Book by the famous gymnast and politician Svetlana Khorkina published under the title “The Magic of Victory.” In fact, it talks not only about the sports part of Khorkina’s career. Svetlana talks quite frankly about her personal life. AiF.ru publishes several excerpts from the book.

Cover of the book “The Magic of Victory” by Svetlana Khorkina. Photo: courtesy of EKSMO publishing house

About five years later, when I was born, my dad was given a dorm room from work. Thank God, it was not a corridor system with one toilet for the whole floor, but a block system. There are two rooms (we occupied one, the other was occupied by neighbors) - a shared toilet and shower. It was a fun hostel: with insects and all other living creatures... I was especially attacked by bedbugs... Our 11-meter room was divided into two parts by a wardrobe: in one there was a large parental bed and my chair-bed, and in the other there was a tiny dining room table. And above this table, dad managed to build a home sports corner: he hung a trapeze with a rope from the ceiling so that I could climb on it like a monkey, develop and tumble... I didn’t do anything on them! She climbed the rope onto the trapeze, from there onto the closet, and jumped from the closet onto the bed. She was restless - just a plague! ...

One evening in the shared kitchen, my mother started talking with a neighbor about me and my daring agility. And she said that her daughter had been doing gymnastics for several months. “Maybe we should take Sveta there too,” she advised. “If he starts studying, the energy will go to useful things, and you’ll see that an appetite will appear.” They are now enrolling girls in the junior group, and it will be convenient for us to pick up the children after classes one by one.” The very next day, returning home after work, my mother took me by the hand and took me by bus to the Spartak Sports Palace...

I remember how at the beginning of the next workout, during the warm-up, I did the splits. She turned slightly and felt something crunch in her back. And then a sharp pain pierced me all over. It felt like every cell of my body ached. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t... The next day I was taken to CITO - the Central Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics - a place that later became my lifesaver, because over the years of my sports life I had to go there more than once for treatment and prevention.

While driving there, I prayed. But a miracle did not happen: the CITO said that they would not be able to prescribe any treatment for me right away. I need to go in for an examination. And the sooner the better! Like, come tomorrow, go to bed, and we’ll see what happened to you, and only after that we’ll prescribe you treatment.

And I have a kaleidoscope of thoughts in my head: “How to “go to bed”? What kind of “examination”?! Nothing like this! I need to heal everything urgently! I have a control training the day after tomorrow - qualifying for the World Championships in Sabayo! At any cost, I must get on the team in Japan! Well, I do not! I won't just give up! I’m perfectly prepared for this tournament...” (Khorkina eventually won gold at this tournament - Ed.)

Svetlana Khorkina, 1995. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vladimir Rodionov

The appearance of a doping officer in front of my eyes always had an effect on me, just like a red rag on a bull! A doping test is always stressful also because you are forced to stand in front of a stranger completely naked and take tests in front of her. After all, in everyday life, the procedure of visiting the toilet is quite intimate - people don’t go there in crowds. And here a man stands and looks purposefully at you...

I remember we were at a training camp in Adelaide, preparing for the Olympics in Sydney... I reveal: there is a doping officer on the doorstep. I signed her report, and she stuck to me like a tail, because I simply had nothing to get tested right away... I went for a massage, she sat next to me and watched everything that was happening. Then there was a procedure in the hydrobath, and she also sat nearby. That evening I managed to sit with the girls in the hall in front of the TV - she sat next to us all the time and recorded everything that I did that evening... In the end, I got tired of this tail, I called her to my room and took her out a long-hidden can of non-alcoholic beer from the stash. I invited her to join me too. She recorded my jar in her protocol, I drank it and finally caused the necessary impulse to take the test...

We were glad that we were paid a stipend, that we lived at the training camp on full support, having the opportunity to train from morning to night. And after winning the Olympics in 1996 and receiving bonuses (for the first time they began to pay 50 thousand dollars for a gold medal - very decent money at that time), I was able to buy myself two fur coats: mink and arctic fox - great luxury at that time. The leadership of the city and region gave me a cool car for that period - the 99th Lada model. I was not yet old enough to buy my own home. And why did I need a house in Belgorod? After all, most of the time I lived in Moscow, in a hostel, and then there was no one next to me who would look forward to the future. Of course, I had the opportunity to buy myself fashionable, expensive clothes. And with these considerable funds we could already live normally, without limiting ourselves. Although my parents, people of the old school, were used to living modestly and never particularly spoiled me. However, I always had everything I needed. I grew up in a normal Russian family, where they know the value of money, understand how it is earned and how it should be spent. Then my parents and I decided to put most of the bonuses into a bank account and, I think, we did the right thing. I lived in Moscow quite modestly on my salary, periodically sending something to my parents. And we always had enough.

