Darya Shmeleva facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 28 May 1976 | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 61 kg (134 lb) | ||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||
| Club | CSKA Volgograd | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Darya Viktorovna Shmelyova (Russian: Дарья Викторовна Шмелёва; born on May 28, 1976) is a former swimmer from Russia. She was a very talented athlete who competed in many important swimming events. Darya is best known for winning two silver medals at the 1993 European Aquatics Championships.
Contents
Early Life and Swimming Career
Darya Shmelyova was born in 1976. She became a professional swimmer and trained hard to compete at a high level. Her main events were the 200-meter and 400-meter medley races.
What is a Medley Race?
A medley race in swimming is special because swimmers use four different strokes. They swim a quarter of the distance using each stroke. The order of strokes is usually:
- Backstroke
- Breaststroke
- Butterfly
- Freestyle
This makes medley races very exciting and challenging. Swimmers need to be good at all four strokes to do well.
European Championships Success
Darya's biggest achievement came in 1993 at the 1993 European Aquatics Championships held in Sheffield. She showed great skill by winning two silver medals:
- One in the 200-meter medley event.
- Another in the 400-meter medley event.
These medals were a big accomplishment for her and for Russian swimming.
Olympic Games and Other Competitions
After her success in 1993, Darya continued to compete. She took part in the 1996 Summer Olympics, which are the biggest sports event in the world. She also competed in the European Championships in 1991 and 1995. Although she did not win more medals at these events, just qualifying and competing at this level is a huge achievement for any athlete.
Life After Swimming
In early 1997, Darya Shmelyova married another famous Russian swimmer, Alexander Popov. Alexander Popov is known as one of the greatest freestyle swimmers of all time.
Family Life
After their marriage, Darya and Alexander lived in different countries. They spent time in Australia, Switzerland, and Russia. They have three children together:
- Their first son, Vladimir, was born in 1997.
- Their second son, Anton, was born in 2000.
- Their daughter, Mia, was born on December 22, 2010.
Darya Shmelyova retired from competitive swimming. She is remembered for her dedication and her silver medals at the European Championships.
