desire for this peak helped me throughout the entire preparatory four-year period. It was very difficult because I had to practice new elements, new images.

- Do you feel any changes in yourself during this period?

Of course, I have become much older, as all those who work with me and watch my success say. If before I worked more and more on technique, now I try to add as much artistry and beautiful movements to my program as possible. The fact is that we perform for the audience, and what is more important to them is not the grades, but the brightness and beauty of the performance.

When you have a team, a lot is possible. I was lucky to have her. I had wonderful first trainers, whom I want to thank constantly, then I got a personal trainer, the main one, I always have friends and relatives nearby, and also my favorite person. Life is often difficult, but with the team everything can be overcome, and for that I thank them very much!

Off the carpet

At the end of 2009, Evgenia Kanaeva became the new ambassador of elegance of the famous Swiss watch company Longines, being a partner of international sports federations.

On September 18, 2013, Zhenya received the title “Woman of the Year” according to GQ magazine. The Omsk gymnast managed to beat tennis player Maria Sharapova, model Sasha Luss, actress Olga Kurylenko and journalist Irada Zeynalova.

The Olympic champion of Beijing and London was named the best athlete of 2012 based on the results of the editorial and reader voting of Championship.com.

Success is satisfaction with what you have achieved. And not only professionally.

The brightest thing in my life is the words of people and their sincere support.

Zhenya’s success not only brought her recognition from fans around the world, but also continued the tradition of the Omsk school of training excellent athletes. According to Vera Shtelbaums, Evgenia has all the makings to become a good rhythmic gymnastics coach.

At the end of 2009, Kanaeva received the title of “Honored Master of Sports of Russia.” The certificate was presented to her by Irina Chashchina. And on December 4, 2012, Evgenia was elected vice-president of the All-Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation. On the same day, the two-time Olympic champion announced that she was ending her sports career.

Like any girl...

After all, what is personal should remain personal, it should be kept deep in your heart. Although, like any girl, I also dream about own family, and about children. And about great love - and as a believer, I believe that the Lord sees everything and sends it to those who really want to find it. It rewards me for challenges, of which I have had many in my life.

Evgenia's dream came true. In June 2013, she married Igor Musatov, a hockey player for the Lokomotiv club. And in the spring of 2014, Zhenya and Igor became parents. On March 19, their son was born. Vladimir.

What would you like people to remember about Evgenia Kanaeva? - That everything I did, I did with love for people, that I loved them...

Materials: website of the All-Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics

Little Zhenya. Exercise with clubs (2003)

Corbeil-Essonne. Exercise with clubs (2012)

Olympics in Beijing. Exercise with the tape “Moscow Evenings” (2008)

World Championship. Mie. Exercises with hoop and ball. Final (2009)

Olympics in London. Exercises with a ball, clubs and tape. (2012)

Kanaeva Evgenia Olegovna was born on April 2, 1990 in Omsk. Two-time Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics. Height - 168 centimeters, at the end sports career the athlete has grown a little, her height is 172 centimeters, her weight is 42 kilograms.

Start

Evgenia’s mother Svetlana Kanaeva was a rhythmic gymnast and master of sports. Maybe that’s why she didn’t send the girl to sports, knowing what difficulties awaited her and her parents. But her grandmother insisted that Zhenya do rhythmic gymnastics, who sent her granddaughter to a sports school at the age of six, and this is where Evgenia Kanaeva’s sports biography begins.



The first coach was Elena Arais. As a child, Evgenia was considered plump and clubfooted - but you don’t need to pay attention to such comparisons, because these are the usual cliches that envious people give to successful gymnasts. Elena Arais supported the girl in her quest for sports results and together they filled the performance program with complex elements. Training continued late into the night, often in an almost empty school. The grandmother, who was worried that her granddaughter would have to get home at night, therefore patiently waited for the young athlete near the gym for many hours. After training, the gymnast showed her grandmother everything that she managed to learn during training.



But Zhenya also managed to do her homework, which once again proves that sports are not a hindrance to studying. She sat late at night studying textbooks, trying to be successful in school, although she was very tired after many hours of training.

