Irina Viner
| Irina Alexandrovna Viner-Usmanova
| |
|---|---|
| Born |
Irina Alexandrovna Viner July 30, 1948 Samarkand, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union |
| Occupation | Head Coach of Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics 2001 - present |
| Known for | Head Coach of the Olympic Training Center of rhythmic gymnastics in Novogorsk and coach of multiple Olympic/World champions |
| Spouse(s) | Alisher Usmanov |
Irina Alexandrovna Viner-Usmanova (Russian: Ирина Александровна Винер-Усманова; Hebrew: אירינה אלכסנדרובה וינר; born July 30, 1948) is a Russian-Jewish rhythmic gymnastics coach who is head coach of the Russian national team, president of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation and former vice president of the International Gymnastics Federation.
Viner is one of the most successful gymnastics coaches of all time. Her pupils include the past four Olympic all-around champions: Evgeniya Kanaeva (2008 and 2012), Alina Kabaeva (2004) and Yulia Barsukova (2000).[1]
She is married to business magnate Alisher Usmanov, Russia's richest man, who has a net worth of more than $14 billion.[2]
Career
Irina Viner was born in Samarkand, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union. Her father, Alexander, was a People's Artist of the USSR. Her mother, Zoya, was a doctor. As a young girl Viner wanted to take ballet but was discouraged, so she took up gymnastics at the age of 11.[1]
Viner was a three-time champion of the Uzbek SSR and graduated from the Uzbek State Institute of Physical Culture. She worked as coach of the national team in rhythmic gymnastics in Tashkent, and under her tutelage, Venera Zaripova became her first successful gymnast. In 1990, Viner moved to Great Britain to coach the British national team.[3]
In 1992, Viner was invited to become head coach of the Russian national team and moved to Moscow. Since 2001, Viner is the head coach of the Olympic Training Center of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics in Novogorsk and in 2008 became president of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation.[4]
Notable pupils
Viner has trained many Russian Olympic/World/European/World Cup medal winners,[2] including:
- Evgeniya Kanaeva (born in 1990) (2 gold at the 2012 Olympics and 2008 Olympics, 17 gold in World, 13 gold in European, 4 gold in World games, multiple World Cup medals)[5]
- Alina Kabaeva (b. 1983) (1 gold in 2004 Olympics and a bronze in 2000 Olympics, 10 gold in World, 15 gold in European, 5 gold in World Cup)[6]
- Yulia Barsukova (b. 1978) (1 gold in 2000 Olympics, 1 gold in World, 3 gold in European, 1 Gold in World Cup)[7]
- Irina Tchachina (b. 1982) (1 silver in 2004 Olympics, 3 gold in World, 6 gold in European, 4 gold in World games, 2 Gold in World Cup)[8]
- Daria Dmitrieva (b. 1993) (1 silver in 2012 Olympics, 4 gold in World, 1 gold in European, 1 gold in Universiade)[9]
- Yana Batyrshina (b. 1979) (1 silver in 1996 Olympics, 5 gold in World, 5 gold in European)[10]
- Yana Kudryavtseva (b. 1997) (8 gold in World, 5 gold in European, 5 gold in World Cup Final) [11]
- Margarita Mamun (b. 1995) (5 gold in World, 2 gold in European, 4 gold in World Cup Final) [12]
- Daria Kondakova (b. 1991) (4 gold in World, 3 gold in European)[13]
- Olga Kapranova (b. 1987) (10 gold in World, 5 gold in European, 2 gold in World Games)[14]
- Vera Sessina (b. 1986) (6 gold in World, 6 gold in European, 1 gold in World Games, 4 gold in World Cup)[15]
- Oxana Kostina (b. 1972, d. 1993) (7 gold in world, 5 gold in Europeans)
- Amina Zaripova (b. 1976) (5 gold in World, 5 gold in European)[16]
- Venera Zaripova (b. 1966) - pioneered student, multiple Soviet champion and competed at the World championships.
She has also trained the Russian Group that won the 2012 Olympics Gold in Group All-around:
(Ksenia Dudkina, Uliana Donskova, Anastasia Bliznyuk, Alina Makarenko, Anastasia Nazarenko, Karolina Sevastyanova)
Personal Life
Viner is married to Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov, who was also born in Uzbekistan.[17] She and Usmanov originally met in their youth at a sports hall in Tashkent, where he was involved in fencing; they reconnected many years later in Moscow.[1] She has a son from a previous marriage, Anton, who was born in 1973 and later adopted by Usmanov.[18]
Usmanov is Muslim, but Viner is Jewish and practices Kabbalah.[19][20][21][22] Among her many state awards, she was given the "Living Legend" prize by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia in 2007.[23]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Непобедимая Ирина Винер отмечает юбилей". Vesti (in Russian). July 30, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Powerful people: Alisher Usmanov". Forbes. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ↑ Keith Elliott (January 15, 1993). "Gymnastics: Rhythmic section seeking high notes". The Independent. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ↑ "Growing Olympic champions".
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ As stated in her record at FIG
- ↑ Anita Raghavan. "The Hard Man of Russia". Forbes. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ↑ "Антон Винер". Kommersant (in Russian). March 26, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ↑ "Alisher Usmanov and Irina Viner: The story of the Muslim Billionaire and his Jewish wife". Jewish Business News. February 1, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ↑ "Jews in Sport in the USSR".
- ↑ "Growing Olympic champions Irina Viner".
- ↑ Sabina Dadashova (January 13, 2014). "Ирина Винер о спорте, любви и мудрости" (in Russian). HELLO! Magazine. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ↑ "Ирина Винер и Леонид Рошаль получили премию "Человек года"". Lenta (in Russian). December 10, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2015.