Svetlana Boginskaya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Svetlana Boginskaya
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Personal information
Full name	Svetlana Leonidovna Boginskaya
Nickname(s)	Belarusian Swan, Goddess of Gymnastics
Country represented	Belarus
Former countries represented	CIS ( Unified Team),  Soviet Union
Born	(1973-02-09) February 9, 1973 (age 52) Minsk, Belarusian SSR, USSR (now Belarus)
Height	158.5 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior International Elite
Head coach(es)	Tatiana Grosovivich
Former coach(es)	Lyubov Miromanova
Retired	1997
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 1 1 World Championships 5 3 1 European Championships 9 1 0 World Cup Final 1 1 1 Goodwill Games 2 1 1 American Cup 0 1 0 Total 21 8 4 Representing  Soviet Union Olympic Games Gold 1988 Seoul Team Gold 1988 Seoul Vault Silver 1988 Seoul Floor Exercise Bronze 1988 Seoul All-Around World Championships Gold 1989 Stuttgart Team Gold 1989 Stuttgart All-Around Gold 1989 Stuttgart Floor Exercise Gold 1991 Indianapolis Team Gold 1991 Indianapolis Balance Beam Silver 1987 Rotterdam Team Silver 1991 Indianapolis All-Around Bronze 1987 Rotterdam Balance Beam European Championships Gold 1989 Brussels All-Around Gold 1989 Brussels Vault Gold 1989 Brussels Floor Exercise Gold 1990 Athens All-Around Gold 1990 Athens Vault Gold 1990 Athens Uneven Bars Gold 1990 Athens Balance Beam Gold 1990 Athens Floor Exercise World Cup Final Gold 1990 Brussels Floor Exercise Silver 1990 Brussels All-Around Bronze 1990 Brussels Vault Goodwill Games Gold 1990 Seattle Team Gold 1990 Seattle Floor Exercise Silver 1990 Seattle All-Around Bronze 1990 Seattle Balance Beam Representing  CIS ( Unified Team) Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona Team World Championships Silver 1992 Paris Vault Representing  Belarus European Championships Gold 1992 Nantes Balance Beam Silver 1996 Birmingham All-Around American Cup Silver 1996 Fort Worth All-Around

Svetlana Leonidovna Boginskaya (born February 9, 1973) is a famous former artistic gymnast. She competed for the Soviet Union and later for Belarus. Svetlana is a three-time Olympic champion. She won a gold medal on vault at the 1988 Summer Olympics. She also earned team gold medals in both the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics. People often called her the "Belarusian Swan" or "Goddess of Gymnastics" because of her graceful style.

Early Life and Training

Svetlana Boginskaya was born in Minsk, Belarus, on February 9, 1973. Before she started gymnastics, she actually practiced figure skating. She began gymnastics at age six. This was after she watched the famous gymnast Nadia Comăneci compete in the Olympics.

Just two years later, Svetlana moved to Moscow. There, she trained full-time at the Round Lake Gymnastics Center. Her first coach was Lyubov Miromanova. Miromanova was like a second mother to Svetlana, coaching and taking care of her.

A Rising Star: Early Career

Svetlana joined the Soviet national team when she was 14 years old. Her first international competition was the 1987 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. At this event, she won a bronze medal on the balance beam. Her team also earned a silver medal.

The next year, Svetlana competed in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. She had an amazing performance, winning four medals! She took home gold in the team competition and gold on vault. She also won a silver medal on floor exercise and a bronze in the individual all-around.

Overcoming Challenges: 1989-1991

After her coach, Lyubov Miromanova, sadly passed away, Svetlana began training with Tatiana Grosovivich. Under Grosovivich's guidance, Svetlana continued to shine.

In 1989, she competed at the European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships. There, she won gold medals in the all-around, vault, and floor events. Later that year, she also won gold in the all-around, floor, and team events at the 1989 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She dedicated these wins to her late mentor.

The following year, 1990, was incredible for Svetlana. She became only the fourth woman ever to win a gold medal in every individual event at the European Championships! She also won gold on floor at the FIG World Cup.

In 1991, Svetlana won another gold medal at the World Championships on the balance beam. She also earned a silver medal in the all-around, and her team won gold.

Barcelona Olympics and First Retirement

In 1992, Svetlana competed at the European Championships. She won gold on the balance beam with a very high score of 9.95. Even though she had a fall on the floor exercise, she was still a favorite for the all-around title at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

At the World Championships that year, Svetlana won a silver medal on vault. She was chosen to compete for the Unified Team at the Olympics. This team was made up of athletes from several former Soviet republics. At the Barcelona Olympics, Svetlana won her third Olympic gold medal in the team competition. In the individual competition, she finished fifth in the all-around.

After the 1992 Olympics, Svetlana decided to retire from gymnastics for a short time.

The Comeback Kid: 1995-1996

Svetlana made a surprising return to the sport in 1995. She said she was inspired by figure skater Katarina Witt, who had a great comeback. Svetlana moved to Houston, Texas, to train with the famous coach Bela Karolyi. She worked hard to make her routines more difficult. At the 1995 European Championships, she won a silver medal in the all-around.

In 1996, at 23 years old, she placed second in the all-around at the American Cup. She also earned a silver medal at the European Championships. Svetlana then competed in her third Olympic Games, the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. She was one of the older gymnasts competing there. She reached the all-around and vault finals but did not win a medal. The Belarusian team finished sixth.

After the 1996 Olympics, Svetlana retired from gymnastics for good.

A Gymnastics Legend

Svetlana Boginskaya is one of the few women to have competed in three Olympic Games. Because the Soviet Union broke up, she competed under a different flag each time: the USSR, the Unified Team, and Belarus.

In 2005, she was honored by being inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Svetlana continues to be involved in gymnastics. She works as a guest coach and supports other gymnasts.

Life After Gymnastics

Svetlana Boginskaya now lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and two children. She runs several businesses, including an online store for gymnastics clothes. She also organizes summer camps for young gymnasts.

Svetlana's Unique Style

Svetlana was known for her beautiful and artistic gymnastics. Her floor routine at the 1988 Olympics used music from Georges Bizet's Carmen. Another routine in 1990 and 1991 was choreographed by the famous Bolshoi Ballet.

On the uneven bars, she had a special move: a giant to handstand with a 180-degree split into a toe-on element. Commentators often talked about her height and slim body. She used these to her advantage by focusing on perfect posture and body alignment. She was known for her excellent execution and presentation, even more than just difficulty. She often landed her dismounts and vaults with her right foot slightly in front of her left. This was an artistic touch that also helped her stick her landings perfectly.

Competitive History Overview

Images for kids

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  Svetlana Boginskaya, the "Belarusian Swan"

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  The Olympic rings, a symbol of the Olympic Games

See also

In Spanish: Svetlana Boguínskaya para niños

• List of top Olympic gymnastics medalists
• List of top medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships