Evgeniya Kanaeva facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evgeniya Kanaeva
Kanaeva at 2015
Personal information
Full name	Evgeniya Olegovna Kanaeva
Alternative name(s)	Evgenia Kanaeva
Nickname(s)	Zhenya, The Queen of Rhythmic Gymnastics
Country represented	Russia
Born	(1990-04-02) 2 April 1990 (age 35) Omsk, Soviet Union
Height	171 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Discipline	Rhythmic gymnastics
Years on national team	2005–2012
Club	CSKA Moscow
Gym	Novogorsk
Head coach(es)	Irina Viner
Assistant coach(es)	Vera Shtelbaums
Choreographer	Irina Zenovka Veronica Shatkova Ludmila Dimitrova
Eponymous skills	Kanaeva: Rotation 180 degrees on the chest, legs in split position without help
Retired	2012
World ranking	1 (2012 Season) 5 (2011 Season) 1 (2010 Season) 1 (2009 Season) 1 (2008 Season) 6 (2007 Season)
Medal record International gymnastics competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 0 World Championships 17 1 0 European Championships 13 1 0 World Cup Final 3 0 0 FIG World Cup 101 17 6 Grand Prix Final 15 0 0 World Games 4 0 0 Summer Universiade 9 1 0 Total 164 20 6 Rhythmic Gymnastics Representing  Russia Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing All-Around Gold 2012 London All-Around World Championships Gold 2007 Patras Team Gold 2009 Mie All-around Gold 2009 Mie Ball Gold 2009 Mie Hoop Gold 2009 Mie Ribbon Gold 2009 Mie Rope Gold 2009 Mie Team Gold 2010 Moscow All-around Gold 2010 Moscow Ball Gold 2010 Moscow Hoop Gold 2010 Moscow Team Gold 2011 Montpellier All-around Gold 2011 Montpellier Ball Gold 2011 Montpellier Hoop Gold 2011 Montpellier Clubs Gold 2011 Montpellier Ribbon Gold 2011 Montpellier Team Silver 2010 Moscow Rope European Championships Gold 2007 Baku Team Gold 2007 Baku Ribbon Gold 2008 Torino All-around Gold 2009 Baku Team Gold 2009 Baku Ball Gold 2009 Baku Hoop Gold 2009 Baku Ribbon Gold 2009 Baku Rope Gold 2010 Bremen All-around Gold 2011 Minsk Team Gold 2011 Minsk Hoop Gold 2011 Minsk Ribbon Gold 2012 Nizhny Novgorod All-around Silver 2011 Minsk Ball World Cup Final Gold 2008 Benidorm Clubs Gold 2008 Benidorm Hoop Gold 2008 Benidorm Ribbon Grand Prix Final Gold 2009 Berlin All-around Gold 2009 Berlin Rope Gold 2009 Berlin Hoop Gold 2009 Berlin Ball Gold 2009 Berlin Ribbon Gold 2010 Berlin All-around Gold 2010 Berlin Rope Gold 2010 Berlin Hoop Gold 2010 Berlin Ball Gold 2010 Berlin Ribbon Gold 2011 Brno All-around Gold 2011 Brno Ball Gold 2011 Brno Hoop Gold 2011 Brno Clubs Gold 2011 Brno Ribbon World Games Gold 2009 Kaohsiung Ball Gold 2009 Kaohsiung Hoop Gold 2009 Kaohsiung Ribbon Gold 2009 Kaohsiung Rope Summer Universiade Gold 2009 Belgrade All-around Gold 2009 Belgrade Ball Gold 2009 Belgrade Rope Gold 2009 Belgrade Hoop Gold 2009 Belgrade Ribbon Gold 2011 Shenzhen All-around Gold 2011 Shenzhen Ball Gold 2011 Shenzhen Clubs Gold 2011 Shenzhen Hoop Silver 2011 Shenzhen Ribbon

Evgeniya Kanaeva is a famous retired rhythmic gymnast from Russia. She is known for being the only rhythmic gymnast in history to win two Olympic gold medals in the all-around competition. She won her first gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Then, she won her second gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This made her the oldest gymnast to win an Olympic gold in rhythmic gymnastics.

Evgeniya holds the record for winning the most World titles, with seventeen gold medals. She also has thirteen European titles. In 2009, she made history at the World Championship in Japan. She became the first rhythmic gymnast to win all six possible gold medals at one event. She did this again in 2011, matching her own amazing record.

In 2013, Evgeniya received the International Fair Play Award. This award recognized her good sportsmanship and dedication to gymnastics.

