Rhythmic gymnast Arina Alekseevna Averina was born in the city of Trans-Volga region, a member of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team, an international master of sports. She was a champion many times and took prizes in All-Russian and international level. She became European champion three times. Her sister Averina Dina Alekseevna is also a member of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team and has also won European competitions three times. In 2017 she became the absolute champion of Russia. She repeatedly stood on the podium at national and international competitions, including on the first step. Dina and Arina have another sister, Polina, who also studied rhythmic gymnastics, but switched to other activities. First of all, you should like rhythmic gymnastics, because it brings not only rewards, but also pain and hardships; not everyone likes to give preference to sports for the sake of other, no less interesting and important activities.
Junior team
Averina's sisters, Dina and Arina, are twins; they were born on August 13, 1998 in the city of Zavolzhye, not far from Nizhny Novgorod. Gymnasts go side by side in the sport - they are members of the Russian national team together, and often attend the same competitions together.
Sports biography It began with the girls going to a sports school in the rhythmic gymnastics department at the age of four (they went to a regular school a year later, at the age of five). The twins were interested in their older sister Polina, who was already involved in this sport. Later Polina left sports school, and Arina and Dina Averina decided already in early age decided to pursue a sports career - they are distinguished by their serious attitude towards the common cause they have begun, beyond their age. The first coach was Larisa Viktorovna Belova.
Girls up to 12 years old studied in a regular school. Then we went to individual program training. All free time I was busy training, but my serious attitude towards gymnastics yielded results in the form of victories in competitions.
Since the girls started to give excellent results, their parents decided to continue their education in Nizhny Novgorod, where gymnastics training is at a different level thanks to good facilities and sports traditions - there are excellent Sport halls, which host international tournaments, the world champion in rhythmic gymnastics trained in the city. To ensure that daughters have sufficient opportunities to develop their talents, Nizhny Novgorod The whole Averin family moves.
In 2011, the sisters had three competitions in which they showed good results: Moscow stage of the Grand Prix, Hopes of Russia and the Russian championship. The Young Gymnast competition was successful, after which the twins were invited to a training camp in Croatia. The senior coach of the Russian junior team, Shatalina Vera Nikolaevna, who coached Olga Kapranova and Alina Kabaeva, after training in Croatia, invites the twins to the Moscow Olympic Training Center. The sisters came to Moscow without going to school Olympic reserve in Nizhny Novgorod, which happens very rarely.
The girls came to Vera Shatalina by chance - in 2011 they came for 10 days to train at olympic village. The girls were determined to show results in the capital. They said that if they did not stay in Moscow, they would quit gymnastics and focus on studying at school, as their sister Polina did.
The girls, when they first arrived in Moscow, were short, 138 centimeters. The children were not on a diet, but on the contrary, they ate heavily so that their bodies would grow and develop well. A few years later, the height was already 161 centimeters (weight was about 40 kilograms), which is quite enough to successfully enter adult sports (weight and height correspond to the last year of the girls’ junior program). Thus, Shatalina Vera cared not only about sports results, but also about health young gymnasts.
Since 2011, the girls’ new place of residence is the Russian capital, where their training took place. We trained intensively, from 10 to 13 hours, then a break for lunch, and from 14 to 17 - training again, a total of five hours a day.
In 2012 there were many successful competitions - the World Cup in Pesaro and the Russian championship, the junior international tournament in Slovenia - gold medals, Hopes of Russia - third and fourth place.
In 2013, the girls became masters of sports, they moved from the junior team to the adult team and began training in Novogorsk.
In 2014
In 2014, the sisters won the Grand Prix in Moscow, followed by a victory at the Grand Prix in Holon, Israel. In Israel, Averina Arina defeated her sister with a gap of hundredths of a point, which indicates their approximately equal level as athletes.
This year, the sisters took part in the Moscow Championship, where Dina Averina became the champion (despite the fact that she performed with a fever), Arina Averina received silver medal.
The Lisbon World Cup brought Dina a silver medal for clubs and two bronze medals for all-around and ribbon. Around the same time, Arina Alekseevna Averina at the Baltic Hoop competition received gold medal for his performance with the ball, two silver medals for the mace and ribbon, and the hoop brought bronze. She achieved this success in the absence of a coach, since Vera Shatalina was with Dina in Portugal at that time.
In the same year, the Russian championship in Penza brought Arina a gold medal for the ball, a silver medal for the clubs, and a bronze medal for the hoop. The gymnast won many awards, despite the fact that she performed with a wrist injury. At these competitions, Dina received silver for the hoop and bronze for the ribbon.
The Spartakiad stage in Ramenskoye and the Luxembourg Trophy brought Arina silver medals. Dina won silver in Ramenskoye, and at the competition in Luxeburg she received gold medals for all-around, hoop and ribbon.
