Irina Tchachina
Encyclopedia
Irina Viktorovna Tchachina (also Chashchina or Tchashchina)
is an Individual rhythmic gymnast
born 24 April 1982 in Omsk
, Russia
. Known for her jumps and clean technique, Irina is considered to be one of the most elegant and technical gymnasts ever. She has been quoted as saying “Besides your body, you should train your mind too. Intelligence is crucial to rhythmic gymnastics."
She started her sports career at the age of 6 in her home town, Omsk. The young Irina was taken to a sports school by her grandfather, a devoted amateur sportsman. The day before Irina had watched the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships on TV and was duly impressed. Her family had also insisted on taking up swimming. Thus young Irina's days were filled with music lessons, swim training and rhythmic gymnastics. At age 11 she had to make a choice, and she chose gymnastics. Since she was 5 she was being coached under the guidance of Vera Efremovna Shtelbaums and Vera's daughter Elena Arais.
Irina's first victory was at age 8 at the Omskaya oblast championship; by age 12 she was already on Russia's national team and routinely travelled to Moscow
to take part in the training camps. As a junior, she took first place at a very prestigious tournament, the CIS Spatakiada, and won the Russian women's championships twice in a row.
In August 1999 Irina began training at the Olympic Preparatory School under the guidance of famed coach Irina Viner, and around the same time she won the World Championships in Osaka
, Japan
.
In 2001 she won the gold in the hoop and individual all-around (she also won the silver in the ball, clubs and rope) at the 2001 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
in Madrid
, Spain
, yet Irina and her teammate Alina Kabaeva
tested positive to a banned diuretic
and were stripped of their medals.
At the Athens Olympics
in 2004 she won the Silver medal in the All-Around competition with a score of 107.325 (Hoop 27.100, Ball 27.100, Clubs 26.825, Ribbon 26.300) - her teammate Alina Kabaeva
took home the Gold with a score of 108.400.
Irina retired from Rhythmic Gymnastics in early 2006.
is an Individual rhythmic gymnast
Rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which individuals or teams of competitors manipulate one or two pieces of apparatus: rope, clubs, hoop, ball, ribbon and Free . An individual athlete only manipulates 1 apparatus at a time...
born 24 April 1982 in Omsk
Omsk
-History:The wooden fort of Omsk was erected in 1716 to protect the expanding Russian frontier along the Ishim and the Irtysh rivers against the Kyrgyz nomads of the Steppes...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Known for her jumps and clean technique, Irina is considered to be one of the most elegant and technical gymnasts ever. She has been quoted as saying “Besides your body, you should train your mind too. Intelligence is crucial to rhythmic gymnastics."
She started her sports career at the age of 6 in her home town, Omsk. The young Irina was taken to a sports school by her grandfather, a devoted amateur sportsman. The day before Irina had watched the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships on TV and was duly impressed. Her family had also insisted on taking up swimming. Thus young Irina's days were filled with music lessons, swim training and rhythmic gymnastics. At age 11 she had to make a choice, and she chose gymnastics. Since she was 5 she was being coached under the guidance of Vera Efremovna Shtelbaums and Vera's daughter Elena Arais.
Irina's first victory was at age 8 at the Omskaya oblast championship; by age 12 she was already on Russia's national team and routinely travelled to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
to take part in the training camps. As a junior, she took first place at a very prestigious tournament, the CIS Spatakiada, and won the Russian women's championships twice in a row.
In August 1999 Irina began training at the Olympic Preparatory School under the guidance of famed coach Irina Viner, and around the same time she won the World Championships in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
In 2001 she won the gold in the hoop and individual all-around (she also won the silver in the ball, clubs and rope) at the 2001 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
2001 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
XXIV World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships were held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, October 18–21, 2001-Individual All-Around:-Individual Rope:-Individual Hoop:-Individual Ball:-Individual Clubs:-Team All-Around:-References:**...
in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, yet Irina and her teammate Alina Kabaeva
Alina Kabaeva
Alina Maratovna Kabaeva is a Russian Honored Master of Sports, retired rhythmic gymnast, and politician. Since 2007, she has been a State Duma deputy from the United Russia party....
tested positive to a banned diuretic
Diuretic
A diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
and were stripped of their medals.
At the Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in 2004 she won the Silver medal in the All-Around competition with a score of 107.325 (Hoop 27.100, Ball 27.100, Clubs 26.825, Ribbon 26.300) - her teammate Alina Kabaeva
Alina Kabaeva
Alina Maratovna Kabaeva is a Russian Honored Master of Sports, retired rhythmic gymnast, and politician. Since 2007, she has been a State Duma deputy from the United Russia party....
took home the Gold with a score of 108.400.
Irina retired from Rhythmic Gymnastics in early 2006.