In Moscow

At the age of 12, Evgenia Kanaeva went to Moscow for a training camp that was specially organized for gymnasts from Omsk. Thanks to the coach responsible for junior training, Amina Zaripova, who liked Zhenya’s preparation, she soon entered the Moscow Olympic Reserve School.



The athlete’s coach was Vera Shtelbaums, whose students included Russian champion, Olympic silver medalist Irina Chashchina, world champion Natalia Puusel, European champion Tatyana Reshetnikova. The teacher had a lot of experience - Vera Shtelbaums had worked as a coach since 1961, she knew the methodology of sports very well and calculated well what exercises and tricks could lead to victory.



In 2003, Evgenia won the Japanese championship between gymnastics clubs, where she went with Ira Chashchina and Alina Kabaeva. Thanks to this victory, at the invitation of Irina Viner (head coach of the Russian national team), she began training in Novogorsk, where other athletes of the Russian team trained. Novogorsk provided maximum conditions, maximum opportunities for revealing Evgenia’s sporting talent.

In the national team

Competition in rhythmic gymnastics is very strong. It's such a popular sport in Russian Federation that there are sports schools in almost every big city. Zhenya trained among real champions - in 2004, the winners of the Olympics were Chashchina and Kabaeva. Vera Sesina and Olga Kapranova rose to the top of the sport. Bets were placed on these four in all competitions. Despite Kanaeva’s talent, she was not accepted into the national team.



But in 2007, at the European Championships in Baku, Evgenia was taken to the team instead of Alina Kabaeva, who was forced to undergo treatment after an injury. Zhenya had to perform with a ribbon. It was a small chance that the athlete used to express her talent. In a team with Kapranova and Sesina, the girl won, receiving gold medal. After some time, a team victory again, but this time more high level- world championship in Patras, Greece.

On the way to the Olympics

After the victories at the world championship, the next high bar was set in his sports career - performance at the Olympics. At this world tournament, competition should not just be a spectator sport. If everyone had this approach, all performances on the gymnastics mat would be quite the same. Competitions of this level must be based on details - music, tricks, costumes, training to the smallest detail, attention to new products in the sports world can bring a prize, and even victory. This is exactly how Kanaeva’s performances to the music of “Moscow Nights” were structured. It was psychologically difficult for Evgenia, because the judges’ attention was focused on the leaders of the Russian team - Sesina, Kapranova, as well as on the competitor from Ukraine Anna Bessonova.



On the way to the Olympics, Evgenia went on her own the hard way— her performances were built on complexity and at the same time thoughtfulness in terms of harmony of movements and music. She and her program win in all disciplines at various stages of the World Cup and Grand Prix, as well as at the Russian Championship, becoming the absolute champion of her homeland.

In 2008, at the Turin European Championships, she took first place in the individual all-around.

Thanks to such confident success, the gymnast was transferred from the reserve to the main team of the Russian team. At the European Championships, Kanaeva became the champion, defeating the Russian Kapranova and the Ukrainian Bessonova and became the main contender for participation in the Olympic team. The athlete went to the Beijing Olympics with Kapranova.

Records

Rhythmic gymnast Evgenia Kanaeva biography of records. Evgenia Olegovna Kanaeva set her first record in the Grand Prix final in Czech Brno, scoring 30 points out of 30 possible.

In Beijing in 2008, Evgenia became the youngest among the Olympic finalists, and Kanaeva had fewer recorded errors than her older competitors. Having successfully performed in the final, she confidently won the gold medal.

In 2009, Zhenya started the season very tired, she was tormented by injuries, but she continued to compete. The victories continued - gold medals in all disciplines at the Baku European Championships, nine gold medals at the Taiwan World Games and the Belgrade Universiade. At the Berlin Grand Prix final she received five gold medals. In 2009, Zhenya received the title of Honored Master of Sports of Russia. Also among the state awards are two orders - the Order of Friendship and For Services to the Fatherland.