Svetlana Khorkina, 2003. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vladimir Fedorenko

How come I didn’t have time to prepare for my uneven bars performance? (Khorkina was the favorite at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, but only took silver in the all-around - ed.). At that time, most gymnasts worked on uneven bars without pads. But a girl with pads performed in front of me. And after it I had to clean the bars from adhering magnesium longer than usual. Then some fuss arose around the uneven bars... But at this moment, when you are testing the bars of the uneven bars before a performance, not only the preparation of the apparatus is taking place, but the psychological immersion that has already been developed over decades in this apparatus and the program that you will now perform in the competition . Your complete reunification with the projectile occurs. And for some reason, someone was constantly distracting me at this moment, not allowing me to fully concentrate on preparing for the performance... And then suddenly, unexpectedly early, the green signal came on, indicating the moment the performance began, this secretly pushed me towards even greater fuss , did not allow me to fully tune in to the exercise. I didn’t even have the feeling that I was ready to start... Why were they in such a hurry to turn on the starting signal? Don't know. But the fact remains: the light comes on - you have 30 seconds to start your performance.

Work on the projectile occurs very quickly - about 50 seconds. And, if you are literally distracted for a split second, consider that you have fallen... And all this resulted in the fact that I stopped feeling the grip of my hands on the poles, I was torn off them, and I lost control.

Many years later, I finally watched my performance on the uneven bars and my preparation for it on video. And then everything fell into place: it was a real sabotage! A precisely calculated psychological move that unsettled me when all the turmoil that took place before my performance was artificially created...

Remembering all this today, I can say that neither the Athenian pain was cried out to the end by me and the wound did not heal, nor the Sydney one, when I collapsed on the knees of that lame horse... These are still living and bleeding wounds! Unfortunately, there are no small things in big sports... I’m more than sure: if I had won the uneven bars at the Athens Olympics, I would have continued my sports career and went to my fourth Olympics to conquer the peak, which for me personally remained unconquered - Olympic champion title in all-around!

After Sydney, a man appeared in my life who constantly showed that he was not indifferent to me, looked after me very nicely, promised so many things, trying to evoke some kind of reciprocal feelings in me. Once it even seemed to me that I loved this man. But over the years, I still understood what exactly it seemed, even though I gave birth to a son from him a few years later, who in fact became my true love! Then, I think, this feeling was simply instilled in me, because on his part it was initially false...

Perhaps I should now, based on my own life experience, give some advice to girls who look at life with the same childish naivety. Dear girls, if a man assures you that he is not married, and even shows you his passport, which does not have a stamp about marriage and children, do not rush to believe him. Don’t be shy about asking to come to his home - where he really lives, and see for yourself that that’s where his things are. And one more thing: if he assures you that you will certainly live together, but for quite a long time does not take any action in this direction, drive him in the neck, unless, of course, you yourself are committed to a serious relationship and do not perceive him as something temporary...

Svetlana Khorkina with her son Svyatoslav. Photo: RIA Novosti / Ekaterina Chesnokova

It was incomprehensible to me why there was suddenly a need to make a secret of our relationship and his paternity. I have not committed a single shameful act in my life, but I was told that I should go as far as possible and not tell anyone about my pregnancy. I was surprised: why from the person who swears that he loves me, from whom I am expecting a child, the reaction is not at all what I expected? It seemed like we lived like a family, discussed plans for the future... And then, it would seem, such happiness happened - we are going to have a baby! It’s a pity that this turned out to be happiness not for the two of us, but only for me. But even this could not darken my joy. I was incredibly happy. And today I can’t imagine life without my beloved son - my firefly...

My personal life was the subject of discussion in the pages of the tabloid press for several more years, until finally the gossips learned that I was happily married. And not at all with the one they were constantly gossiping about. But a few years later, my child’s father still found the strength to recognize his child, although I insisted on it.

Father communicates with son financially Svyatoslav helps.

