Kanaeva gymnast biography. Star of Russian rhythmic gymnastics – Evgenia Kanaeva
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 history 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.
Certainly, sports achivments 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 in 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, 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.
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.
Around the same time, she was noticed by the head coach of the Russian 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 nature 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 - the tape - was compiled 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 program she was inferior 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.
Olympic champion 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 protected 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)
The anniversary XXX Olympics in London has passed. Passions subsided, the fans were charged with positivity, and the athletes, fueled by their support, returned to their training and competition schedules. the site met with Evgenia Kanaeva as soon as she returned from London. The record holder in rhythmic gymnastics, two-time Olympic champion, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, winner of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland and the Order of Friendship turned out to be a charming and sociable girl.
About how to achieve success in your chosen field, about daily beauty rituals, diet and sports career Zhenya tells the readers of Passion.ru.
How is your day going at the training camp?
I wake up at 7-30, breakfast at 8-00, choreography starts at 9 - an hour and a half, then training follows, somewhere until 14-00. Then 2 hours of rest and a second workout, which lasts about 4 hours. And then we have about 2-3 hours left before bed. If we finish training earlier, there is time left for hardware recovery and treatment. All my free time is spent on my health. Sometimes we go to the bathhouse, swimming pool, and recover.
Do you have free time that you spend as you please?
There is one training session per day. For example, after treatment. And then I have the opportunity to meet with friends.
How did you spend your vacation after the Olympics?
I managed to relax for 5 days in Sardinia. The head coach gave us a wonderful holiday. You could say we were in a fairy tale.
And now I give a lot of interviews , I attend receptions.
How tall are you and what weight do you maintain?
My height is 171 cm, I do not maintain a stable weight, but I have not weighed myself since the Olympics. I only look in the mirror. Of course, I gained weight, because I didn’t train. But I get into shape very quickly, as soon as I don’t eat in the evenings for a week, the weight immediately drops. If a person says “I’m on a diet and I’m not losing weight,” this is an excuse: if you don’t eat, you’ll lose weight.
Secret from Zhenya Kanaeva: how to lose weight in a week?
Do not eat! (smiles). For example, when I was preparing for the Olympics, during exercise I ate everything except bread, sweet , fat. A week before the Olympics, I even limited myself in drinking. All the time I was preparing for it, my weight was going down.
In the morning I ate porridge, strawberries, and could also eat some fruit. For lunch, after training, I tried to eat meat or chicken and vegetables. And for dinner I tried not to eat, at most I could drink something. On the weekend I tried not to eat at all. I only drank half a glass in the morning green tea and didn't eat anything else. We only had three days off during the entire preparation period, and I lost weight on these days.
What style of clothing do you prefer: casual and for going out?
I really love dresses and heels. But since this is not always convenient, I wear jeans, shorts, T-shirts, tops and boots. I rarely wear sneakers now.
Of course, a girl should always remain a girl and look perfect. There are very beautiful clothes, but first of all I make sure that they fit me well, that they suit me in style and color.
What's included in your daily care behind you?
Every morning and evening I wash my face with cleansing gel, then wipe my face with toner. For the body, I prefer shower gel and oil after it. For hair care I use Pantene Pro-V. I really like their hair mask.
Evgenia Kanaeva: “Everything in life comes from positivity”
Who do you consider your closest competitors in sports?
To be honest, I never think about opponents. When I perform, I think about what I'm doing and what's happening at the moment. I sometimes see how the girls I perform with work. I go out on the mat and try to do my exercise as a performance, without thinking that I will drop or lose the object. As soon as such thoughts appear, I immediately make mistakes.
Everyone who performed in the top ten was very strong, and even the top twenty were very close to the favorites - everyone was close to tenth. There is a lot of competition in rhythmic gymnastics.
But we have an excellent head coach, she creates wonderful atmosphere. Irina Aleksandrovna gathers gymnasts all over the country and invites them to work with their coaches. My coach is Vera Efremovna Shtelbaums, she previously coached Ira Chashchina, Daria Dmitrieva (silver medalist of the 2012 Olympics) has her own coach - Olga Vladimirovna Buyanova.
Evgenia Kanaeva: “Everything in life comes from positivity”
We have an excellent director Irina Borisovna Zenovka. Irina Aleksandrovna takes the advantages from each coach and shares her experience with them.
Which coach played the most significant role in your life?
