Yulia Barsukova

Yulia Barsukova
— Gymnast —
Barsukova winning the gold medal at Sydney 2000 Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Yulia Vladimirovna Barsukova
Country represented	Russia
Born	(1978-12-31) 31 December 1978 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	168 centimetres (5 ft 6 in)
Weight	45 kilograms (99 lb)
Discipline	Rhythmic gymnastics
Club	MGFSO
Head coach(es)	Irina Viner
Assistant coach(es)	Vera Chatalina
Retired	2000
Medal record Competitor for  Russia Rhythmic Gymnastics Olympic Games Gold Sydney 2000 All-Around World Championships Gold 1999 Osaka Team Bronze 1999 Osaka All-around Bronze 1999 Osaka Rope European Championships Gold 2000 Zaragoza Rope Gold 2000 Zaragoza Team Gold 1999 Budapest Rope Silver 1999 Budapest Ball Bronze 2000 Zaragoza All-around Bronze 2000 Zaragoza Hoop Bronze 2000 Zaragoza Ball Bronze 1999 Budapest Hoop World Cup Final Gold 2000 Glasgow Hoop Silver 2000 Glasgow Rope Silver 2000 Glasgow Ball Silver 2000 Glasgow Ribbon Grand Prix Final Gold 2000 Deventer All-around Gold 2000 Deventer Ball Gold 2000 Deventer Rope Gold 2000 Deventer Ribbon Silver 1999 Korneuburg Rope Silver 1999 Korneuburg Ribbon Bronze 1999 Korneuburg All-around Bronze 1999 Korneuburg Ball

Yulia Vladimirovna Barsukova (Russian: Ю́лия Влади́мировна Барсуко́ва, born 31 December 1978) is a Russian retired individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2000 Olympic champion in the All-Around, the 2000 Grand Prix Final All-around champion, the 1999 World All-around bronze medalist, 2000 European All-around bronze medalist and 1999 Grand Prix Final All-around bronze medalist.

Early life

Barsukova began figure skating at age five in the Izmaylovo District of Moscow where she lived. When she was eight years old, she passed a sports club and saw girls practicing rhythmic gymnastics through the window. Her father soon enrolled her in the sport. After three years, she moved to Tagansky District high school's rhythmic gymnastics department.

Competitive career

Barsukova was coached by Vera Silaeva until she was sixteen, when Silaeva took her student to Russia's head coach, Irina Viner. Viner was unimpressed initially but accepted her at the urging of Russia's national team choreographer, Veronica Shatkova.

Barsukova began competing at international competitions following the coaching change. For six years she competed under the shadow of other Russian gymnasts, Yanina Batyrchina, Amina Zaripova, Natalia Lipkovskaya and then Alina Kabaeva. Barsukova considered quitting rhythmic gymnastics until Viner persuaded her to stay and be patient. She had her breakthrough in 1998. During an event dedicated to the 15th anniversary of Ballet Magazine, Barsukova performed along with the stars of the theater. She performed her "Dying Swan" ball routine and received the unofficial title of Miss Bolshoi Theater.

2000 Olympics

(L-R) Alina Kabaeva (bronze), Yulia Barsukova (gold) and Yulia Raskina (silver) at 2000 Olympic Games Podium

Barsukova won many rhythmic gymnastics titles after her emergence in major competitions as a second member of the Russian team. She won gold in hoop at the 2000 World Cup Final in Glasgow and then gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics after a hoop fumble by then-World champion, Alina Kabaeva. She was the 2000 European All-around bronze medalist and won the rope final at the 2000 European Championships (9.983). She was the oldest Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics—21 years, 8 months and 27 days—until fellow Russian Evgenia Kanaeva won her second gold medal at London 2012 being aged 22 years, 4 months and 7 days.

After the Olympics, Barsukova won the all-around title at the Grand Prix Final in Deventer where she also won gold in ball, rope and ribbon final. She retired from competition following the 2000 Aeon Cup. She has participated in Russia's Channel One project "Stars on Ice".

Personal life

Barsukova is married to Denis Samokhin, a Russian former ice dancer and currently a coach.

Routine music information

Olympics Detail

References

External links

• Yulia Barsukova at Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique
• Rhythmic Gymnastics Results