In 2015
The Moscow Grand Prix did not bring any medals, Arina took 13th place, Dina - 6th. But since the Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious competitions in the world (there were 42 participants in total), these places approximately indicate the world ranking of rhythmic gymnasts. For beginner athletes, a quite decent result at the Grand Prix will be close to the top ten.
The girls took prizes at the Russian Championship - Arina won silver in the all-around, Dina won bronze. In individual events, Arina received first place for clubs and hoop, second place for her performance with ribbon and ball. Dina received a gold medal for performing with a ball, a silver medal for performing with a hoop, and third place for performing with a ribbon. The girls received first and second team places, as they competed separately for different federal districts.
The international tournament in Pesaro brought champion titles to two sisters; in certain events, Arina received a gold medal for exercises with a ribbon and a ball, Dina a gold medal for clubs, and a bronze medal for performing with a hoop.
The girls brought back ten prize medals from the Spanish Corbeil-Essones tournament - Arina five gold, Dina five silver.
At the Hungarian stage of the World Cup, Dina received a gold medal for all-around, exercises with clubs, a ball, a hoop, and a silver medal for a ribbon. Arina won silver for hoop, bronze for all-around and ball performance.
The tournament in Sofia brought gold to Dina and silver to Arina.
In 2016
The Averina sisters continued to perform successfully at world-class competitions in 2016.
Czech stage The Grand Prix in Brno brought Dina bronze for the all-around and a silver medal for her performance with ribbon and hoop.
The Romanian stage of the Grand Prix, which took place in the city of Bucharest, brought Arina a silver medal for the all-around, the ribbon and clubs brought bronze. Dina received silver for her clubs, bronze medal for all-around performance with ball and hoop.
World Cup in Sofia - Arina won a bronze medal. Berlin stage of the World Cup - Dina won a gold medal for the all-around, ribbon and ball. Arina suffered a hand injury at this tournament and stopped performing the next day of the competition.
Moscow Grand Prix - Arina receives bronze for all-around, silver for clubs and gold for exercises with ribbon. Alina Kabaeva awarded the sisters a prize for high level artistry in performances.
World Cup stage in the Finnish city of Espoo received a gold medal for her performance with the ball.
World Cup stage in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, Arina won a silver medal for exercises with a ribbon.
Senior Tourney at the World Cup - Arina receives a full set of gold medals, five awards in total.
World Cup in Pesaro - Dina won two bronze medals for clubs and hoop, silver for ribbon and ball.
At the Russian Championships, Dina won bronze in the all-around and ball, hoop and ribbon brought two silver medals. Arina won a bronze medal for her performance with hoop and clubs; the ball brought silver.
The Grand Prix stage in Israeli Eilat brought Dina silver for the all-around, hoop and ribbon, Dina received silver for the ball and bronze for the all-around.
Dina and Arina, as members of the Russian team, represented Russia at international competitions, in the team championship they represented the Volga Federal District and Moscow.
In 2017
Dina Averina competed in the following competitions in 2017:
- At the Grand Prix in Moscow, Dina is ahead of Alexandra Soldatova in points and wins a gold medal in the all-around, for her performance with ribbon, clubs and hoop, the ball brought silver.
- Dina becomes the absolute champion of Russia, winning the Russian championship.
- The Grand Prix in Thiais brought four gold medals - for all-around, clubs, ball and hoop.
- The World Cup in Pesaro brings gold for ribbon, clubs and ball, silver medals for all-around and hoop.
- The Tashkent stage of the world cup brought gold for the all-around and clubs, as well as three silver medals.
- The European Championship brought three gold medals - all-around, ribbon, hoop, and received a silver medal for exercises with clubs. This was Dina's third victory at the European Championship.
- Grand Prix stage in Holon - gold for ball, two silvers for all-around and clubs.
Dina and Arina often attend competitions together; Arina also won prizes at many of the above-mentioned competitions. One of the most recent performances where the sisters competed together was the World Games, which took place in the Polish city of Wroclaw on July 21 - 22, 2017. On the first day of the competition, Arina became a champion in exercises with a ball and a hoop, Dina won two silver medals in the same disciplines.
Personal life
After graduating from school, the girls received higher education by studying in absentia at the Lesgaft Institute of Physical Education and Sports in the northern capital - the city of St. Petersburg. No matter how much time the girls spend in the gym, they understand that studying is also important. Despite the tough sports schedule, they found time to study school subjects and study at a university.
In 2016, the Averina sisters took part in the show “Alexey Nemov and the Legends of Sports”, as well as in the show “Without Insurance”.
Girls love to travel, listen to music, and chat with friends in their free time. In order to communicate with peers at competitions, they study foreign languages, focusing on English as the language of international communication. Although, given the level of development of gymnastics in Russia, the Russian language is also international in this sport.
Averina’s gymnasts are considered the most promising gymnasts in Russia; there are many competitions ahead that will be stages for the main test - the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
June 11, 2017, 11:41 pm
In my last post, many people wanted to know more about our wonderful artists. So who is the number one of the national team now?
