WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

"SE" tells the story of twin sisters - the new leaders of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team

ZAVOLZHIE - A PLACE WHERE TALENTS ARE BORN

Dina and Arina were born in 1998 in Zavolzhye, a small town in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Of their 19 years, 15 have been doing gymnastics. Due to the serious preparation, the sisters switched to individual education, and then graduated from school as an external student. Now they are educated at the St. Petersburg University named after Lesgaft.

THREE SISTERS

The twins have an older sister, Polina. It was she, along with her mother, who brought the girls to the gym. Polina herself did not become a gymnast, concentrating on her studies. The sisters are friendly with each other, and the eldest supports the younger ones and is proud of their successes.

FAMOUS NOVOGORSK

Every gymnast dreams of one day getting to the main base of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team and working under the supervision of the great coach Irina Viner-Usmanova. The sisters ended up at a base near Moscow in 2011, where they live and train together.

WARDS OF SHATALINA

Averins train with Vera Shatalina. Six years ago, the acquaintance with the future mentor happened almost by accident - Shatalina arrived in Novogorsk, where at that moment the gymnastic carpets were being laid, and saw two athletes who had come to watch. Parents said that if the girls are not accepted, they are thinking about the possibility of ending their careers and focusing on their studies. After the first training, Shatalina admitted that she asked herself the question: can she now work without Dina and Arina? Vera Nikolaevna treats the Averins like daughters, this atmosphere in their small team developed as soon as the young gymnasts began to train with a specialist.

Posted by ArishaDina✔️ (@arishadina1998) Feb 21, 2017 at 2:50 PST

MUTUAL SUPPORT

Athletes always sincerely support each other, experience failures and happy moments together. According to the sisters, they do not have envy and jealousy, each knows how to find the right words to cheer up her sister in a difficult moment. Both consider this the key to success.

ONE INSTAGRAM FOR TWO

Girls actively use social networks. They run a page on Instagram one for two. The sisters have no secrets from each other, and since they are always together - both in life and in the photo, everything looks quite logical. And the fans, as a rule, support both Dina and Arina.

HELP FROM KANAEVA

Two-time Olympic champion Evgenia Kanaeva, at the end of her sports career, became a coach, works in Novogorsk and often gives Averins valuable advice. Gymnasts admitted that these tips helped a lot more than once.

SIMILAR, BUT STILL DIFFERENT

Girls admit that they are often confused - but only by new acquaintances. The longer people know athletes personally, the less embarrassing situations arise. In fact, if you look closely, there are slight differences in the facial features of the twins. With Arina they are smoother and more subtle, with Dina they are more strong-willed.

Previously, the sisters preferred to dress the same, but now they are increasingly choosing different outfits. So the right advice to those who cannot distinguish Dina from Arina at the competition is to look first of all at the swimsuits. And then to the faces - soon you will understand who is who.

CRITICISM AS INCENTIVE

Different people are looking for different motivation for themselves to move forward, for the Averins, the main motivator is constructive criticism. To understand mistakes, correct them and become better - this is the way to move towards victories.

INDULGENCE FOR SWEET

Desserts have always been considered a taboo for fragile gymnasts, but the Averins say that there is no such ban for them. It's just that girls are rather indifferent to sweets. Apparently, the whole point is that the sisters do not have any special problems with extra grams, by nature they have slender figures, and constant training helps to keep themselves in good shape.

Following the results of the Universiade in Kazan and a number of other major competitions held last summer, candidates for national teams in various sports were selected. As noted by the president of the Federation and the head coach of the Russian team Irina Viner, there is a good trend: most of the candidates make their way to the big sport from the provinces. Irina Alexandrovna calls them "stars"...

Big future

I see a great future for many young participants, - I noticed. - For example, and. The next year the girls will perform in the adult program. Then I'll keep a close eye on them. Next year will be the Youth Olympic Games, where all participants will have another great chance to prove themselves and prove their promise.

These twin sisters from the Volga region are often written about in the federal press and abroad. Unfortunately, only a narrow circle of rhythmic gymnastics lovers knows them in their native land. We will try to fill this gap. Moreover, this year the “artists” turned 14 years old - a key moment in their careers in this sport.