Early Life and Training

Evgeniya Kanaeva was born on April 2, 1990, in Omsk, which was then part of the Soviet Union. Her mother, Svetlana, was also a rhythmic gymnast. Her father, Oleg, was a coach and a former wrestler. She has an older brother, Egor, who is also a wrestler.

Evgeniya started rhythmic gymnastics when she was six years old. Her grandmother helped introduce her to the sport. Her first coach was Yelena Arais. Yelena's mother, Vera Shtelbaums, later became Evgeniya's main coach. Vera remembered that Evgeniya would practice for many hours. She would stay even after other students had left, with her grandmother waiting for her.

A Champion's Career

Starting Senior Competitions

Evgeniya began competing as a senior gymnast in 2006. She quickly showed her talent. In 2007, she won gold medals at the World Cup in Corbeil-Essonnes. She also won gold in ribbon and team events at the 2007 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships. This happened after a teammate had to withdraw, and Evgeniya stepped in.

Road to the 2008 Olympics

Kanayeva in 2008

In 2008, Evgeniya prepared for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Her routines were very difficult and her music was chosen to show her unique style. She faced strong competition from other gymnasts. However, she started winning many titles in the Grand Prix and World Cup series.

At the 2008 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, she became the All-around champion. This made her the top gymnast on the Russian team. Evgeniya was the youngest gymnast in the Olympic finals. She focused on her performance and won the Olympic gold medal. She finished far ahead of the silver medalist.

Record-Breaking Years: 2009-2011

Kanaeva, gold medalist at the 2009 European Championships

In 2009, Evgeniya's style changed, and she worked very hard. She won all four gold medals at the European Championships. In July, she won nine gold medals at the Universiade and the World Games. The Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, praised her contributions.

At the World Championships in Japan in September, Evgeniya won six gold medals. This was a new record for the most gold medals won at a single rhythmic gymnastics World Championship. President Medvedev sent her a special message to congratulate her.

Evgeniya continued her winning streak in 2010. She won gold medals in all-around and event finals at the Grand Prix Final. She also won the European all-around title again. At the 2010 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, she won gold in all-around, ball, and hoop.

In 2011, Evgeniya kept winning. She won most of her World Cup and Grand Prix competitions. At the 2011 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, she broke her own record. She won six gold medals again, including the all-around title and all event finals. She even scored a perfect 30 points in ribbon at the 2011 Grand Prix Final.

The 2012 London Olympics

Kanaeva in 2012

Evgeniya started her 2012 season with new routines. She won many all-around titles at World Cup and Grand Prix events. At the 2012 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, she won her third straight European All-around title.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Evgeniya performed incredibly well. She completed all four routines without any big mistakes. She was the only gymnast to score over 29 points in ball, hoop, and clubs. She won her second Olympic gold medal, making history.

Life After Competition

After the 2012 Olympics, Evgeniya decided to stop competing. In December 2012, she announced her retirement. She said she wanted to try new activities. At the same time, she was chosen as a vice-president of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation. She wanted to stay involved in gymnastics as a coach or in an administrative role.

In 2012, Evgeniya was named the most successful female athlete in Russia. In September 2013, she was named "Woman of the Year" by GQ Russia magazine. In 2015, she performed at a special gala celebrating 80 years of rhythmic gymnastics in Russia.

As of 2020, Evgeniya has been working as a coach for junior Russian gymnasts. She helps train young talents like Sofya Agafonova and Anastasia Simakova.

Sponsorships and Personal Life

Evgeniya Kanaeva was an ambassador for Longines luxury watches. She was also sponsored by Visa for the 2012 London Olympics. Pantene chose her as one of nine elite athletes to be an ambassador for the Olympic Games. She appeared in a commercial for Pantene Pro-V. She was also an honorary ambassador for the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan.

Evgeniya studied at the Siberian State University of Physical Training and Sports. She has said she is interested in drawing, playing piano, and learning foreign languages. She saves her prize money for her education.

On June 8, 2013, Evgeniya married ice hockey player Igor Musatov. They had a son named Vladimir on March 19, 2014. They later divorced in 2018. Evgeniya's father, Oleg, passed away in October 2013.

Gymnastics Skill Named After Her

Evgeniya Kanaeva has a special skill named after her in rhythmic gymnastics. It is called the "Kanaeva."

Images for kids

• 

  Kanaeva performing her hoop routine at the 2012 Vorarlberg Grand Prix that scored a perfect 30 points.

• 

  Kanaeva performing with clubs

• 

  Kanaeva at the 2011 LG WHISEN Rhythmic All Stars Gala.

See also

In Spanish: Yevguéniya Kanáyeva para niños