Personalities
Alexandra Soldatova.
Alexandra Sergeevna Soldatova(born June 1, 1998) - Russian gymnast, member of the Russian national team, two-time champion peace in team competition(2014, 2015), two-time European champion in the team competition (2015,2017), Russian champion in the individual all-around (2016), bronze medalist in the all-around at the Russian rhythmic gymnasium championship (2014).
Programs 2017.
Hoop:
In my opinion this is the most nice exercise Sasha. I think many people remember the beautiful Yulia Barsukova at the 2000 Olympics, and now, 17 years later, a new wonderful swan appears in the world of gymnastics.
Sasha is often called the most flexible gymnast in the country.
Crown element
Alexandra went to the Olympics in Rio as a reserve
Sasha is trained by Anna Vyacheslavovna Dyachenko (Shumilova)
Excerpts from the interview
Without perseverance, hard work and patience, one does not become a champion. Your coach Anna Dyachenko said that there was a time when you and she drove from Dmitrov by car to Novogorsk every morning and you slept in the back seat. This is true?
Yes. I didn’t start living and training in Novogorsk right away; I had to leave Dmitrov early in the morning to get to Novogorsk on time. Anna Vyacheslavovna put me in the back seat, I had a pillow there, I fell asleep on the way and woke up already at the entrance to the gate of the base. But it's okay, these are minor things. If you want to achieve something, you will have to deny yourself a lot and be patient.
Sasha, why rhythmic gymnastics? This is love at first sight?
No. It turned out really funny. In Sterlitamak, where I’m from, my mother brought... my brother to the rhythmic gymnastics section to sign up. We simply didn’t know then that gymnastics can be different - sports and artistic. We were told that where they wanted to send my brother, everything was only for girls, then my mother was not at a loss and said: “I have a girl too, take it!” I don’t remember my first training sessions; I was little; the awareness of gymnastics came to me only when I was already in third grade.
You have excellent physical data for gymnastics, I can assume that everything worked out the first time?
Far from it. I agree that I have flexibility, stretch, and good feet, but, for example, I lack dexterity. Dina and Arina Averina, in terms of working with the subject, are stronger than me, they are like that by nature.
Which subject is more difficult for you?
I can’t say that some are more difficult and some are easier. I'm still at the stage of perfecting my skills and comprehending something new. 
To get into the Russian national team, you have come a long way. Sterlitamak - Dmitrov - Novogorsk.
They forgot Pushkino! From Sterlitamak my family moved to Pushkino, from there I ended up in Dmitrov, where I waited with bated breath... for me to be sent back to Pushkino. First training, second, week, second, third, and then they told me: “You stay here!” My emotion was lightning fast, but meager: “Yes. Good!” I’ll say right away that I didn’t experience any longing for my mother and family, as many girls do at the age of 12. I calmly accepted the fact that I would live separately from my parents and without their care. She was independent!
First meeting with your coach Anna Dyachenko. Did you expect to fall under her care?
I didn’t expect it, but from the first day we had a wonderful duet. From the first day, I caught her every remark. The girls and I even competed to see who would stand closest to her during training, who would be the first to ask about something, who would write or call her. She is wonderful in every way!
Sasha, how did you get to the training camp with Irina Viner?
It didn’t happen to me that I somehow unexpectedly saw Irina Alexandrovna at a training session or she unexpectedly came to the gym, and there I was. She knows who trains with her. We came to the training camp, I saw how Irina Aleksandrovna worked with other gymnasts, how she communicated. Then, when she became part of the Russian national team, she began to pay more attention to me and, naturally, there was more communication. Irina Aleksandrovna is a strict and very attentive mentor.
Photoshoot:
Arina and Dina Averina
Arina.
Arina Alekseevna Averina August 13, 1998 - Trans-Volga region) - Russian rhythmic gymnast, member of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team, international master of sports. Multiple winner and prize-winner of all-Russian and international tournaments, three-time European champion.
Programs
Dina
Dina Alekseevna Averina(August 13, 1998 - Trans-Volga region) - Russian rhythmic gymnast, member of the Russian gymnastics team, Three-time European Champion 2017, Absolute Champion of Russia 2017, Master of Sports of international class. Multiple winner and prize-winner of all-Russian and international tournaments.
Programs
Joint demonstration
Dina in pink, Arina in blue
The sisters are trained by Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina. She also trained Alina Kabaeva.
Excerpt from interview with Irina Alexandrovna Viner-Usmanova:
Can we say that in some places Dina and Arina even exceeded their capabilities, in others they surprised us with their results?
The fact is that from an early age Dina and Arina were, as we say, “stunt performers,” and now the program is such that all this counts. Previously, we also had very strong girls, and Alina Kabaeva did amazing things, but not everything counted. Therefore, their time has come. But they lacked a little feeling, lacked expressiveness, they did it all like a thread. And now they do it expressively, they try to make all the exercises very “characteristic” and these movements, tricks, these risks, these interesting masterful elements merge with the music. So that they organically emphasize it, and in Budapest they succeeded. 
