Galina Shamrai

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Olympic medal record
Women's Artistic Gymnastics
Gold	1952 Helsinki	Team competition
Silver	1952 Helsinki	Team, portable apparatus

Galina Yakovlevna Shamray (Russian: Гали́на Я́ковлевна Шамра́й) (also known as Galina Rudko, Galina Ilyina after marriages; born October 5, 1931, Tashkent, USSR) is a retired Soviet gymnast and the first women's all-around World Champion from the USSR.

She trained at the Iskra club and later at the Burevestnik sports society in Moscow. Shamrai began competing at the USSR Championships in 1950, where she placed eighth in the all-around. She was added to the team roster for the 1952 Summer Olympics, which were the first Olympic performance for Soviet athletes. Shamrai didn't compete in the event finals, but was 8th in the all-around, contributing to the team's gold. She also won the team's silver in the portable apparatus event. In December of the same year, Shamrai earned the silver medal on the floor exercise at the USSR Championships. She continued a progressive movement upwards in 1953, placing fourth in the all-around at the Nationals.

1954 World Gymnastics Championships was the culmination of her competitive career. She won the all-around title, a gold medal in the team competition, a silver on bars and the team's silver in the portable apparatus. After this success she earned one more gold medal on the balance beam at the 1955 Nationals and retired in 1956.

Shamrai graduated from the Lenin Pedagogical Institute of the Moscow Region and worked as a coach at the Spartak club in Moscow. She married Anatoly Il'in, who played for Spartak and became the Olympic Champion in football at the 1956 Summer Olympics. The couple had a daughter, Elena, in 1958. Since 1975 Shamrai judged international gymnastics events.

In 1957 Galina Shamrai was awarded Order of the Badge of Honor. She lives in Moscow.

[edit] Achievements (non-Olympic)

Year	Event	AA	Team	Team PA	VT	UB	BB	FX	R
1952	USSR Championships							2nd
1954	World Championships	1st	1st	2nd		2nd
	USSR Championships	3rd							3rd
1955	USSR Championships						1st
1956	USSR Championships						2nd

[edit] External links

• Galina Shamrai at the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique profile page
• List of competitive results at Gymn Forum

v • d • e World champions in artistic gymnastics – women's team competition 1934:  Czechoslovakia • 1938:  Czechoslovakia • 1950:  Sweden • 1954:  USSR • 1958:  USSR • 1962:  USSR • 1966:  Czechoslovakia • 1970:  USSR • 1974:  USSR • 1978:  USSR • 1979:  Romania • 1981:  USSR • 1983:  USSR • 1985:  USSR • 1987:  Romania • 1989:  USSR • 1991:  USSR • 1994:  Romania • 1995:  Romania • 1997:  Romania • 1999:  Romania • 2001:  Romania • 2003:  United States • 2006:  China • 2007:  United States

v • d • e World champions in artistic gymnastics – women's all-around 1934: Vlasta Dakanova    1938: Vlasta Dakanova    1950: Helena Rakoczy    1954: Galina Rud'ko    1958: Larissa Latynina    1962: Larissa Latynina    1966: Věra Čáslavská    1970: Ludmilla Tourischeva    1974: Ludmilla Tourischeva    1978: Elena Mukhina    1979: Nellie Kim    1981: Olga Bicherova    1983: Natalia Yurchenko    1985: Yelena Shushunova, Oksana Omelianchik    1987: Aurelia Dobre    1989: Svetlana Boginskaya    1991: Kim Zmeskal    1993: Shannon Miller    1994: Shannon Miller    1995: Lilia Podkopayeva    1997: Svetlana Khorkina    1999: Maria Olaru    2001: Svetlana Khorkina    2003: Svetlana Khorkina    2005: Chellsie Memmel    2006: Vanessa Ferrari    2007: Shawn Johnson