At the World Championships in the Japanese city of Mye in 2009, she became the first, winning four golds in the individual competition and one in the team competition, thus repeating Oksana Kostina’s record, which had stood since 1992. The result of his performance at the World Championships was six gold medals, thus breaking the record for the number of medals at one world championship.



At the 2010 Moscow World Championships, Kanaeva received four gold medals in the all-around, team, and hoop and ball. In the same year, at the Bremen European Championship, she received first place in the all-around.

Evgenia Kanaeva at the world championship in 2011 in Montpellier, France, won all six medals out of a possible six in the individual competition. For the third year in a row, she single-handedly took first place at the world championships, this is another record. The athlete climbed to the first step of the podium 17 times only at the world championships in rhythmic gymnastics.

In 2011, she took first place at the Universiade in Shenzhen, China, and also received three gold medals at the Minsk European Championship for hoop, ribbon and in the team competition.

In 2012, Evgenia Kanaeva confirmed that her previous Olympic triumph was not a coincidence - at the London Olympics she received two gold medals, becoming the only two-time Olympic world champion in the individual all-around.

Success and personal life

Zhenya’s success has the following components:

• daily work, victories not for the feeling of euphoria, but for motivation;
• high-level sport involves risk, those who take risks can lose or achieve high results, although the risk in gymnastics is associated with injury;
• lesions are needed to analyze errors, not frustrations;
• cooperation with a coach should take into account your capabilities, you need to embody your ideas, take a creative approach to training and performances.



After the 2012 Olympic Games, Evgenia was emaciated, tired, and exhausted by injuries. The first coach, Vera Shtelbaums, said that the gymnast could continue her triumphant march, but Zhenya understood that the tough world of sports would interfere with her personal life; she wanted to start a family and continue her sports career, but this time as a coach. In 2012, Evgenia became vice-president of the All-Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation.

After the athlete stopped going to training, she felt some emptiness - a common psychological condition, when you have lived for many years according to a clear schedule and are given freedom of action. But new activities have appeared in independent life— Evgenia graduated from the Siberian State University of Physical Education and Sports, loves to draw, her dreams were to learn to play the piano, to learn English language.

After the Beijing Olympics, the athlete signed advertising contracts and starred in several commercials; since 2009, she has been an official spokesperson for Longines watches for some time.



In 2013, she married Continental Hockey League hockey player Igor Musatov, whom she began dating before the London Olympics. They met by chance - in the emergency room, Igor Musatov was injured after falling on the ice, Zhenya arrived with a leg injury. After the Olympics, Igor Musatov proposed to Evgenia.

Soon there was a wedding for 160 people, Igor’s witness was his hockey colleague Alexei Morozov. Also at the wedding was the entire Russian rhythmic gymnastics team, led by Irina Viner. Wedding ceremony hosted by Anton Komolov and Olga Shelest. The newlyweds spent their honeymoon on a yacht cruise in Croatia. In 2014, Zhenya gave birth to a son, Vladimir.

Now working as a coach, she has been coaching the Russian national team since 2015. The first student was an athlete from St. Petersburg, Ekaterina Ayupova. Among her students is Eleonora Romanova, one of the best Ukrainian gymnasts who in 2016 changed her Ukrainian citizenship to Russian. Eleanor’s tragedy was that Krasnodon is located on the territory of the Lugansk region, not under the control of the Ukrainian authorities; a change of citizenship was necessary to continue the career of a promising athlete. As a coach, Evgeniya tries to understand the situation and never kicks athletes out of the gym for disciplinary reasons. She has extensive and difficult sports experience, she understands her little sports colleagues very well.



Although the “artist” does not perform, she remains in the sport, being a true symbol of perseverance and hard work. She is often invited to sporting events, for example, in 2015 she lit the flame of the Russian-Chinese youth games in Irkutsk.

The gymnast was lucky that in modern Russia gymnastics is one of the leading sports. Of course, there are many who want to get on the podium in this sport, but those who are hardworking and ready to work tirelessly can count on success. After all, many girls want to perform in colorful, beautiful tights, but not everyone is ready to go through the real horrors of this wonderful sport - tears, pain, injuries, disappointments of defeat.