First of all, this is my coach - Vera Efremovna, who was and is with me day after day, as well as the head coach, who gave me a chance to perform at the European Championships when Alina Kabaeva was injured, and then allowed me to compete for the first time Olympic Games. I cannot single out anyone, because this is common work and common forces.
About sports... and more!
They say stress doesn't affect you. This is true? What instructions do you give yourself at critical moments?
When I’m on the court, many people say to me: “Zhen, you’re not afraid at all, not a single muscle twitches on your face.” In fact, all mistakes come from the head. You should “turn it off” and go towards your goal, your dream.
Evgenia Kanaeva: “Everything in life comes from positivity”
First of all, you need to convince yourself that everything will work out well, and if a person has done everything to reach his goal, he will achieve it. Therefore, there is no point in being nervous and worrying.
Do you keep in touch with fans around the world and how?
I have a lot of fans, and it’s very nice. I received a huge number of SMS and emails, as well as parcels.
Fans provide great support for the athlete, you want to perform even more and better, and your mood only rises. I'm performing for the audience.
Evgenia Kanaeva: “Everything in life comes from positivity”
Where can I write to Zhenya Kanaeva?
Letters are sent to me by email, and also sent through the Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation or to Novogorsk.
In one of your interviews, you said that if you left sports, you would start painting and playing the piano.
I would like. I really loved drawing as a child. My grandmother had a friend in Omsk, an artist. I was 6 years old then, I was on fire, I dreamed of becoming an artist, and in class we drew what we saw.
When I came to rhythmic gymnastics, the coaches, through my parents, offered me a choice: either draw or play sports. After all big sport you need to devote a lot of time.
How was the music selected for the London Olympics?
The beginning of the year is the most difficult period for sports. The athlete gets into shape, trains new exercises, new elements, which are difficult to practice.
Nowadays it is very difficult to find music that has not already been used. Irina Borisovna, the director, helped with this, the ideas of Vera Efremovna and the head coach, my comments were also taken into account.
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 Wiener 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 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 the 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.
Evgenia Kanaeva was born on April 2, 1990 in Omsk. She won the Olympics twice - in 2008 and 2012. For the first time in history, she became a two-time Olympic champion in the all-around. He holds the title of Honored Master of Sports of Russia.
Start
Evgenia was lucky with her parents: her mother is a master of sports in rhythmic gymnastics. Sports genes and the example of her mother largely determined the future success of the champion. Kanaeva came to sports at the age of 6. Despite such a young age, she immediately began to show great potential. The coaches were amazed and delighted by the young gymnast’s desire to learn new complex elements. All the children had already gone home, and Zhenya was still training.
At the age of 12, Evgenia Kanaeva, as part of gymnasts from Omsk, was invited to a training camp in Moscow. There she was noticed by Amina Zaripova, a junior training coach.
In 2003, Zhenya competed in the Gazprom team at the World Club Championship in the junior category. She became the winner of these competitions. Around the same time, the head coach of Russian artistic gymnasts, Irina Viner, drew attention to her. Kanaeva was invited to train at the Novogorsk center, the base of the Russian national team members. This completely changed the athlete’s life. Now she has real chances to achieve the greatest heights in gymnastics.
Way up
There are a lot of talented gymnasts in Russia, high competition, so it is very difficult for any athlete to get to the top. Evgenia Kanaeva was no exception. Her competition included such giants as Vera Sesina and Olga Kapranova. There was no place on the team for Zhenya.
Evgenia Kanaeva speaking
In 2007, luck finally smiled on the athlete. Alina Kabaeva was seriously injured, and Irina Viner chose Evgenia as a replacement. Kanaeva’s visit to the carpet was, one might say, fleeting. Head coach I only trusted her with exercises with the band. And Zhenya did not let down either the coaches or the sports fans. She won the ribbon final and the team competition.
A few months later, she took gold in the team competition at the world championship in the Greek city of Patras.
Olympics
Evgenia won her first Olympic gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Zhenya had a number of difficulties, but in the end she overcame everything and became the champion by a wide margin. All four programs (ribbon, jump rope, clubs and hoop) by Kanaeva at the Beijing Olympics were highly complex, were well thought out in terms of musical accompaniment and revealed the athlete’s individuality. The tape was composed to the original “Moscow Evenings”, performed on the piano.
Zhenya began the 2008 Olympic season in the shadow of Kapranova, Sesina and the current world champion, Ukrainian Anna Bessonova. But in mid-spring all obstacles were behind us. Kanaeva won all stages of the Grand Prix and World Cups and became the absolute champion of Russia.
At the European Championships in Turin, Italy, she was already a full-fledged member of the Russian team. Then she left Kapranova and Bessonova behind and became the European champion with high marks.
Head coach Irina Viner by that time already considered Evgenia the main contender for a place in the Olympic team. As a result, Wiener decided that Russia would be represented at the 2008 Olympics by Kanaeva and Kapranova. Zhenya became the youngest Olympic finalist in rhythmic gymnastics. However, she was the most collected and made the fewest mistakes.
According to Evgenia Kanaeva, the Olympics are not like other competitions, here you need to fully concentrate on yourself, the apparatus and the mat, you cannot be distracted by anything. She convinced herself that everything would be fine, that there was nothing to worry about. That’s what happened in the end - Zhenya won the Olympics, scoring an excellent 75.50 points. She was ahead of Inna Zhukova from Belarus by 3.50 points.
Irina Viner then said that it would not be very easy to repeat Kanaeva’s result in the near future.
At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Zhenya became the champion for the second time. She was unattainable for her rivals with a score of 116.9 points in exercises with a ball, hoop, ribbon and clubs.
Evgenia Kanaeva and gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London
After London, Evgenia is the first two-time Olympic champion in individual all-around in history.
Records
The only one in history two-time champion Olympic Games individual all-around (London).
At the 29th World Championships she won all the gold (6 medals).
The 31st World Championship was the third won in a row. The second time she won 6 out of 6 gold medals. She became the only winner in history of 17 gold medals at world championships.
At the Grand Prix final in Brno (Czech Republic), she was the first in history to score 30 points out of a possible 30.
Personal
On June 8, 2013, she became the wife of KHL hockey player Igor Musatov. The couple dated for a year before the London Olympics. After the Olympics, Igor proposed to Evgenia.
Gymnast Date of birth April 2 (Aries) 1990 (29) Place of birth Omsk Instagram @evgkanaeva
Kanaeva Evgenia Olegovna is a famous Russian gymnast who became the only two-time Olympic champion, the third three-time world champion in the all-around. Throughout her long journey, she earned 45 units of gold, receiving silver only three times. Thanks to her, the world was once again convinced of high level training of Russian athletes. Evgenia is currently recognized as one of the best gymnasts of our century.
Biography of Evgenia Kanaeva
In Omsk, on April 2, 1990, a girl was born into a family of athletes. At the age of 6, the child was brought to play sports by his own grandmother. Gymnastics was difficult for Evgenia; she practiced until late in the evening, practicing every element.
At first, Zhenya did not stand out from the rest, but at the same time she had hard work and perseverance. Over time, the baby’s technique improved, and complex techniques appeared in the program. In the turning point year of 2002, the Omsk resident was invited to Moscow, where her abilities were noticed by Amina Zaripova, who was recruiting juniors to the Russian national team. A year later, Zhenya wins in Japan.
After a successful performance, Wiener became interested in the talent and gave her new protégé a ticket to the Russian national team. She, along with other famous colleagues, began training in Novogorsk.
Under the yoke of serious competition, Kanaeva was in the shadows for some time. But in 2007, fate bestows a unique chance. When Alina Kabaeva injured her leg, they decided to send a dark horse to Baku. With an elegant ribbon in her hands, she won the adult competition.
A year later, she had the opportunity to show herself at the world championship in Greece, where Zhenya received a medal of the highest standard. A few months later, Kanaeva decided to participate in the Olympic Games in Beijing. Childlike determination and diligence helped to achieve excellent results - this time Evgenia Kanaeva left her closest competitor with a huge gap. The result achieved was so beautiful that it is considered almost unattainable.
Having performed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2009, Evgenia became the absolute world champion, receiving for the first time in the history of gymnastics maximum amount gold awards.
In 2012, the girl conquered the same peak in Foggy Albion. This was the end of his career.
Evgenia Kanaeva, 22 years old, rhythmic gymnastics Sports achievements: 2008 Olympic champion, third in the history of rhythmic gymnastics, three-time world champion in all-around, multiple world and European champion in individual events... 2012 Olympics: who does Russia hope for?
Personal life of Evgenia Kanaeva
After the end of the London Olympics, hockey player Igor Musatov made a girl official proposal. Before this, the young people had been dating for about two years. In June of the following year, a solemn wedding ceremony took place in the capital, and on March 19, 2014, the young couple had a baby. The boy was named Vladimir in honor of his grandfather Igor Musatov.