My husband also gets along with my son. I would never get along with a man if I was convinced that my son was unpleasant to him or something else. For me, in any case, children will come first, and then everything else... Everything that happened in my personal life before, it all went into the treasury of life experience. And I don’t regret it, because, thanks to him, I learned to distinguish sweet lies from bitter truth and understand what a man’s real attitude towards a woman is. Thanks to my man, I know that you can do things for the sake of your loved one and treat him with respect, care and concern. Close relationships between people should begin with respect for a woman. And only then can what is called love arise. Sparkles of passion fade over time, but respect remains forever.

*The editors would like to express their gratitude to Eksmo Publishing House for their assistance in preparing the material.

In 1992, she became a member of the Russian artistic gymnastics team.

Svetlana Khorkina achieved her first major success at the 1994 World Championships, winning a silver medal. The following year, at the European Championships, she won one silver and two bronze medals, and then became the champion of the 1995 world championship.

"Queen of the parallel bars" Svetlana KhorkinaOn January 19, the famous Russian athlete Svetlana Khorkina turns 35 years old. Three-time world champion, three-time absolute European champion Svetlana Khorkina - in the RIA Novosti photo feed.

At the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, Khorkina became first on the uneven bars and second in the all-around. The 2000 Olympics in Sydney again brought the athlete gold on the uneven bars, as well as silver in the floor exercise.

From 1995 to 2001, she became the first in all competitions held on uneven bars. Many of the elements performed by Khorkina on the uneven bars were complex and invented specifically for her due to her high stature, which is not typical for gymnasts.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Khorkina won a silver medal in the all-around and became the second gymnast in history to win three Olympic Games.

At the end of August 2004, Khorkina announced her retirement from her sports career.

On December 21, 2004, Khorkina took the post of vice-president of the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation (FSGR).

Svetlana Khorkina is a two-time Olympic champion in parallel bars, three-time absolute world champion and three-time absolute European champion. Absolute champion of Russia (1993, 1995, 1997). Multiple champion of Russia in vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. Winner of the Russian Cup in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000 in all-around. Honored Master of Sports of Russia. She was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree, the Order of Honor and Friendship, and the Honorary Badge of Sports Glory of Russia.

In 2007, a monument was erected in Belgorod in honor of Svetlana Khorkina. Svetlana has a son, Svyatoslav (born July 21, 2005). According to media reports, in May 2011 she married FSB General Oleg Kochnov.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources.

Started September 15th 2000 Olympics in Sydney was one of the last chances for an outstanding generation of Russian athletes to prove themselves - in fact, the last graduates of the Soviet school. Over the two weeks of the Games, the Russian team lost only to the United States in the unofficial team standings, winning 32 gold, 28 silver and 29 bronze medals. This is the team's best result in the history of the Summer Olympics.

“No one could stop me from doing anything”

2000 – golden time for the gymnast Svetlana Khorkina. She is the main star of this sport in the world. She is already the queen of the uneven bars, and no one doubted that Sydney would be conquered by the athlete from Belgorod. By this time, in addition to victories in the World and European Championships, she already had individual Olympic gold on uneven bars and team silver, won in Atlanta in 1996.

“I was ready. I'm already a winner. Nobody could stop me from doing anything. All options were excluded. All! But someone found it,” Svetlana recalled that story back in 2016.

By “found it” she means the strange story of the pommel horse. Having started the competition well, she demonstrated a jump in floor exercises that would later be named after her. And in the all-around, Svetlana went out to perform a jump on a horse and fell, breaking her knees.

But we must go further. Frustrated, Khorkina went to perform an exercise on her favorite uneven bars, still not understanding how she could make a mistake on the pommel horse. Demoralized, with severe pain in her knees, she fell in this exercise as well.

Only after this was she informed that the horse had been installed 5 cm lower as required: its height was 120 cm instead of 125. In artistic gymnastics, as a rule, short and stocky girls achieve success. Svetlana, with her height of 165 cm, was a giant among gymnasts. And in a situation with a knight lowered below normal, growth had the first effect.

The organizers never found out why the projectile was not in order. The athletes were allowed to perform the exercise again. But for Khorkina this did not make sense, since the uneven bars exercise could no longer be corrected. Vicious circle.

As a result, the legend of world gymnastics ended up in 10th place in the all-around.

Upset, Svetlana goes to the Olympic Village on foot, alone, to cry.

“It wasn’t pity, it was resentment. Offense to the whole world. Everyone was to blame for me then,” the athlete recalls.

Waking up in her room, she decided not to give up and prove to the whole world that Khorkina is still the queen of the uneven bars.

