Aliya Mustafina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aliya Mustafina Алия Мустафина
Mustafina in August 2016
Personal information
Full name	Aliya Farkhatovna Mustafina
Country represented	Russia
Born	(1994-09-30) 30 September 1994 (age 30) Yegoryevsk, Russia
Spouse	Alexey Zaitsev ​ ​ (m. 2016; div. 2018)​
Height	1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team	2007–2021
Club	CSKA Moscow
Gym	Ozero Krugloye
Head coach(es)	Sergei Starkin Raisa Ganina Olga Sikorro Sergei Zelikson Evgeny Grebenkin
Former coach(es)	Dina Kamalova Alexander Alexandrov
Choreographer	Olga Burova
Music	Floor music 2007: "Sahra Saidi" 2008: "The Blue Danube" 2010: "Por Una Cabeza" 2009–2010: "Hijo de la Luna" 2011: "Hood Jump" 2012: "Final Hour" 2013: "Queen of Hearts" 2013: "Soulseeker" (World Championships) 2014: "Ancient Lands" and "Runaway" (partially included in the used mix) 2015: "My Way" 2016: Mix with "Moscow Nights" and "Consuelo (Vals para Mimi)" 2018: "Ancient Lands" and "Runaway" (partially included in the used mix) 2019: "Survivor" (2WEI)
Eponymous skills	Uneven Bars: 1½-twisting double back tuck dismount Floor Exercise: 3/1 turn with leg held up in 180° split
Retired	June 8, 2021
Medal record Women's artistic gymnastics Representing  Russia Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 2 3 World Championships 3 4 5 European Games 3 1 0 European Championships 5 4 3 Summer Universiade 3 1 0 Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Uneven bars Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Uneven bars Silver 2012 London Team Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team Bronze 2012 London All-around Bronze 2012 London Floor exercise Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro All-around World Championships Gold 2010 Rotterdam Team Gold 2010 Rotterdam All-around Gold 2013 Antwerp Balance beam Silver 2010 Rotterdam Vault Silver 2010 Rotterdam Uneven bars Silver 2010 Rotterdam Floor exercise Silver 2018 Doha Team Bronze 2013 Antwerp All-around Bronze 2013 Antwerp Uneven bars Bronze 2014 Nanning Team Bronze 2014 Nanning Balance beam Bronze 2014 Nanning Floor exercise European Games Gold 2015 Baku Team Gold 2015 Baku All-around Gold 2015 Baku Uneven bars Silver 2015 Baku Floor exercise European Championships Gold 2010 Birmingham Team Gold 2013 Moscow All-around Gold 2013 Moscow Uneven bars Gold 2016 Bern Team Gold 2016 Bern Balance beam Silver 2010 Birmingham Uneven bars Silver 2010 Birmingham Balance beam Silver 2012 Brussels Team Silver 2014 Sofia Uneven bars Bronze 2014 Sofia Team Bronze 2014 Sofia Balance beam Bronze 2016 Bern Uneven bars Summer Universiade Gold 2013 Kazan Team Gold 2013 Kazan All-around Gold 2013 Kazan Uneven bars Silver 2013 Kazan Balance beam FIG World Cup Event 1st 2nd 3rd All-Around World Cup 1 1 0 World Cup 0 1 0 World Challenge Cup 3 0 0

Aliya Mustafina is a famous Russian artistic gymnast. She was born on September 30, 1994. Aliya is known for winning many medals in gymnastics.

She was the world champion in 2010. She also won the European all-around title in 2013. Aliya is a two-time Olympic champion on the uneven bars, winning in 2012 and 2016. She has won seven Olympic medals in total. This ties her with Svetlana Khorkina for the most Olympic medals won by a Russian gymnast. Aliya was also the ninth gymnast ever to win medals on every event at the World Championships.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Aliya won four medals. This made her the most decorated gymnast at those Games. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, she became the first female gymnast since 2000 to win an all-around medal in two Olympics in a row. She was also the first since Svetlana Khorkina to win the same Olympic event twice.

Early Life and Family

Aliya Mustafina was born in Yegoryevsk, Russia. Her father, Farhat Mustafin, was a bronze medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Her mother, Yelena Kuznetsova, is a physics teacher.

Junior Gymnastics Career

Aliya started competing internationally in 2007. She quickly showed her talent.

2007 Competitions

• In March 2007, Aliya competed at the International Gymnix in Montreal. She finished second in the all-around.
• The next month, she was second in the all-around at the Stella Zakharova Cup in Kyiv.
• In September, she competed at the Japan Junior International. She placed second in the all-around and second in all four event finals.

2008 Competitions

• At the 2008 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Aliya helped the Russian junior team win first place. She also won a silver medal in the individual all-around.
• She placed fourth on uneven bars and floor in the event finals.
• In November, she competed in a senior event, the Massilia Cup. She finished sixth in the all-around and second on floor.

2009 Competitions

• Aliya competed in the senior division at the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in March. She won the all-around title.
• She also won gold on balance beam, silver on uneven bars, and bronze on floor.
• She won the all-around at the Russian Cup in August.
• In December, she won the all-around at the Gymnasiade in Doha, Qatar. She also won gold on uneven bars, balance beam, and floor, and silver on vault.

Senior Gymnastics Career

Aliya Mustafina moved up to senior competitions in 2010.

