Irina Tchachina

Irina Viktorovna Tchachina (also Chashchina or Tchashchina) (Russian: Ирина Викторовна Чащина; born 24 April 1982) is a retired Russian individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in all-around, a two-time (2003, 2005) World all-around bronze medalist, the 2004 European all-around bronze medalist and 2000 Grand Prix Final all-around silver medalist.

Irina Tchachina
Irina Tchachina
Personal information
Full name	Irina Viktorovna Tchachina
Alternative name(s)	Irina Chashchina
Country represented	Russia
Born	(1982-04-24) 24 April 1982 Omsk, Soviet Union
Height	166 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Discipline	Rhythmic gymnastics
Head coach(es)	Irina Viner
Assistant coach(es)	Vera Shtelbaums
Choreographer	Elena Arays
Eponymous skills	switch leap with changing legs; reverse illusion turns
Retired	2006
Medal record International gymnastics competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 1 0 World Championships 3 1 5 European Championships 6 3 2 European Team Championships 2 0 0 World Cup Final 2 1 0 Grand Prix Final 0 2 2 World Games 4 0 0 Summer Universiade 4 3 1 Total 21 11 10 Rhythmic Gymnastics Representing  Russia Olympic Games 2004 Athens All-Around World Championships 1999 Osaka Team 2003 Budapest Team 2005 Baku Team 2003 Budapest Clubs 2003 Budapest All-around 2003 Budapest Hoop 2005 Baku All-around 2005 Baku Rope 2005 Baku Clubs Disqualified 2001 Madrid All-around Disqualified 2001 Madrid Hoop Disqualified 2001 Madrid Rope Disqualified 2001 Madrid Ball Disqualified 2001 Madrid Clubs Disqualified 2001 Madrid Team European Championships 2000 Saragoza Team 2001 Geneva Rope 2004 Kyiv Team 2005 Moscow Rope 2005 Moscow Clubs 2005 Moscow Team 2001 Geneva Hoop 2001 Geneva Ball 2001 Geneva Clubs 1998 Porto Team 2004 Kyiv All-around European Team Championships 2001 Riesa Team 2003 Moscow Team World Cup Final 2004 Moscow Ball 2004 Moscow Clubs 2000 Glasgow Rope Grand Prix Final 2000 Deventer All-around 2005 Berlin Rope 2000 Deventer Ball 2000 Deventer Rope World Games 2001 Akita Rope 2001 Akita Hoop 2001 Akita Ball 2001 Akita Clubs Summer Universiade 2003 Daegu All-around 2003 Daegu Hoop 2003 Daegu Ball 2003 Daegu Clubs 2003 Daegu Ribbon 2005 Izmir All-around 2005 Izmir Ribbon 2005 Izmir Clubs Goodwill Games Disqualified 2001 Brisbane All-around Disqualified 2001 Brisbane Ball Disqualified 2001 Brisbane Clubs Disqualified 2001 Brisbane Rope Disqualified 2001 Brisbane Hoop

Personal life

Tchachina was born to a Russian family as the eldest of three children. She has a younger brother and sister. In late 2011, Tchachina married Russian businessman Evgeny Arkhipov.

Skills in rhythmic gymnastics

Tchachina was a technical gymnast, known for her expressive hands, high and big leaps, her switch leap with changing legs (almost similar to a Butterfly twist leap) was her signature leap. She has also executed reverse illusion turns.

Competitive career

Tchachina at the 2001 European Championships

Tchachina began training at the age of six in her hometown of Omsk (also the hometown of Galima Shugurova, Evgenia Kanaeva, Tatiana Druchinina, Ksenia Dudkina, Sofya Skomorokh). After she became impressed watching the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships on television, her grandfather, a devoted amateur sportsman, took her to a sports school. Her early days were filled with music lessons, swimming and rhythmic gymnastics. Faced with a choice at age 11, she chose gymnastics. She was coached by Vera Shtelbaums and her daughter Elena Arais since the age of five. Her favourite gymnasts are Olena Vitrychenko and Yanina Batyrchina.

Tchachina's first victory was at age eight at the Omskaya oblast championship. By age 12 she was a member of Russia's national team and routinely travelled to Moscow to take part in training camps. As a junior, she placed first at the CIS Spatakiada, and won the Russian women's championships twice in a row.

In August 1999, Tchachina began training at the Olympic Preparatory School under the guidance of 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 silver in the individual all-around, ball, clubs and rope at the 2001 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Madrid, Spain, but Tchachina and her teammate Alina Kabaeva tested positive for a banned diuretic and were stripped of their medals. Irina Viner, the Russian head coach, who also served as the Vice President of the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee at the time, said her gymnasts had been taking a food supplement called "Hyper" containing mild diuretics, which, according to Viner, the gymnasts were taking for pre-menstrual syndrome. When the supply ran out shortly before the Goodwill Games, the team physiotherapist restocked at a local pharmacy. According to Viner, the supplement sold there was fake and contained furosemide. The commission requested the Goodwill Games organizing committee nullify Kabaeva and Tchachina's results.

Tchachina stretching during training

In 2003, Tchachina sustained an ankle injury, and dealt with it for two years. The same year she and Kabaeva made their return to competitive gymnastics following their ban. Tchachina won the all-around bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships, silver in clubs and bronze in hoop event finals.