Parents, coaches, and the athletes themselves can’t stand it and leave the sport, or decide to “stand in line” for a master’s crust. But those who study with a warm heart and find understanding in the hearts of their parents and coaches can count on success, including dizzying ones, like Evgenia Kanaeva’s.

Kanaeva Evgenia Olegovna was born in April 1990 in the city of Omsk. Kanaeva was able to become a two-time Olympic champion, as well as a seventeen-time world champion. Evgenia Kanaeva’s height is 168 centimeters. The girl's weight is only 42 kilograms (at the time she performed). Kanaeva’s success after the end of her career has not yet been repeated by any of the gymnasts of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team. Evgenia also remains a favorite of the famous coach of many champions - Irina Viner.

The childhood of an Olympic champion

Evgenia’s mother is a master of sports in rhythmic gymnastics. Evgeniy Kanaev at the age of six years in sports section Grandma gave it to me. The first coach of the talented little girl was Elena Arais. Elena was amazed at Zhenya’s great effort in learning new elements and training with all her might. The little girl often stayed in the gym after class and continued to train hard. Grandmother Evgenia often had to wait for her in the corridor.

When Zhenya turned 12 years old, she was first invited to a training camp in Moscow. The girl’s performance was seen by the coach, who herself is a champion. It was Zaripova who was responsible for training juniors, and she invited Evgenia Kanaeva to train at the Olympic reserve school. Evgenia achieved better and better results in her training. Evgenia Kanaeva's coach was Vera Shtelbaums.

Crucial moment

In 2003, when the girl was only 13 years old, she went to defend the honor of Gazprom at the club championship in the junior category in Japan. The championship ended with Evgenia winning. By the way, A. Kabaeva and I. Chashchina performed with her. It was then that Irina Viner, who is to this day the head coach of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team, noticed her. The girl was invited to train in Novogorsk.

Start of a sports career

In her career, Evgenia Kanaeva faced not only the difficulty of winning medals, but also the difficulty of simply getting into the Russian national team, since there are many contenders among Russian gymnasts. At that time, Alina Kabaeva and Irina Chashchina shone, who won gold medals at the Olympic Games in 2004. After them, Vera Sesina and In 2007, Kabaeva was unable to go to the European Championship due to injury, this was Kanaeva’s real chance to get into the national team. And the girl completely lived up to expectations. In exercises with a ribbon, Evgenia Kanaeva won a gold medal. She also won the team competition. Just a few months later, the World Championships began, where Evgenia again received a gold medal in the team performance.



Olympic Games

In 2008, Evgenia Kanaeva goes to the Olympic Games, Kapranova and Sesina are going with her. Evgenia had four routines planned: with a ribbon, with clubs, with a hoop and with a skipping rope. All four numbers were characterized by increased complexity and were also thought out from a musical point of view. For example, the program with the tape was accompanied by musical accompaniment in the form of a piano version of “Moscow Evenings.”

In the spring of 2008, Kanaeva won all stages of the Grand Prix and also took 1st place in the World Cup. The gymnast becomes the absolute champion of Russia. At the 2008 European Championships, Evgenia beat all her competitors and climbed to the top step of the podium. She joined the main roster of the Russian national team, and Olympic medals were predicted for the gymnast. In fact, Kanaeva and Kapranova went to the Olympics in Beijing as part of the main team of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team. Evgenia Kanaeva became the youngest gymnast among the finalists in artistic competition. gymnastics at the Beijing Olympics. Kanaeva won the Olympic Games in Beijing, becoming an Olympic champion.

Evgenia repeated her success at the 2012 Olympic Games, again winning gold and Kanaeva becoming a two-time champion.

In 2009, at the European Championships, held in the capital of Azerbaijan, Evgenia won gold medals in all types of the program. The rivals of the mistress of the ribbon and hoop never dreamed of such a result. Kanaeva’s next achievement was 9 gold medals received at the World Games and the Universiade. The next goal was the 2009 World Championship, but even there Kanaeva showed an excellent result, winning four medals of the highest standard, as well as a gold medal as part of a team that also included Kondakova, Dmitrieva, and Kapranova. The total number of gold medals won at the championship reached 6. Kanaeva broke the record. At the 2011 World Championships, Kanaeva again achieves a mind-blowing result, winning 6 gold medals out of six. At the end of the World Championships, E. Kanaeva becomes the 17-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics.