Sisters Dina and Arina Averina have been doing rhythmic gymnastics since the age of four. Until the age of 12, girls studied in a regular school. But not with the whole class, but individually in all subjects, except for music, drawing, physical education, labor and life safety. Most of their time is spent in training. The most interesting thing is that, being in a provincial town, they became members of the Russian national team. And then their sports career “took” them to Moscow, to the Olympic Training Center, bypassing the Nizhny Novgorod School of the Olympic Reserve. For the province, this is more than a rarity. Now Averins are candidates for master of sports, repeated winners and champions of Russian and international competitions, members of the junior national team of Russia. Not only that, Dina and Arina are in favor of the Volga Federal District armed forces team! The training schedule is very tough - every day from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 5 pm. And you still have to study school subjects ...

The sisters train with Vera Shatalina, the senior coach of the country's youth national team on an individual program. Vera Nikolaevna - Honored Coach of Russia. Coach of Olympic champion, two-time world champion, five-time European champion Alina Kabaeva and world champion Olga Kapranova. Irina Viner herself observes the classes.

ordinary children

When it comes to twins, their loved ones are always asked how do they tell them apart? For a coach, sisters are different.

Dina is a 100% athlete, she is very worried if she does not take first place. Arisha is softer, she worries about her sister and all her rivals, - says Vera Shatalina. - I can distinguish them even by their voice when talking on the phone.

Such young talents are called by the townsfolk "children deprived of childhood." This is fundamentally wrong. Nothing human is alien to young athletes - they are ordinary children! But if we analyze the educational and free time for juniors and ordinary children, then it is approximately the same. Only the former spend their “free” time on training, while others sit in front of the computer - modern children do not really like to walk and breathe the air. Everyone has their own results: some have health and success, others have spoiled eyesight.

In July of this year, Penza was held, bringing together 152 participants from all over the country. Such intensity of passions among young creatures has not been observed for a long time - sky-high sports horizons awaited the winners. The Nizhny Novgorod team took second place. Arina Averina took second place in the all-around, won the exercise with a hoop, won silver after performing with a ribbon and a ball. Dina took gold in clubs and two bronze medals in all-around and ribbons. By the way, the tournament in Penza became a qualifying round for the fifth Russian-Chinese Youth Games in Shanghai.

According to the coach of the sisters, a good trend is now beginning to prevail in the sports world: most of the Olympic geniuses are from the provinces. So, in the national team in rhythmic gymnastics, born in 1999, which includes Averina's sisters, there is only one Muscovite. Ira Annenkova is from Sochi, and Yulia Bravikova is from Orel.

In October, the Averina sisters are going to participate in the Russian Cup. And then a "tour" for international competitions. Girls are not told in advance where they will go - they must always be ready for performances.

June 11, 2017, 23:41

In my last post, many people wanted to know more about our wonderful artists. So who is now the first number of the national team?

personalities

Alexandra Soldatov.

Alexandra Sergeevna Soldatova(born June 1, 1998) - Russian gymnast, member of the Russian national team, two-time world champion in the team event (2014, 2015), two-time European champion in the team event (2015.2017), Russian champion in the individual all-around (2016), bronze medalist in the all-around at the Russian Rhythmic Gymnas Championship (2014).

Programs of 2017.

Hoop:

In my opinion, this is Sasha's most beautiful exercise. 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

Sasha is trained by Anna Vyacheslavovna Dyachenko (Shumilova)

Excerpts from the interview

Without perseverance, diligence and patience, champions do not become. Your coach Anna Dyachenko told me that there was a time when you and her drove from Dmitrov to Novogorsk every morning and you slept in the back seat. This is true?

Yes. In Novogorsk, I did not start living and training right away, I had to leave Dmitrov early in the morning in order to get to Novogorsk on time. Anna Vyacheslavovna put me in the back seat, I had a pillow there, on the way I fell asleep and woke up already at the entrance to the gates of the base. But it's okay, it's the little things. If you want to achieve something, you will have to deny yourself a lot and suffer.