In 2004, Tchachina won the all-around bronze medal at the 2004 European Championships behind Ukraine's Anna Bessonova. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Tchachina won the silver medal in the all-around competition, scoring 107.325 points (Hoop 27.100, Ball 27.100, Clubs 26.825, Ribbon 26.300) – her teammate Alina Kabaeva took the gold with a score of 108.400.

After the Olympic season, Tchachina experienced a recurring ankle injury. Although no longer in top form, she was still able to win the bronze medal in all-around at the 2005 World Championships and a pair of bronze medals in clubs and rope finals. She retired from rhythmic gymnastics in early 2006.

Later career

After her retirement, Tchachina was invited to the Russian television project "Dances on Ice", partnering with Olympic bronze medalist ice dancer Ruslan Goncharov. She also appeared on the project "Circus with stars" along with other athletes, including Svetlana Khorkina. Tchachina then starred as the lead heroine in the Russian film "The Way" (2009 film) with Artem Mikhalkov. Tchachina wrote an autobiography titled Irina Tchachina: Being Yourself. Commenting on her sport, she said: "Besides your body, you should train your mind too. Intelligence is crucial to rhythmic gymnastics."

On 4 December 2012 at the conference of the Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics in Novogorsk, Tchachina was elected vice-president of The Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation (RRGF) along with 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion Evgenia Kanaeva. Tchachina was recommended by Irina Viner for the position of President of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation (RRGF) but she declined.[1]

On May 2013, Tchachina opened up her rhythmic gymnastics school named after her in Barnaul, Altai Krai. The Opening Ceremony was attended by other rhythmic gymnasts Liubov Charkashyna, Natalia Godunko and Olga Kapranova.[2]

On February 15, 2015, a star-studded gala was held in Russia for the 80th founding anniversary of Rhythmic Gymnastics. The venue was held in the historical Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. Among those who performed at the gala were Russian former Olympic champions, Olympic medalists and World champions including: Tchachina, Evgenia Kanaeva, Yulia Barsukova, Daria Dmitrieva, and Yana Batyrshina.[3]

Routine music information

Year	Apparatus	Music title [4]
2005	Ball	Exercises in Free Love from The Freddie Mercury Album by Freddie Mercury
	Rope (second)	Bora Bora, Bora Bora (Bollywood Cafe Mix) by Arash
	Rope (first)	Rise by Safri Duo
	Clubs	Chateau / Teahouse from The Matrix Reloaded by Rob D / Don Davis
	Ribbon (second)	Microneseren by Bobby Hughes Combination
	Ribbon (first)	Ulichnie strasti by Didulya
2004	Hoop	Pirates of the Caribbean by Klaus Badelt
	Ball	Harem by Sarah Brightman
	Clubs	Laissez moi me griser by Maurice El Medioni
	Ribbon	Malagueña Salerosa ( Remix )
2003	Hoop	Melagholia Mou by Giorgos Alkaios
	Ball	Mystic Moon by Bowfire
	Clubs	The Mall Chase / The Army Arrives from Evolution by John Powell
	Ribbon (second)	Dai mi go dai by Azis
	Ribbon (first)	Gypsy Potion by Guido Luciani
2002	Hoop	Iridian / Big Drum Small World by Dhol Foundation
	Rope	Heat of the Day by Pat Metheny
	Clubs	The Mall Chase / The Army Arrives from Evolution by John Powell
	Ball	Mystic Moon by Bowfire
2001	Hoop	Supersonic (Brainbug Remix) by Music Instructor
	Rope	Jumpin' Jack by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
	Clubs	Gypsy Potion by Guido Luciani
	Ball	Prologue, Marco Polo by Loreena McKennitt
2000	Hoop	Walpurgis Night (Danse de Phryne) from Faust by Charles Gounod
	Rope	Danza de la molinera from El sombrero de tres picos by Manuel de Falla
	Ball	Caravan
	Ribbon	Besame mucho by Consuelo Velazques
1999	Hoop	Main Theme from The Saint by Graeme Revell
	Rope	?
	Ball	Caravan
	Ribbon	Andaluza by Granados
1998	Hoop	Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach
	Clubs	Spartacus by Aram Khatchaturian
	Rope	?
	Ribbon	Espana Cani by Narro Pascual Marquina
1997	Hoop	?
	Clubs	Spartacus by Aram Khatchaturian
	Rope	Hanky Panky by Madonna
	Ribbon	Espana Cani by Narro Pascual Marquina

Detailed Olympic results

Year	Competition Description	Location	Music	Apparatus	Score-Final	Score-Qualifying
2004	Olympics	Athens		All-around	107.325	105.675
			Malagueña Salerosa ( Remix )	Ribbon	26.300	26.725
			Harem by Sarah Brightman	Ball	27.100	26.700
			Pirates of the Caribbean by Klaus Badelt	Hoop	27.100	26.450
			Laissez moi me griser by Maurice El Medioni	Clubs	26.825	25.800

References

1. "Kanaeva announces Official retirement". Zhenya Kanaeva Gymnasium. 4 December 2012.
2. "Tchachina opens RG School in Altai". asfera.info. 12 May 2013.
3. "As Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics turns 80, legends to celebrate in style in St. Petersburg". International Federation of Gymnastics. 17 February 2015..
4. "Tchachina RG music list". rgforum.

External links

• Irina Tchachina at the International Gymnastics Federation
• Irina Tchachina Profile (in Russian)
• Rhythmic Gymnastics Results
• Irina Tchachina on Instagram
• Official website (in Russian)