She performs brilliantly in her favorite discipline, leaving no chance for her competitors - there is individual gold. To celebrate, she even kisses the bars, on which she again managed to believe in herself.

In addition, Khorkina received silver in the team event and silver in the floor exercise at the Olympics.

"A Thorn for Life"

At the turn of the 1990s and zeros Gennady Shipulin brought VK Belogorye to the European level. By the Sydney Olympics, he was already a three-time champion of Russia: his team took gold in three seasons in a row. Since 1998, Shipulin also led the national team. In 1999 he won the World Cup. In 2000, Shipulin was 46 years old. He is on a wave of success, and Olympic gold seems closer than ever.

A whole galaxy of brilliant volleyball players raised in Russia went to European clubs. In post-crisis Russia, there is still not enough investment for the full development of its league. Most Russians, including the 25-year-old Sergei Tetyukhin, performed in Italian clubs. “Belogorye” at that time was represented only Konstantin Ushakov And Alexey Kuleshov.

In the first game, Shipulin's team dealt with the Yugoslavs - 3:1. Two days later the Americans were defeated with the same score. In the remaining games of the group round, the Russians dealt with South Korea, Italy and Argentina.

In the playoffs the team also looked more than confident. In the quarterfinals they defeated Cuba 3:2, and in the semifinals they confidently defeated the same Argentina - 3:1. In the final for Olympic gold, the Russians went to Yugoslavia, which at that time was coached by Zoran Gajić (after 2004, it was he who led the Russian national team, immediately after Shipulin left it).

It seemed that the opponent was more than convenient. However, self-confidence played a cruel joke on the Russians. 0:3 in games: 22:25, 22:25, 20:25. The Yugoslavs, it seems, were themselves shocked by this outcome.

The most productive player of that final for the Russians was Sergey Tetyukhin, who scored 11 points. Against the background of rejoicing Balkans and Russians coming to their senses, it was he who stood out. Heartbroken, Sergei sat with his head in his knees and could not come to his senses.

“That’s when I burst into tears out of resentment right on the court,” he later recalled. – In terms of skill, the Yugoslavs were no match for us, but in decisive matches, character and fighting qualities are more important. We came into the game overconfident and paid for it. That 0:3 defeat is a thorn in the heart for life.”

However, perhaps it was precisely that splinter that became the lesson in which Tetyukhin grew into a truly great Russian athlete.

Sergey Shevchenko

9.800 (1997) Best results at the Olympics Team Championship 388.404 (1996) All-around 38.455 (1996) Uneven bars 9.862 (2000) Floor exercises 9.812 (2000) Awards and medals

Olympic Games
Gold	Atlanta 1996	bars
Silver	Atlanta 1996	team
Gold	Sydney 2000	bars
Silver	Sydney 2000	freestyle
Silver	Sydney 2000	team
Silver	Athens 2004	all-around
Bronze	Athens 2004	team
World Championships
Silver	Brisbane 1994	bars
Silver	Brisbane 1994	vault
Bronze	Dortmund 1994	team
Gold	Sabae 1995	bars
Gold	San Juan 1996	bars
Gold	Lausanne 1997	bars
Gold	Lausanne 1997	all-around
Silver	Lausanne 1997	team
Silver	Lausanne 1997	log
Silver	Lausanne 1997	freestyle
Gold	Tianjin 1999	bars
Silver	Tianjin 1999	team
Bronze	Tianjin 1999	freestyle
Gold	Ghent 2001	bars
Gold	Ghent 2001	vault
Gold	Ghent 2001	all-around
Silver	Ghent 2001	team
Bronze	Ghent 2001	freestyle
Gold	Anaheim 2003	all-around
European Championships
Gold	St. Petersburg 1998	all-around
Gold	St. Petersburg 1998	bars
Gold	St. Petersburg 1998	freestyle
Silver	St. Petersburg 1998	team
Gold	Amsterdam 2004	bars
Bronze	Amsterdam 2004	team
Bronze	Amsterdam 2004	log
State and departmental awards

Media files on Wikimedia Commons

Svetlana Vasilievna Khorkina(born January 19, Belgorod, RSFSR, USSR) - Russian gymnast, two-time Olympic champion in parallel bars (,), 9-time world champion, including three times in the absolute championship and five times in parallel bars, and 13 - multiple European champion (three times in the absolute championship). Honored Master of Sports of Russia (). Mordovian by nationality.