Experts' opinions about the gymnast

Laysan Utyasheva, also famous gymnast in the past, stated that, in her opinion, Kanaeva is a combination of Alina Kabaeva and Irina Chashchina. Also, according to Utyasheva, Kanaeva will be able to become an excellent coach after finishing her career. In 2009, Evgenia received the title “Honored Master of Sports of the Russian Federation.”



Many experts in rhythmic gymnastics spoke positively about the athlete’s character and hard work. She always enjoyed learning new elements of the program, during the preparation of which she could express her opinion to the coach.

Personal life of Evgenia Kanaeva

The girl has always been modest and hid the details of her personal life from prying eyes. Fans and friends of Kanaeva were taken by surprise by the news of her marriage to the famous hockey player Igor Muskatov. The wedding of outstanding athletes took place in June 2013.



Evgenia and Igor met at the emergency room in 2011. At that moment, both athletes received minor injuries and arrived at the medical center to receive assistance. After the Olympics in London, Igor proposed to his beloved. And although before Igor’s marriage there was a trail of rumors about drunkenness and antics, after the wedding, according to relatives and friends, the young man settled down. In 2014, the couple had a son. The boy was named Vladimir.

Education

Several years ago, an outstanding gymnast completed her studies at the Sibirsk state university Physical culture and sports. In 2017, Evgenia, tired of injuries and worries, decides to leave big sport and take up a new activity for her - becoming a coach.

Records

For the first time in history, Evgenia Kanaeva became an athlete who won 6 out of 6 possible gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics during the World Championships. Moreover, a few years later the girl again repeated her own record, again winning 6 gold medals out of 6 possible.



In addition, Evgenia became the first gymnast in history to take 1st place at the World Championships for 3 years in a row. She became the only athlete in rhythmic gymnastics who won gold medals in all types of programs. Kanaeva is also the only winner of 17 gold medals at the World Championships in artistic expression. gymnastics

Sports achivments

• In 2007, he took 1st place at the European Championships.
• In 2008, he rose to the highest step of the podium - 1st place at the European Championships.
• In 2009, in certain types of all-around, he won gold medals at the European Championships, which took place in Baku.
• In 2009, she also became the absolute world champion in all-around, in addition, Kanaeva won a gold medal in the team and in individual all-around events. The tournament took place in Japan. Result: 6 gold medals out of 6 possible.
• In 2009, at the Universiade held in Belgrade, Evgenia won 5 gold medals.
• In 2010, at the European Championships held in Bremen, Kanaeva won 1st place in the all-around. In the same year, already at the World Championships in Moscow, Kanaeva won four gold medals: in the ball exercise, in the hoop exercise, in the all-around and in the team championship.
• In 2011, the European Championship was held in Minsk. Evgenia Kanaeva wins a gold medal in the team event, a gold medal in the ribbon exercise, and a gold medal in the hoop exercise. And at the Universiade that same year, held in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, Kanaeva performed and won first place in the all-around.
• In the same 2011, Evgenia became the absolute world champion in the all-around, winning a gold medal in the team exercise and a gold medal in individual all-around events. The World Championships took place in France. The result of the performance was 6 gold medals out of 6 possible.



• At the Summer Olympics in London (2012), Evgenia becomes the Olympic champion in the individual all-around.

Post-career activities

Today she is a patient mentor to young gymnasts. Evgenia Kanaeva trains young students of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team. Evgenia's pupils are girls aged 12-14 years. According to the Olympic champion, today's gymnasts train much less than she did in her time. According to Kanaeva, this is due to the fact that now young gymnasts have more opportunities and more temptations. However, the girl also notes that at one time she also trained much less than another legendary champion, Irina Chashchina.



Occasionally, the famous sportswoman appears at social events; one of these appearances was the wedding of another no less famous Olympic champion in arts. gymnastics of Margarita Mamun.

