Lilia Podkopayeva facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lilia Podkopayeva
Podkopayeva in 2021
Personal information
Full name	Lilia Alexandrivna Podkopayeva
Nickname(s)	LilyPod, Golden Lily (in Ukraine)
Country represented	Ukraine
Born	(1978-08-15) 15 August 1978 (age 46) Donetsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Spouse	Tymofiy Nahornyi (m. 2004; div. 2009)
Height	1.49 m (4 ft 11 in)
Weight	42 kg (93 lb)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior International Elite
Club	Dynamo
Head coach(es)	Lilia Puhachova (Choreographer), Halyna Lozynska
Eponymous skills	Vault round-off, back-handspring with 1/2 turn on - piked salto forward with 1/2 turn off Floor double front salto, also with 1/2 twist out
Retired	1997
Medal record Representing  Ukraine Women's artistic gymnastics Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 1 0 World Championships 2 3 0 Goodwill Games 2 0 2 European Championships 4 1 4 European Team Championships 0 0 1 European Cup Final 2 2 2 Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta All-Around Gold 1996 Atlanta Floor Exercise Silver 1996 Atlanta Balance Beam World Championships Gold 1995 Sabae All-Around Gold 1995 Sabae Vault Silver 1994 Brisbane Balance Beam Silver 1995 Sabae Balance Beam Silver 1995 Sabae Uneven Bars Goodwill Games Gold 1994 St Petersburg Mixed Team Gold 1994 St Petersburg Vault Bronze 1994 St Petersburg Team Bronze 1994 St Petersburg Floor Exercise European Championships Gold 1994 Stockholm Floor Exercise Gold 1996 Birmingham All-Around Gold 1996 Birmingham Uneven Bars Gold 1996 Birmingham Floor Exercise Silver 1994 Stockholm Balance Beam Bronze 1994 Stockholm Team Bronze 1994 Stockholm Vault Bronze 1996 Birmingham Team Bronze 1996 Birmingham Vault European Team Championships Bronze 1997 Paris Team European Cup Final Gold 1995 Rome Uneven Bars Gold 1995 Rome Balance Beam Silver 1993 Brussels Vault Silver 1995 Rome Vault Bronze 1993 Brussels Balance Beam Bronze 1995 Rome Floor

Lilia Oleksandrivna Podkopayeva (Ukrainian: Лілія Олександрівна Подкопаєва; born August 15, 1978) is a famous Ukrainian former artistic gymnast. She is known for her amazing skills and grace. Lilia won the world all-around championship in 1995. She also won two gold medals at the 1996 Olympic Games. Many people think of her as a complete athlete. She combined power, style, and ballet-like grace in her routines.

Lilia's Gymnastics Journey

Early Competitions: 1993–1995

In March 1993, Lilia won her only national gymnastics title in Ukraine. A month later, she competed at the 1993 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in England. She reached the vault final. However, she had a fall on her first try and finished last.

At the 1994 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Australia, Lilia placed sixth in the all-around competition. The all-around event combines scores from all gymnastics equipment. In the individual event finals, she finished eighth on vault. She placed fifth on uneven bars and second on balance beam. Later in 1994, she helped the Ukrainian team finish fifth at the World Team Championships.

The next year, Podkopayeva competed at the 1995 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Japan. Her strong performance helped Ukraine qualify a full team for the 1996 Olympics. Lilia then won the all-around final, becoming the world champion. In the individual event finals, she won first place on vault. She also earned silver medals on uneven bars and balance beam.

Olympic Year: 1996

At the start of 1996, Lilia had a serious injury. She broke two ribs after falling from the balance beam during practice. But she recovered quickly! In May, she competed at the European Championships. There, she helped the Ukrainian team win third place. She also won the individual all-around title. In the event finals, she earned a bronze medal on balance beam. She won gold medals on uneven bars and floor exercise.

Atlanta Olympics: A Golden Performance

In July, Podkopayeva competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In the team final, her scores helped the Ukrainian team finish fifth. Then, she won the all-around final. This made her the Olympic all-around champion!

In the individual event finals, she placed fifth on uneven bars. She won a silver medal on balance beam. And she won another gold medal on floor exercise! Lilia was only the fourth gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title after being the world champion. She was also the first female gymnast to win the all-around without her team winning a medal.

Retirement: 1997

Lilia wanted to keep competing after the 1996 Olympics. She was even chosen for the Ukrainian team for the 1997 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. However, injuries stopped her from competing. These injuries later made her retire from the sport.

Gymnastics Skills Named After Lilia

Lilia Podkopayeva has two special gymnastics moves named after her. These are listed in the official Code of Points. This book describes all the skills in gymnastics.

Life After Gymnastics

In 2002, Lilia started the Golden Lilia International Sports Festival. This event showcases amazing artistic and rhythmic gymnasts, acrobats, and dancers. She said it's important to show great talent so new gymnasts can be inspired.

In 2005, Podkopayeva became a United Nations goodwill ambassador. She worked to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in Ukraine. She is also an Ambassador for the Council of Europe. This role promotes sport, tolerance, and fair play.

In 2007, she won Ukraine's Dancing With the Stars TV show. The next year, she represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Dance Contest 2008. She placed third in that competition.

In 2014, Lilia performed at a special event in Mexico. She used moves similar to her famous Olympic floor routine. In 2019, Podkopayeva joined the coaching team at a gymnastics center in Atlanta, USA.

See also

In Spanish: Lilia Podkopayeva para niños

• List of Olympic female gymnasts for Ukraine