First Deputy Head of CSKA (FAI RF CSKA) since February 5, 2016. Lieutenant Colonel of the Reserve Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

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✪ THE BEST GYMNASTS IN THE WORLD IN HISTORY

✪ Svetlana Khorkina at a Spartak home match

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Career

Khorkina began playing sports in 1983. She trained under the guidance of Boris Pilkin. Since 1992, Khorkina has been a member of the Russian national artistic gymnastics team.

1994-1995

Khorkina won her first senior international medal in 1994 at the World Championships in Brisbane: a silver medal on vault and another silver on uneven bars. She performed even more successfully at the European Championships that same year. Here she won silver in the all-around behind teammate Dina Kochetkova and gold on the uneven bars. Khorkina also competed in the Goodwill Games and the World Team Championships this year. Her first all-around victory came in 1995 at the European Cup, where she also won medals in the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise. She was the top contender for all-around gold at the World Championships that year. She does a double twist on the floor exercise instead of a triple. This led to a low score for the program, but flawless executions on beam and vault and a stellar performance on uneven bars helped her take second place behind Ukrainian Liliya Podkopaeva. In the uneven bars final, Khorkina won the gold medal with an incredible score of 9.90, ahead of Mo Huilan of China.

1996

2001-2003

Khorkina decided to compete at the next Olympics. At the 2001 World Championships, she won the title of overall champion, as well as gold in the vault and uneven bars. With 5 world champion titles and 2 Olympic champion titles, Khorkina becomes the most titled gymnast on one apparatus. From 1995 to 2001, she won every World Championship and Olympic uneven bars title. In 2002, Khorkina won the all-around at the European Championships; it is believed that she won only due to the judges' favor. In 2003, Svetlana admitted that gymnastics had taken a toll on her body and that she began to “feel her age,” but she promised to compete at the Olympics. At the World Championships in Anaheim, she became the absolute champion for the third time, which no woman had ever achieved before.

2004

Khorkina was again the favorite of the Games; this was her last Olympics. She reached the finals only in the all-around and uneven bars. In the team competition, her strong performances helped Russia win bronze, which was judged favorably, in stark contrast to the reaction to silver in 2000 (the team was significantly weaker in 2004).

Finally wins a medal in the all-around Olympic Games, but only silver. At a press conference after the performance, Khorkina stated that the victory was given to the American even before the start of the competition, essentially accusing the judges of bias.

Main competitions
	Cup of Russia					Russian championship					Europe championship						World Championship						Olympic Games
Years	Many	Beam.	Br.	Etc.	Whoa.	Many	Beam.	Br	Etc.	Whoa.	Many	Beam.	Br	Etc.	In.	Com.	Many	Beam.	Br	Etc.	Whoa.	Com.	Many	Beam.	Br	Etc.	Whoa.	Com.
1993	-					1	1	1	2	3	-						-						-
1994	3	1	-	1	1	2	-				2	1	5	5	8	2	9	2	-	2	8	3	-
1995	1	-				1	1	1	2	-	-						2	1	-	5	-	4	-
1996	-					2	-				6	1	-	4	-	2	-	1	-	-	-	-	15	1	-	-	-	2
1997	1	1	-			1	1	-			-						1	1	2	8	2	2	-
1998	1	-				1	-				1	1	-	-	1	2	-						-
1999	2	-				1	1	-	-	3	-						12	1	-	-	3	2	-
2000	1	1	1	-	-	-	1	-			1	1	1	-	-	1	-						10	1	-	-	2	2
2001	3	-				-					-						1	1	-	1	3	2	-
2002	-				3	-					1	1	2	-	5	1	-	7	4	-	-	-	-
2003	2	1	3	-	2	1	1	1	3	1	-						1	-	-	-	-	6	-
2004	1	-				-	-	1	-	3	4	1	3	-	7	3	-						2	8	-	-	-	3

Gymnastic elements of Khorkina

Svetlana Vasilievna Khorkina. Born on January 19, 1979 in Belgorod. Russian artistic gymnast, two-time Olympic champion (1996, 2000), 9-time world champion, 13-time European champion. Honored Master of Sports of the Russian Federation (1995). Deputy of the State Duma of the 5th convocation.

By nationality - Mordovian.

My father worked as a builder. Mother worked as a nurse in a kindergarten. Parents are from Mordovia.

Sister - Yulia Vasilievna Khorkina.