2010: A Big Year

• In April, Aliya competed at the 2010 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She helped the Russian team win first place. She also won silver medals on uneven bars and balance beam.
• At the Russian Cup in August, she won the all-around competition. She also won gold on uneven bars and floor, silver on vault, and bronze on balance beam.

Mustafina at the 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

• In October, Aliya competed at the 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She made history by reaching the finals for the all-around and all four individual events. This had not happened since 1996.
• She helped the Russian team win first place. She also won the individual all-around title.
• In the event finals, she won silver medals on vault, uneven bars, and floor. She left with five medals, more than any other gymnast at the championships.

2011: Injury and Recovery

Mustafina at an Artistic Gymnastics World Cup event in Paris in 2011.

• In March, Aliya competed at the American Cup. She finished second after falling on her last event, the floor exercise.
• In April, at the 2011 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, she qualified for the all-around final in first place. However, she tore a ligament in her left knee during the vault final.
• She had surgery five days later. Her coaches made sure she recovered slowly to protect her for the Olympics.
• In December, Aliya returned to competition at the Voronin Cup. She placed fourth in the all-around and second on uneven bars.

2012: Olympic Success

• In March, Aliya competed at the Russian national championships. She won the all-around title and the uneven bars title.
• In May, at the 2012 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships, she helped the Russian team win second place.
• In June, she placed second in the all-around at the Russian Cup. She won gold on uneven bars and floor, and silver on balance beam.

London Olympics

Mustafina (center) holding her gold medal from the 2012 Olympic uneven bars final along with the silver and bronze medalists, He Kexin (right) and Beth Tweddle.

• In July, Aliya competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She helped Russia qualify for the team final in second place.
• In the team final, Aliya helped the Russian team win a silver medal.
• In the all-around final, she won the bronze medal. She tied with American Aly Raisman, but won the tie-breaker.
• Aliya then won the uneven bars final. This was Russia's first Olympic gymnastics gold medal in 12 years.
• In the floor final, she won another bronze medal.

Aliya Mustafina with Russian president Vladimir Putin and Judo Olympic silver medalist Alexander Mikhaylin in 2012

• In August, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave Aliya the Order of Friendship award.

2013: More Titles

• Aliya won her second straight all-around title at the 2013 Russian national championships.
• She also won the all-around and team titles at the Stella Zakharova Cup.
• At the 2013 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, she won her first individual European all-around title. The next day, she won the uneven bars final.
• In July, Aliya competed at the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia. She helped Russia win the team gold. She also won the all-around title, gold on bars, and silver on beam.
• In October, Aliya competed at the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She won a bronze medal in the all-around. She also won a bronze medal on uneven bars and her first world title on balance beam.

2014: Consistent Performances

• Aliya won her third Russian national all-around title in April.
• In May, at the 2014 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships, she helped the Russian team win a bronze medal. She also won silver on uneven bars and bronze on balance beam.
• At the Russian Cup in August, Aliya won the all-around title. She also won gold on beam and floor, and silver on uneven bars.
• At the 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Aliya helped Russia win a bronze medal in the team final. She finished fourth in the all-around. She also won bronze medals on balance beam and floor exercise.

2015: European Games Success

• Aliya did not compete in early 2015 to recover from injuries.
• She returned at the Gymnastics at the 2015 European Games in Baku in June. She helped her team win the gold medal.
• In the individual all-around final, Aliya won first place. She also won a gold medal on uneven bars and a silver medal on floor.
• In September, she withdrew from the World Championships due to back pain.

2016: Second Olympic Gold

• In April, Aliya returned to competition at the Russian Championships. She won bronze medals on bars and beam.
• At the 2016 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships in June, she helped Russia win the team gold medal. She also won a bronze medal on uneven bars and a gold medal on balance beam.
• At the Russian Cup, she placed third in the all-around. She was then named to the Olympic team.

Rio Olympics

Mustafina (right) with the Russian team after their silver-medal performance at the 2016 Olympics.

• At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Aliya helped Russia win a silver medal in the team final.
• In the individual all-around final, she won her second consecutive bronze medal.
• On August 14, Aliya competed in the individual uneven bars final. She successfully defended her 2012 title, winning another gold medal.

2017-2019: Return and Retirement

• Aliya returned to training in 2017 after her daughter was born. She hoped to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• In April 2018, she competed at the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She won a gold medal with the Moscow team and placed fourth in the all-around.
• In October 2018, Aliya helped Russia win a silver medal in the team final at the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.
• In March 2019, she finished third in the all-around at the Russian National Championships.
• She won the Birmingham World Cup in March 2019.
• In June 2019, Aliya withdrew from the European Games due to an ankle injury.
• She decided not to compete at the 2019 World Championships to rest.
• On June 8, 2021, Aliya officially announced her retirement from gymnastics.

Coaching Career

After retiring, Aliya Mustafina began working as a coach. In 2021, she became the acting head coach of the junior Russian national team.

Personal Life

Aliya Mustafina started dating Russian bobsledder Alexey Zaitsev in 2015. They met while recovering from sports injuries. They got married on November 3, 2016.

In January 2017, it was announced that Aliya was expecting a baby. She gave birth to her daughter, Alisa, on June 9, 2017. She and Alexey Zaitsev later divorced in April 2018.

Images for kids

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  Olympic Rings

See also

In Spanish: Aliyá Mustáfina para niños