Arina 
Dina
private photos
With parents and older sister Polina
Dina on the left, Arina on the right
Together with the team doctor - Dmitry Ubogov
Arina on the right, Dina on the left
Dina, Arina, sister Polina, mother Ksenia 
Arina on the right, Dina on the left
Arina 
Dina
The girls dreamed of standing in group exercises, but due to their short stature they were not accepted.
Arina on the left, Dina on the right
Photoshoot
Group exercises
(Anastasia Bliznyuk, Anastasia Tatareva, Anastasia Maksimova, Maria Tolkacheva, Vera Biryukova - Rio 2016)
Programs
3 balls + 2 jump ropes
5 hoops
Now it’s difficult to talk about the main composition, since it is constantly changing. But most often the following gymnasts are included.
Anastasia Bliznyuk
Anastasia Ilyinichna Bliznyuk(born June 28, 1994, Zaporozhe, Ukraine) - Russian gymnast. Two-time Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics in group all-around (2012, 2016); world and European champion.
Nastya returned to sports after a serious illness - leptospirosis.
The whole country was worried when you got sick, you found yourself in a difficult situation. How did you manage to continue your career?
“I didn’t even know I was so seriously ill.” My kidneys failed...Irina Aleksandrovna Wiener treated me in Germany. At first they said that perhaps the kidneys would not start. There is very little chance that I will always live on dialysis.
But thank God I recovered. And she started working in Novogorsk as a second-team coach. Somehow it turned out that I decided to lose weight and get in shape. And this grew into the training process.
I got into the second team. I proved to everyone that I can and want to. I will stand on this team! And made it to the main team.
In general, there is a lot of competition in Russia. Only when it was the last week before the Olympics did I realize that I would compete in Rio. Every start is a very big struggle. If you make any mistake even during training, they will remove you at any moment. It doesn’t matter that I was an Olympic champion and that the girls won the World Championships. The road started from scratch
More excerpts from the interview:
Nastya! You are the second two-time Olympic champion in the group in our history. There was also London gold.
- Third – there are also Elena Posevina and Natalya Lavrova... Of course, I am incredibly happy and grateful to Irina Aleksandrovna Viner for this victory. I was able to overcome myself, recover from illness, and return with faith in my strengths and capabilities. Thanks to the whole team who helped a lot. This road was extremely difficult. But when you realize that you did everything, the taste of victory becomes the sweetest.
- And for five Olympics in a row we take two golds in rhythmic gymnastics.
- I think that only Irina Alexandrovna. Everything rests on Wiener.
For me she is like a mother. Because she saved my life when I got sick. I was born again! And they gave me the chance to perform in Rio.
- How to prepare yourself mentally for the new Olympic cycle?
- You know why you are doing this. But our training is insanely hard. And this medal was more difficult for me than the first one. Apparently I was younger then. And now I thought: “Maybe I can still do this? Maybe that's not all?
I left gymnastics in 2013 after the World Championships. Now she's back. And I think: “But I can do more!”
Photoshoot
Anastasia Tatareva
Anastasia Alekseevna Tatareva(born July 19, 1997) - Russian gymnast. Olympic champion (2016). Honored Master of Sports of Russia. World and European champion.
Excerpts from the interview
– The life of gymnasts is very short. Many people have only one Olympics, then they have to end their career... Doesn’t this scare you?
– Life is beautiful, and there are so many interesting things in it! I'm not afraid that I'll have to say goodbye to sports. This is fine. I study at the university - at the correspondence department of the Institute of International Relations. So this is probably what I will do later. Life will show.
- Interesting choice. You're probably good at it foreign language?
- English. Not bad, but I need to learn more - that’s what I’ll do. There is a lot of language practice at competitions!
– Do you still have time to study?
- All my energy goes into training. Especially when preparing for competitions. We have to study on Skype... And they send us assignments, we complete them and send them back.
– Teachers don’t give discounts, don’t they simplify the task?
- No. And who am I to make my task easier? (laughs).
– You compete in the team all-around. IN personal views you do not want?
– By the way, I started in the personal. Then they invited me to join the team... No, I don’t want to - I like it better on a team - here, of course, there is greater responsibility. But you feel that we are together. There is something called “team spirit”. We have a very friendly team. If we quarrel, it’s rare. And we quickly make up.
– Do you know that you are compared on forums with Alina Kabaeva?
- I have not heard about that! It seems to me that we are completely different. I’m not like her... I think you need to remain yourself, not strive to be like others. 
Photoshoot:
private photos
Vera Biryukova
Vera Leonidovna Biryukova(born April 11, 1998 - Omsk) - Russian gymnast. Member of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team. Master of Sports of Russia of international class. Champion of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Honored Master of Sports. European champion.