The family lived modestly, Svetlana was not particularly pampered, but she had everything she needed. As she herself wrote in her autobiographical book, the family knew the value of money and understood how hard it was to earn it.

When she was five years old, her father was given a dorm room - 11 square meters. “It was a fun hostel: with insects and all other living creatures... I was especially attacked by bedbugs... Our 11-meter room was divided into two parts by a wardrobe: in one there was a large parental bed and my chair-bed, and in the other there was a tiny dining table. And above this table, dad managed to build a home sports corner: he hung a trapeze with a rope from the ceiling so that I could climb on it like a monkey, develop and tumble... I didn’t do anything on them! I climbed on the rope onto the trapeze, from there onto the closet, from the closet she jumped onto the bed. She was restless - just a plague! ", Svetlana recalled her first steps in the sport.

A neighbor advised me to sign up for a gymnastics class to curb the girl’s energy. And the next day her mother took her to the Spartak Sports Palace. She was only four years old.

So in 1983 she began to engage in artistic gymnastics. She trained under the guidance of Boris Pilkin. She quickly established herself not only as a capable gymnast, but also as a hardworking, purposeful person, ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of high results. And success was not long in coming.

Since 1992, Khorkina has been a member of the Russian national artistic gymnastics team.

Her first serious success came in 1994 - she won two silver medals at the World Championships in Brisbane - on vault and uneven bars. At the European Championships that same year, she won silver in the all-around (following Dina Kochetkova) and gold on the uneven bars. Khorkina also competed in the Goodwill Games and the World Team Championships this year.

Her first all-around victory came in 1995 at the European Cup, where she also won medals in the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise. She was the top contender for all-around gold at the World Championships that year. Khorkina performed a double twist on floor exercise instead of a triple. This led to a low score for the program, but flawless executions on beam and vault and a stellar performance on uneven bars helped her take second place behind Ukraine's Liliya Podkopaeva. In the uneven bars final, Khorkina won the gold medal with an incredible score of 9.90, ahead of Mo Huilan of China.

In 1996, Svetlana and the Russian team won silver at the European Championships and also took bronze in the vault. A fall from the balance beam in the all-around prevented her from competing for a medal, and she only took sixth place.

Svetlana was considered the favorite at the Olympics in Atlanta. But the Olympic Games were a disappointment for both Svetlana and the Russian team. In the all-around, having perfectly performed the floor and beam exercises, as well as the jump, Svetlana cannot cope with her nerves and falls from her favorite apparatus - the uneven bars, finishing the exercises only in 15th place. But she was able to win the individual competition on uneven bars.

Over the next 4 years, her performances were inconsistent. At the 1997 World Championships in Lausanne, changes to the scoring system were expected to negatively impact Svetlana, but she won her first overall world title after a stellar performance on the uneven bars, receiving the highest score. She pushed Olympic champion Simone Amanar into second place, repeating the scenario of the 1998 European Championships.

Over the next two years after winning the World Championships, she introduced new challenging elements on all apparatuses, especially the uneven bars and beam. Khorkina continued to dominate on the uneven bars and earned the nickname "Queen of the Bars".

In 1988, Khorkina won the all-around at the European Championships. She started the 1999 World Championships as the favorite in the all-around, but after a disastrous performance on the balance beam she was left without a medal. However, she continued her winning streak on uneven bars, winning her fourth consecutive world title.

She arrived at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney as the favorite in the all-around. In the team championship, Khorkina performed a very difficult jump, which no one had seen before; it was later named Khorkina II. She also showed good results in floor exercises and uneven bars, qualifying for the finals. Her score on the balance beam also qualified her for the final, but Russia had stronger gymnasts on the balance beam (Lobaznyuk and Produnova), and according to the rules, one country can only have two athletes in the final.

In the final, Khorkina fell from her favorite uneven bars. The Russian team finished in second place, behind the Romanian team.

When the all-around competition began, it turned out that the jumping horse was set 5 centimeters lower than necessary. A number of gymnasts made uncharacteristic mistakes in their jumps because of this. Khorkina complained to the judges about this, but her words were ignored. Leading after the first jump, she fell on the second due to the incorrect height of her horse. Next, Khorkina disrupted her performances on the uneven bars. Finally, having discovered their mistake, the judges allow the victims to repeat their jumps, but the scores on other apparatus could no longer be corrected. Khorkina refused to repeat the jump, took 10th place and left the platform in tears.