Social media

Evgenia, like many girls, loves to take pictures and share her pictures on social networks. The girl prefers to use social network"Instagram". Hundreds of fans “followed” the famous athlete; there were always many comments under the photo of Evgenia Kanaeva, the Olympic champion, most of which were compliments. But today the girl maintains a private page, closed from large quantity users. In general, catching the Olympic champion is difficult even for journalists; the girl does not like to give interviews.

The biography of Evgenia Kanaeva is quite interesting; in it you can trace how a very young girl was able, through training and a great desire, to “grow” into a two-time Olympic champion and 17-time world champion. Today, Kanaeva coaches the Russian youth team, which includes gymnasts aged 12-14 years. Evgenia’s main task is to provide the students with a “candidate master of sports” program. Also, sometimes news appears in the press about the family of a famous athlete.

The two-time Olympic champion told an SE correspondent about how she made the decision to retire and about her new job with young gymnasts

- They say that you are now the head coach of the youth team.

When I read this news, I thought: “Wow.” In fact, I became the coach of the Russian national team. We do not have any division by age. I work with young gymnasts and help the main athletes create programs. Irina Aleksandrovna Viner connects me if she needs help.

- How did you end up in the coaching field?

All my life, rhythmic gymnastics has been my main thing. For me it is like creativity. I can't live without her. Some people want to go into show business, others want to become a TV presenter, but I like gymnastics. At the same time, I understand that I need to develop myself in a variety of areas. For this reason, I entered the university to get a second higher education.

- You look wonderful. It must have been difficult to maintain your figure after retiring?

You would know how sharply I began to gain weight after the Olympic Games in London! I was seriously drying myself out in preparation for them. And after they ended, the body began to catch up. Everything stabilized only after the birth of the child. Now I don’t go on strict diets, but I restrain myself within reason.

- Some of the gymnasts of the 2012 Olympic team found themselves on television. You could probably do it too.

By the way, I was invited. But I believe that to engage in this activity you need to receive a special education and be a competent person in this environment. Going on television simply because you have the name and title of Olympic champion is wrong.

- What about your teammates?

They are probably learning... And in general, I am a shy person. I feel uncomfortable when I am filmed or even photographed. I'm very self-critical and weird. For example, I always loved to train. Even when it was hard. Maybe I'm a masochist (laughs).

- Is coaching serious and long-term?

Wait and see. At the moment I really like everything. I get great pleasure and want to help our country maintain its brand in rhythmic gymnastics.

- Do you work with someone individually?

Yes. But these girls are still young. There are some very promising ones.

- Are they listening?

Yes, in different ways. There are also very successful people who look straight into their mouths and hang on to every word. But there are very few of them. It's a different time now. It seems to me that the current generation is more talented, but this very “looking into the mouth” is lacking.

- How can a young athlete not do this if in front of him is a legend of his sport?

It happens. There was one striking example...

- If necessary, can you kick me out of training?

I've never been kicked out and I don't intend to do that. I don't think this method is correct. I can only say that the doors are always open, and if someone doesn’t want to study, they can leave. I didn’t come here to force an athlete to work against his will, but to help him achieve something in life.

- You yourself announced your retirement relatively recently. When did you make this decision internally?

No one touched me or pressed me. They gave me the opportunity to think calmly. We recently spoke with my first coach Vera Shtelmbaus, and she said: “But you could continue. I saw fire and desire in you.” In general, she had hope until the last moment. But I still decided to switch to family life. Plus, my health was not all right. I just didn't talk about it. And everything has its time. I have achieved some success in gymnastics, now I need to move on.

How were your first days without gymnastics?

It was a terrible situation. Feeling like you are in emptiness. Before life was built according to a clear schedule, I always understood what would happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and even in six months. And then you wake up - and that’s it, the thread is cut. You need to look for yourself again. Everyone deals with the situation differently. I went to my family and gave birth to a child. I believe that this is the main event in life for any woman.

- By the way, about women. Rhythmic gymnastics is the only sport in which there are no men yet...

Apparently, we will soon cease to be an exception.