Interview
Vera Biryukova “burst” into the Rio Olympics with the speed of a meteor and almost at the last moment. Even a month and a half before the Games, neither numerous fans of rhythmic gymnastics, nor the Omsk “artist” herself even thought about such a development of events.
“If I had any hopes of getting into the main team, then a couple of months before the Olympics they almost disappeared,” says Vera. “I worked calmly in the second team, trained and didn’t really count on anything. Judge for yourself: there is nothing left before the Games, who will make changes to the existing group? But it turned out that one of the girls was injured, and the coaches decided to try me. And you know, it turned out well. Even Irina Aleksandrovna Viner praised me. She said it was almost imperceptible to her that he joined the group new person. “You’ll go to Kazan, and we’ll see there,” were her words. There were only two starts left before the Olympic Games: the World Cup stages in Kazan and Baku. To be honest, I thought that after Kazan I would be removed from the team. But this did not happen either after Kazan or after Baku! But I was able to believe that I was going to Rio only on the plane flying to Brazil.
- Did you manage to have a good rest after the Games?
- Yes, the whole team sent us to the sea, we vacationed in Sardinia, it was great. Then each went to hometown. I also enjoyed spending a week at home.
- Did you remember with your mother how it all began?
- From the sea and Turkey! We rested there, and my mother only had time to make sure that I didn’t climb where I shouldn’t. The energy was overflowing! Well, I always loved to dance, I “bent” in all directions. Then my mother suggested that I try gymnastics. I immediately agreed, although I actually had no idea what it was! Maybe I saw it on TV a couple of times. When we returned home, my mother brought me into the hall. And that’s how I started training at the age of five. My mother said that parents were not allowed to attend training so that the children would not be distracted. But she managed to peek out the window. He says I always tried, I didn’t slack. I trained conscientiously, even if the coach left the gym. Although I myself don’t remember that time well.
- And the first medal?
-I remember. On school competitions shared first place with another girl.
- You once mentioned that as a child, your idol in gymnastics was Laysan Utyasheva. But Omsk residents traditionally call Irina Chashchina, Evgenia Kanaeva...
- Irina and Evgenia are great gymnasts. But it’s true: I admired Laysan. I always liked the way she moves, works with the subject, her emotionality. Yes, for me she was the best gymnast. And over time, this has not gone away; she is still my idol. And not only as an athlete, but also as a person.
- Before the Olympics, didn’t you turn to her for advice?
- Unfortunately, before the Olympics I was not yet familiar with her. My childhood dream came true after the Games. Nastya Bliznyuk introduced us. This happened when the girls and I performed at Alexei Nemov’s show in Moscow. Laysan also took part in it, we even changed clothes in the same locker room.
- Laysan, after completing her gymnastics career, found herself as a TV presenter. Have you already thought about the future?
- To be honest, this is a difficult topic for me so far. I have not yet decided on new goals in life, in gymnastics. Now sport takes up 100% of my time and with such a schedule it is very difficult to fit anything else into my life. Therefore, I cannot answer this question yet!
Photoshoot
private photos
Sofia Skomorokh
Sofya Pavlovna Skomorokh(born August 18, 1999 Omsk) - Russian gymnast, world and European champion.
Shortly before the Olympics, Sonya was injured and was unable to go there, although she was in the first team all year.
private photos
Maria Tolkacheva
Maria Yurievna Tolkacheva(born August 18, 1997 - Zhukov) - Russian gymnast, three-time world champion, three-time European champion, two-time European Games champion, Olympic champion (2016) in group exercises. Honored Master of Sports 
In my opinion, Masha is the most beautiful gymnast national team. Although, of course, they are all beautiful.
Masha and Nastya Tatareva are best friends
That's all! Thank you all for your attention, and new victories for the girls)
Our girls always find themselves on the podium when it comes to rhythmic gymnastics. Now they are also “identical in appearance.” “AiF” talked to the twins, who were able to take home 10 medals (including 5 gold) from the World Championships.
Roman Ivanov, AiF: How did rhythmic gymnastics appear in your life?
Arina: We were sent to gymnastics because my older sister studied there Pauline. Although I must say that in the Volga region, where we were born, there was no other choice (smiles). Mom and dad left for work in Nizhny Novgorod in the morning, returned late, and grandparents were responsible for us. And we were such hooligans - no one could put us to sleep. Sports helped in this sense - we had less energy.
Dina: We turned 4 years old when the Sydney Olympics took place. We watched rhythmic gymnastics on TV and tried to repeat it. Then they decided that I would be Alina Kabaeva, and Arina would be Irina Chashchina. They began to organize competitions at home, which were judged by the older sister. I honestly don’t remember the first day in the gym. It seems like we were just freaking out there, and the coach was trying to calm us down. It was difficult for all of us to manage. They often quarreled with each other and could fight.
-Can you fight now?
D.: No, we have matured and become wiser (laughs).
A.: Now we help each other in difficult moments.
From left to right: Dina and Arina Averina. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vladimir Pesnya
- And when was such a moment?
D.: Last year I had the Grand Prix at the Moscow stage. I made it to the hoop final. She performed very poorly and missed her chance. I was really upset and wanted to quit everything. If it weren't for Arisha, Vera Nikolaevna(Shatalina, national team coach. - Ed.) and Irina Alexandrovna(Viner-Usmanova, Main coach national team. - Ed.), who supported me then, I don’t know if I would have stayed in gymnastics...
A.: This season is difficult for me. Trauma after injury, and this misfortune does not end. Just before the World Championships I had a problem with my leg. The question arose: should I go there at all? But I couldn’t refuse the championship - there was too much competition in the team, I couldn’t drop out of the team. And the pain? I didn't feel it. When you perform, there is such adrenaline that you forget about everything.
- They say that there is a mystical connection between twins. Is there such a thing?
D.: I think yes. Even without being next to my sister, I can feel what is happening to her. For example, if Arisha gets sick, then I might too. And I also noticed this thing: if Arisha performed well, then everything will be fine with me. And if she made a mistake, then, most likely, I will repeat after her, and in the same place.
- What is it like to compete with your sister? Dreaming that your twin will become the second...
A.: And there are no such thoughts. On the contrary, in sports we support each other. If one fails, the other must not fail.
D.: We didn’t even compete in the all-around at the World Championships. It just so happened that I got the “gold” and Arisha the “silver”. You're not upset, are you?
A.: Of course not. As I worked, these are the points I received.
- By the way, how do you feel about the fact that men started doing rhythmic gymnastics?
D.: I don't understand this a little.
A.: And I. I think men should go to hockey, football, boxing. But that’s their business - let them do whatever they want.
- Do you have time left for anything other than sports?
D.: When you are preparing, for example, for the World Championships, then no. Two workouts a day, four hours each. The rest of the time is spent on medical procedures and sleep. Plus, we are in our third year of correspondence studies at the University. Lesgafta. Let's become coaches.
When the schedule is simpler, we do diamond embroidery - this is when you glue rhinestones onto paintings. We want a picture like this New Year to do for Irina Alexandrovna. What else? Cinema, shops. Now they even began to recognize us there. Apparently, because when the World Cup was held, we were in the news. But Arisha immediately says: “No, no, it’s not us. You are mistaken". It's funny.
A.: We don't go to discos or clubs. Another thing is the park, Fresh air. In the summer we go to training camps in Croatia, sometimes we manage to go to our parents in the Volga region. Well, mom and dad come to visit us at the base in Novogorsk near Moscow, where we have been living for 4 years.
Dina and Arina Averina Photo: / RIA Novosti / Vladimir Pesnya
- To be honest, aren’t you tired of each other?
D.: Not from Arisha. In the 19 years that we have been together, this has never happened (laughs).
A.: Somehow we decided to train separately. We didn’t quarrel, it was just easier to work on new programs. They came to the hall one by one. Unusual! Everyone asked: “Why are you alone, where is Dina?”
By the way
The most successful twins domestic sports- freestyle wrestlers Beloglazovs(in order not to fight each other, they performed in different weight categories). Sergey- double Olympic champion(1980, 1988), six-time world champion. Anatoly- Olympic champion (1980), three-time champion peace. U hockey players Evgeny and Boris Mayorov for two also 3 Olympic victories(1964, 1968), world championship gold medals - 8. Rowers Yuri and Nikolai Pimenov won silver at the Olympics (1980) and the World Championship three times . Football players Alexey and Vasily Berezutsky- winners of the UEFA Cup (2005) and “bronze” of the European Championship (2008).
Arina Alekseevna Averina. Born on August 13, 1998 in the Volga region, Nizhny Novgorod region. Russian rhythmic gymnast. Master of Sports of international class.
Father is a football player. Mother Oksana Averina did gymnastics.
Twin sister - also a famous rhythmic gymnast.
The older sister, Polina Averina, was a member of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team.
Arina, like her twin sister Dina, began doing rhythmic gymnastics at the age of 4. Then the parents brought the twins to Larisa Belova, who became their first coach. By the way, the daughter of their first coach, Irina Belova, is an Olympic champion in gymnastics.
Irina Belova said: “Before that, I already knew the family of Dina and Arisha - their older sister Polina did gymnastics with me. The kids always came with their mother to meet Polina. They were very restless: they always tried to climb higher on the gymnastics rail. I was still afraid that they might fall, but mother Oksana was very calm about this, because she knew that her daughters were very independent... They were very purposeful, diligent and demanding of themselves.”
Her serious sports career started at age 11.
Since September 2011, she began training at the Novogorsk Training Center. She and Dina were noticed at the “Young Gymnast” competition, and after the training camp in Croatia they were invited to the training center with Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina.
The sisters had problems with growth. So, at the age of 12 they looked 9. Because of this, their career could not have happened. But then they were already in the Russian youth team and the coach decided to examine the girls - doctors studied their bones, phalanges of the fingers to determine what their growth zone was. No pathologies were identified. Their workload was reduced a little and added to their diet. more fish and sour cream - and the athletes began to grow.
Until the age of 12, Arina studied in a regular school, but not with the whole class, but individually in all subjects except music, drawing, physical education, labor and life safety. Just like her sister.
Since 2014, Arina and Dina began to go to more serious competitions. They took part in the Moscow Championship, where Dina became the 2014 Moscow champion, and Arina was second.
Next, the girls went to Israel, to the Holon Grand Prix 2014. This time Arina won, beating her sister by only 0.048 points. Then Arina goes alone to the “Baltic Hoop 2014” in Riga and takes second place in the all-around, and in the finals of the clubs and ribbon competition she takes a silver medal, a bronze medal for the hoop and, finally, gold in the ball performance. In total, she won 5 medals.
At the 2014 Russian Championship in Penza, Arina competed with a hand injury. In the all-around, like her sister, she did not take any prizes, but in the ball final she received a gold medal. In the final with hoop - bronze, with clubs - silver.
At the Luxembourg Trophy 2014, Arina took second place in the all-around.
In 2015, she performed at the annual Grand Prix stage in Moscow, where, due to an unfortunate mistake with the ribbon, she became only thirteenth in the all-around.
At the Spring Cup in Krasnoyarsk she competes in the finals, winning two gold medals (ball, ribbon), one silver (hoop) and one bronze (clubs). At the Moscow Championship she takes second place in the all-around, losing three points to her sister, and is selected for the Russian Championship.
In the team championship at the Russian Championship in Penza, he takes first place, becomes second in the all-around and adds gold to his collection in the finals with hoop and clubs, and is in second position with ball and ribbon.
At the international senior tournament in Pesaro she becomes the first in a team with Dina, and in the finals in individual events she wins two golds in an exercise with a ribbon and a ball. A real triumph for the gymnast was her performance in Corbeil-Essonne, where Arina won five gold medals out of a possible five - for the all-around and all finals. By the way, in the ribbon final, Averina shared the first step of the podium with her sister.
On international tournaments in Budapest and Sofia, Arina takes 3rd and 2nd places in the all-around, respectively.
In 2016, Arina and Dina Averin began to be called “the secret weapon of the Russian national team,” who replaced the leaders of Russian rhythmic gymnastics. Dina and Arina have been given additional responsibility, and throughout the season they have been proving their right to compete in tournaments together with the first numbers of the national team.
In the all-around at the Grand Prix stage in Moscow, Arina took third place in the all-around, became second in clubs and first in ribbon. She is sent to the World Cup in Lisbon, where she places fifth in the all-around and second in the ribbon final.
2017 was a triumphant year for the Averin sisters.
On World Games In Wroclaw, she took four medals, of which three were gold - she won in exercises with hoop, ribbon and ball, and was also third in exercises with clubs.
At the European Championships in Budapest, she took three golds - in the team, as well as in exercises with the ball and clubs.
At the World Championships in Pesaro, Arina won five medals, of which two were highest quality(ball and ribbon). She was also second in all-around and hoop exercises, third in clubs.
In the all-around (i.e. in the absolute championship) she lost only to her sister Dina, who won with a total of 74.700 points, Arina - 73.450.
Arina Averina - ball (World Championships in Pesaro 2017)
Arina Averina's height: 164 centimeters.
Personal life of Arina Averina:
Single. On this moment The young athlete devotes herself entirely to rhythmic gymnastics.
Achievements of Arina Averina:
World Championships:
Gold - Pesaro 2017 - ball
Gold - Pesaro 2017 - ribbon
Silver - Pesaro 2017 - all-around
Silver - Pesaro 2017 - hoop
Bronze - Pesaro 2017 - clubs
European Championships:
Gold - Budapest 2017 - team
Gold - Budapest 2017 - ball
Gold - Budapest 2017 - clubs
World Games:
Gold - Wroclaw 2017 - hoop
Gold - Wroclaw 2017 - ball
Gold - Wroclaw 2017 - ribbon
Bronze - Wroclaw 2017 - clubs
At the May European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Budapest, twins from the city of Zavolzhye, Nizhny Novgorod region, Arina and Dina Averina won six gold medals. Arina became the best in exercises with a ball and clubs, Dina was the first with a hoop and ribbon. And besides, the sisters brought success to the Russian national team in the all-around. After that resounding success, fans are waiting for Dina and Arina at the World Championships in Italy, which will be held in Pesaro at the end of August this year. The sisters themselves also dream of being together at the world championship and again rising to the first step of the podium together.
And during a short pause between training and competitions, Arina and Dina found time to talk with Open Nizhny and told who was an example for them in childhood, whether there is rivalry between the twins and how the judges confuse them and Irina Viner-Usmanova distinguishes them.
- Even the strict head coach of the Russian national team, Irina Viner-Usmanova, called your performance at the European Championship a benefit performance. Are the Averina sisters themselves happy with everything?
Dina Averina: On the first day of the competition, I made a mistake in the hoop exercises, however, I later corrected myself in the finals. And on the second day, she didn’t perform the exercises with the ribbon very cleanly (in both disciplines, Dina eventually became the winner - author’s note). But in the exercises with clubs, I liked everything, but I only came second, losing to my sister (laughs). This is female logic: where I won, I am dissatisfied with myself, and where I lost, it’s the other way around.
Arina Averina: But I’m more pleased with my performance than my sister (smiles). There were, of course, moments that needed to be worked on in training, but overall everything worked out.
- By the way, how did you divide the items you performed with each other?
D.A: Irina Aleksandrovna (Viner-Usmanova - author's note) gave us the right to determine for ourselves who will perform in which exercises. Arisha chose a ball and clubs, and I chose clubs and a hoop. And it was decided to entrust the ribbon to me, because Arisha had a slight injury, and she said that it would be difficult for her to complete this exercise.
- In a head-to-head debate on exercises with clubs, Arina Averina beat her sister, taking gold. But Dina later said in an interview that she was even more happy about her sister’s victory. Is there no competition between you?
A.A.: Dina and I are not competitors. The main thing for us is that the athlete competing under Russian flag and with the surname Averina.
D.A.: In fact, now we have stopped competing, but when we were children, this was the only way we competed with each other! And I was always offended by my sister if she did something better (smiles). But this helped - we constantly reached out to each other. But now there really is no rivalry between us, and I am more happy for Arisha than for myself, just as she is for me.
- Personally, it’s very difficult for me to distinguish you. I am sure that both the fans and, probably, the judges at competitions perceive you as a single whole. Many twins find this attitude annoying. How do you feel about this?
A.A.: And we ourselves always liked that we were perceived as one whole. And in childhood, when we were especially similar to each other, everyone except those closest to us confused us, but we were never offended. Now my sister and I have become different, and we are distinguished by many things. Everyone in the Russian national team knows for sure who is Dina and who is Arina.
D.A.: Our style of performance is very different, so if, for example, Irina Aleksandrovna suddenly does not distinguish us by sight, she will immediately understand who is who by our movements on the carpet. But the judges still confuse us, but we don’t take advantage of this and don’t advocate for each other. Otherwise, you can get a two-year disqualification (smiles).
- Your characters seem to be different too. Dina smiles and laughs, but her sister is always serious. Or do you, Arina, just react that way to unfamiliar guys?
A.A.: You know, my sister and I are not good at communicating with guys (smiles). And it’s not that we like the same people and Dina and I don’t want to get into an awkward situation. We simply don't have enough time for anything other than training and competitions.
- I was always amazed at the endurance of gymnasts. Very young girls who don’t think about anything but business. As a child, did you understand what sacrifices you were making when choosing professional sports?
A.A.: Of course, they understood, because before us was the example of Polina’s older sister. She also did rhythmic gymnastics, but then chose to study. Polina is a very smart girl, she graduated from school with a gold medal. But Dina and I didn’t study well enough to give up sports (laughs).
D.A.: And you know, we liked training since childhood! We fell asleep and woke up thinking about how we would go to do gymnastics. Arisha and I dreamed of European and world championships, Olympic Games and all the time they set themselves up for hard work.
A.A.: We were also very lucky with the coaches. In the Volga region we trained with Larisa Viktorovna Belova (mother and first coach Olympic champion 2000 by Irina Belova - approx. author). She taught us a lot. And when we moved to Novogorsk and began training with the Russian national team, we very quickly found a common language with Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina, under whose leadership we still train.
D.A: And, of course, working with Irina Aleksandrovna Viner-Usmanova gave us a lot. On TV she seems serious and strict, but when communicating with athletes she is ready to explain and show everything a thousand times. She is very wise. But it’s better not to argue with her (laughs).
- Now your childhood dreams are starting to come true. The European Championship was a triumph, and next is the World Championship in Italy, where fans are waiting for the Averin sisters to perform. But Irina Viner-Usmanova said immediately after the continental championship that you have not yet guaranteed your performance at the world forum, which will be held in August. Is she too strict?
A.A.: There is still a lot of time before the World Championships, and most importantly, there are many starts. Grand Prix in Israel, World Cup stages in Berlin and Kazan. My sister and I will have to prove that we are the best. And we have a serious competitor in the person of Sasha Soldatova (two-time world champion - author's note). Three athletes will compete from Russia at the Grand Prix and World Cups, but only two will go to the World Championships. And Dina and I really want to be in Italy together at the end of August.
D.A.: My sister and I really don’t like being separated. When we are not together, we are bored and very unusual. Even if we bore each other, we should still be close!