At the 2001 World Championships, she won the title of overall champion, as well as gold in the vault and uneven bars. With 5 world champion titles and 2 Olympic champion titles, Khorkina became the most titled gymnast on one apparatus.

In 2002, Khorkina won the all-around at the European Championships.

In 2003, Svetlana at the World Championships in Anaheim became the absolute champion for the third time, which no woman had ever achieved before.

In 2004, Khorkina was again the favorite at the Olympics. But she reached the finals only in the all-around and uneven bars. In the team competition, her confident performances helped Russia win bronze. Won a silver medal in the all-around. At a press conference after the performance, Khorkina stated that the victory was given to the American even before the start of the competition, essentially accusing the judges of bias.

In the fall of 2004, she completed her sports career.

Rondat on the bridge - float with a 360 turn on the horse - bent back somersault (vault);
- Rondat on the bridge - flap with a 180 turn on the horse - forward somersault in a tuck with a 540 turn (vault);
- From a handstand on the lower pole, turn back without touching with a stall flight and turn 180 in a hanging position on the upper pole (uneven bars);
- An analogue of Markelov’s flight with legs apart on the men’s crossbar (uneven bars);
- Stalder legs apart with a rotation of 540 in a mixed grip (parallel bars). Besides her, only the American athlete Emmy Chow managed to repeat this element;
- From a standing transverse position, a flask from one leg with a 360 turn to a standing position (beam);
- Dismount with one back somersault with a 900 turn (beam).

Vice-President of the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation.

On February 25, 2017, a personalized star of Svetlana Khorkina was unveiled on the Olympic Walk of Fame at the Rosa Khutor resort (Sochi).

She was the host of the television project “Dom-1” on the TNT channel.

Social and political activities of Svetlana Khorkina

Member of the United Russia party. On December 2, 2007, she was elected to the State Duma of the fifth convocation.

On October 6, 2012, she was appointed as an assistant in the Control Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation.

In the fall of 2016, she was a confidant of the United Russia party in the elections to the State Duma of the 7th convocation.

He has the military rank of reserve lieutenant colonel. By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation S.K. Shoigu dated February 2016, she was appointed to the military position of first deputy head of the Federal Autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation “Central Sports Club of the Army” (FAU RF CSKA).

She spoke critically about the WADA investigation into doping in Russian sports. Khorkina believes that the decision to disqualify the All-Russian Athletics Federation was unfair.

She said about her experience of communicating with doping controllers: “The appearance of a doping officer in front of my eyes always affected me, just like a red rag on a bull! A doping test is always stressful, also because you are forced to stand in front of a stranger woman completely naked and take tests in front of her. After all, in everyday life, the procedure of going to the toilet is quite intimate - people don’t go there in crowds. And here a man stands and looks purposefully at you... I remember we were at a training camp in Adelaide, preparing for the Olympics in Sydney... I open: there is a doping officer on the doorstep. I signed her report, and she stuck to me like a tail, because I simply had nothing to take the test right away... I went for a massage, she sat next to me and watched everything that was happening. Then there was a procedure in a hydrobath, and she also sat next to me. That evening I managed to sit with the girls in the hall watching TV - she sat next to us all the time and wrote down everything that I did that evening... In the end I got tired of this tail, I called her to my room and took out a long-hidden can of non-alcoholic beer from the stash. I invited her to join me too. She recorded my jar in her protocol, I drank it and finally caused the necessary impulse to take the test.”

In the fall of 2016, Svetlana Khorkina performed in the show “Alexey Nemov and Sports Legends 1996-2016.” It features athletes who have completed their careers, as well as current Olympic champions. Khorkina performed a floor exercise program in this show.

In the fall of 2017, Svetlana Khorkina’s book entitled “The Magic of Victory” was published. It talks not only about the sports part of Khorkina’s career, but also talks quite frankly about her personal life.

Svetlana Khorkina's height: 165 centimeters.

Personal life of Svetlana Khorkina:

She was in a relationship with Kirill Shubsky, a businessman and sports functionary. At that time he was married to an actress. We met in Lausanne, Switzerland, in the spring of 1997, when Khorkina was shining on the gymnastics platform, and Shubsky was a member of the national Olympic committee.

The romance between them flared up in the early 2000s. On July 21, 2005, in Los Angeles, Svetlana Khorkina gave birth to a son, Svyatoslav, from Shubsky.

In the autobiographical book of the athlete, “Somersaults in Heels,” she named the name of Svyatoslav’s father - Kirill.

