Elena Shushunova. Biography, achievements, awards

When a person knows how to own his body, this is considered skill, and on the part to observe such a spectacle is very entertaining. Since ancient times, eastern yogis have shown the highest art of owning their physical body. In the west, this began to imitate, but, unfortunately, the spiritual meaning was lost. Thus, in the eighth century BC, the ancient Greeks had the word "gymnastics". But much earlier than this and still in China, gymnastic exercises are used for medicinal purposes. Since the first Olympiad of modernity, this sport was immediately included in the program for men. Since 1928, women began to officially appear at the Olympic Games. In the 1930s the USSR began training its athletes for the international arena. About the history of one heroine of this not very easy sport we will tell today.

Facts from biography

Shushunova Elena Lvovna was born on April 23, 1969 in the USSR, in the city of Leningrad (today's name is St. Petersburg, Russia). The family lived simply, with restraint and had to work hard all by hard work. Earlier coaches went to schools and looked at themselves in the sports sections of children, which they were approached by external data. Or they watched their movements in physical education classes, looking out for the young future champions. So Helen noticed in the first class and invited her first coach in gymnastics, Rubtsova GI, to the sports school. Since flexibility, coordination of movements in children develops in the early years, athletes had to look almost from the kindergarten, so that not Miss the moment of development, otherwise the sentence - in gymnastics you will not achieve anything.

The first tests

But not easy childish training at a young age gave the first breakdown. After several difficult years young Elena Shushunova did not want to train anymore because of the alleged lack of high results. But the conditions were really very tough. Previously, there were no multi-layered safe mats, as now. Gymnasts trained simply on the carpet, which many now lie on the floor. Considering that this is an incredibly traumatic sport, and even for girls, training was often unbearable. Because many did not reach high sports results. This time Elena's mother, Shushunova, reassured her daughter, encouraging her that not everything was perfect right away, skill was polished for years of repetitions, or even decades.

First victories

The path was continued under the guidance of the coach Yatchenko TN Stubbornly training with his mentor VN Govrichenkov, at the age of ten, Elena Shushunova fulfilled the standard of the master of sports. Three years later she won the 1982 Junior European Championship in freestyle. Then the victories in national championships on all kinds in sports gymnastics fell. In 1983 she won the USSR Cup in the all-around, confirming her superiority from 1985 to 1988 (only in 1984 she was awarded a bronze medal). Then went victorious performances at the world championships.

Gold Champion

The sportswoman had one more attempt to complete her sports career, but this time the coach played a decisive tutor role, and not for nothing. In Montreal (Canada) in 1985, Elena Shushunova (gymnast with great endurance) won three gold medals. Although she was the 17th after an arbitrary program. After the team championship athlete climbed to the fifth position (but in the final of the competition took the first three). Somehow the coaches still put Elena in the team, and they did not lose. She became a three-time world champion in absolute championship, team and base jump. In the same year at the European Championships in Helsinki, Elena - Honored Master of Sports, won four gold medals (all-around, support jump, floor exercises and bars) plus one bronze on the heaviest exercise for her on a log.

Joy and tears

1987 was tearful for Elena both for joy and sadness. She became the owner of an absolute record at the World Universiade in Zagreb (Yugoslavia). Elena Shushunova took all 6 gold medals in gymnastics from her rivals. In Moscow, at the European Championships, Elena won in the base jump and caught on third place on the pedestal in the all-around. But at the World Championships of the same year in the Netherlands (the city of Rotterdam) there were bitter tears. Although, why grieve? Elena is a Merited Master of Sports, she won two gold medals (freestyle and support jump), three silver medals (log exercises, all-around and team competition), a bronze medal for bar exercises. What was wrong with this championship? The whole women's team of the USSR was sobbing, and this was remembered for the rest of her life by all the girls who spoke at the time. They lost the team world championship, losing to the national team of Romania only one hundredth point! It was really sad, till now Elena remembers it.

Long-awaited for Elena Shushunova Olympic 1988 (Seoul, Korea) gave the treasured gold in the all-around and in the team championship. Also Elena has collected all kinds of medals on this Olympiad - silver in performances on a log and bronze - on uneven bars. Here, at last, you could rest a little. But Elena immediately put an assistant coach in the new team, where she had to show the correctness of the exercises. This broke the sports spirit of the gymnast. At this stage Elena Shushunova decided to end her sports career.

Personal life

In 1991, the athlete graduated from the State Institute of Physical Education and Sport named after Lesgaft PF in St. Petersburg. I got married and gave birth to a son. Finally, Elena Shushunova rested physically, but mentally she continues to work for the good of all. She is invited to host various championships in her favorite sport. Until 2014, Elena officially held an administrative post in her hometown for a position in the committee of physical culture and sports.

She was awarded the medal "For Labor Distinction" and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. She still modestly continues to live in her native city with her family and parents.