Russian Gymnasts

There are many famous Russian gymnasts, both male and female, that have acquired Olympic gold medals. Since the break up of the Soviet Union one of the most famous Russian gymnasts is Svetlana Khorkina.

Russian gymnast Svetlana was unusually tall for the sport of gymnastics being five feet, five inches in height. She was best known for her elegant, long lines. Throughout her years as a gymnast, she was discouraged several times from competing because of her height. Boris Pilkin, lifelong coach and mentor, encouraged Svetlana to continue competing. Amazingly, Svetlana has six gymnastic moves named after her. This is a world record in the sport of gymnastics. Her best event during her competitive career was the uneven bars. This is one event in which her long legs were put to good use. Svetlana’s long legs created beautiful, graceful lines.

The only criticism Svetlana received, besides the issue about her height, was from judges who said that her floor, beam and vault routines lacked difficulty. The judges criticized her routines saying that she had poor form. This did not stop this famous Russian gymnast from earning more than one Olympic medal. Another famous Russian gymnast is Irina Tchaschina. Russian gymnast Irina Tchachina is a famous gymnast who has won two finals competition and received medals in all-around gymnastics competitions. Her nickname is Ira and she is an inspiration to young gymnasts around the world.

Another famous Russian male gymnast was Nikolay Andrianov. Nikolay holds the record for the most Olympic medals awarded to a man. He earned fifteen Olympic medals that include seven gold medals, five silver medals and three bronze medals. At the age of eleven, Nikolay entered the Children and Youth Sports School. This is where he first began training in the sport of gymnastics. It was here that he came into contact with the famous USSR gymnast trainer Nikolai Tolkachev. It was in the year 1971 that Nikolay became an international success as he won the European Championships in Madrid. It was here that he won his first two gold medals. Throughout his career he has won many gymnastics competitions around the world.

There are several websites that offer Russian gymnast pictures. Many of the websites contain pictures of Irina Tchaschina and Svetlana during some of their most memorable moments in the history of gymnastics. Gymnastics is an amazing sport that millions of people around the world participate in. Russian gymnasts are known for their strength, grace and talent.