In her other book, “The Magic of Victory,” Khorkina wrote: “After Sydney, a man appeared in my life who constantly showed that he was not indifferent to me, courted me very beautifully, promised so many things, trying to evoke in me some kind of reciprocal feelings. Once it even seemed to me that I loved this man. But over the years I still understood what exactly it seemed, even though I gave birth to a son from him a few years later, who in fact became my true love! Then, I think, I was simply instilled with this feeling because on his part it was initially false... Perhaps I should now, based on my own life experience, give some advice to girls who look at life with the same childish naivety. Girls, dear, if a man assures you that he is not married, and even shows you his passport, which does not have a stamp about marriage and children, do not rush to believe him. Do not hesitate to ask to come to his home - where he really lives, and see for yourself that that his things are there. And one more thing: if he assures you that you will certainly live together, but for quite a long time does not take any action in this direction, drive him in the neck, unless, of course, you yourself are committed to a serious relationship and do not perceive him as something temporary...

It was incomprehensible to me why there was suddenly a need to make a secret of our relationship and his paternity. I have not committed a single shameful act in my life, but I was told that I should go as far as possible and not tell anyone about my pregnancy. I was surprised: why from the person who swears that he loves me, from whom I am expecting a child, the reaction is not at all what I expected? It seemed like we lived like a family, discussed plans for the future... And then, it would seem, such happiness happened - we will have a baby! It’s a pity that this turned out to be happiness not for the two of us, but only for me. But even this could not darken my joy. I was incredibly happy. And today I can’t imagine life without my beloved son - my firefly..."

She also wrote that “a few years later, the father of my child finally found the strength to recognize his child, although I insisted on this.” The father communicates with his son and helps Svyatoslav financially.

Husband - Oleg Anatolyevich Kochnev, general of the Federal Security Service. We got married in 2011.

According to Svetlana, her husband found a common language with his son Svyatoslav. “My husband also gets along with my son. I would never get along with a man if I was convinced that my son was unpleasant to him or something else. For me, in any case, children will come first, and then everything the rest," she noted.

Sports achievements of Svetlana Khorkina:

Olympic Games:

Gold - Atlanta 1996 - uneven bars
Silver - Atlanta 1996 - team
Gold - Sydney 2000 - bars
Silver - Sydney 2000 - freestyle
Silver - Sydney 2000 - team
Silver - Athens 2004 - all-around
Bronze - Athens 2004 - team

World Championships:

Silver - Brisbane 1994 - uneven bars
Silver - Brisbane 1994 - vault
Bronze - Dortmund 1994 - team
Gold - Sabae 1995 - uneven bars
Gold - San Juan 1996 - uneven bars
Gold - Lausanne 1997 - uneven bars
Gold - Lausanne 1997 - all-around
Silver - Lausanne 1997 - team
Silver - Lausanne 1997 - log
Silver - Lausanne 1997 - freestyle
Gold - Tianjin 1999 - uneven bars
Silver - Tianjin 1999 - team
Bronze - Tianjin 1999 - freestyle
Gold - Ghent 2001 - bars
Gold - Ghent 2001 - vault
Gold - Gent 2001 - all-around
Silver - Gent 2001 - team
Bronze - Gent 2001 - freestyle
Gold - Anaheim 2003 - all-around

European Championships:

Gold - St. Petersburg 1998 - all-around
Gold - St. Petersburg 1998 - uneven bars
Gold - St. Petersburg 1998 - freestyle
Silver - St. Petersburg 1998 - team
Gold - Amsterdam 2004 - uneven bars
Bronze - Amsterdam 2004 - team
Bronze - Amsterdam 2004 - beam

Filmography of Svetlana Khorkina:

2003 - Different faces of Svetlana Khorkina (documentary)
2004 - Reflection. Broken Dolls (documentary)

The image of Svetlana Khorkina in the cinema:

2016 - Champions: Faster. Higher. Stronger is the actress in the role of Svetlana Khorkina.

The film is about the story of three athletes, each of whom had to overcome many difficulties on the path to success.

“To play Svetlana Khorkina is a special value for me... Strong, bright, brilliant! I admire it!” - . Asmus performed all the stunts on the set herself - the artist refused the help of an understudy. But Kristina did not neglect consultations with Svetlana Khorkina. The actress, according to her, caught every phrase of the legendary Russian gymnast and took into account her recommendations during filming.