Sasha, why rhythmic gymnastics? This is love at first sight?

No. It turned out to be quite funny. In Sterlitamak, where I come from, my mother brought me to the rhythmic gymnastics section to record ... my brother. At that time, we simply did not know 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: “But I have a girl, take it!” I don’t remember the first workouts, I was little, the awareness of gymnastics came to me only when I was already in the 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, stretching, good feet, but I, for example, lack dexterity. Dina and Arina Averina, in terms of working with the subject, are stronger than me, they are by nature like that.

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 perfection of skill and comprehension of something new.

To get into the Russian national team, you have come a long way. Sterlitamak - Dmitrov - Novogorsk.

They also forgot Pushkino! From Sterlitamak, my family moved to Pushkino, from there I ended up in Dmitrov, where I waited with bated breath ... when they would send me 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 will say right away that I did not have longing for my mother and family, as happens with many girls at the age of 12. I calmly reacted to the fact that I would live separately from my parents and without their guardianship. I was independent!

First meeting with your coach Anna Dyachenko. Did you expect to fall under her care?

I did not expect, but from the first day we had a wonderful duet. From day one, I've been listening to her every comment. The girls and I even competed who would be closer to her during training, who would be the first to ask about something, who would write to her or call her. She is wonderful in every way!

Sasha, how did you get to the training camp with Irina Viner?

I didn’t have such that I somehow unexpectedly saw Irina Alexandrovna at a training session, or she unexpectedly came to the gym, and there I am. She knows who trains with her. We came to the training camp, I saw how Irina Aleksandrovna works with other gymnasts, how she communicates. Then, when she already joined the Russian national team, she began to pay more attention to me and, naturally, there was more communication. Irina Alexandrovna is a strict and very attentive mentor.

Photoshoot:

Arina and Dina Averina

Arina.

Arina Alekseevna Averina August 13, 1998 - Zavolzhye) - 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 - Zavolzhye) - Russian rhythmic gymnast, member of the Russian national gymnastics team, Three-time European Champion 2017, Absolute Champion of Russia 2017, International Master of Sports. 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 coached Alina Kabaeva.

Excerpt from interview with Irina Aleksandrovna Viner-Usmanova:

Is it possible to say that Dina and Arina somewhere even exceeded their capabilities, somewhere they surprised with their results?

The fact is that Dina and Arina were, as we say, "tricks" from childhood, and now there is such a program that all this counts. Before, we also had very strong girls, and Alina Kabaeva did amazing things, but not everything counted. So their time has come. But they lacked a little bit of feeling, lacked expressiveness, they did it all like a string. 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 national 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 they were not taken because of their short stature.

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 ropes

5 hoops

Now it is difficult to talk about the main composition, as it is constantly changing. But most often it includes the following gymnasts.

Anastasia Bliznyuk

Anastasia Ilyinichna Bliznyuk(born June 28, 1994, Zaporozhye, 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 got into a difficult situation. How did you manage to continue your career?
I didn't even know that 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. The chances are very slim and I will always live on dialysis.

But thank God I recovered. And she began working in Novogorsk as a coach of the second team. Somehow it turned out that I decided to lose weight, get in shape. And it turned into a training process.

I got into the second team. Proved to everyone that I can and want. I will be 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, I realized that I would perform in Rio. Each start is a very big struggle. If you make some mistake even in training, you will be removed at any time. 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 the gold of London.
- Third - there is also Elena Posevina and Natalya Lavrova ... Of course, I am extremely happy and grateful to Irina Alexandrovna Viner for this victory. I was able to overcome myself, recover from illness, return with faith in my strength and capabilities. Thanks to the whole team for helping out a lot. This road was extremely difficult. But when you realize that you could do everything, the taste of victory becomes the sweetest.

- And now, five Olympics in a row, we take two gold medals 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 reborn! And I was given a chance to perform in Rio.

- How to set yourself up morally for the new Olympic cycle?
- You know what you're doing it for. But we have insanely hard training. And this medal was harder for me than the first one. Apparently I was younger then. And now I thought: “Maybe I can still do it? Maybe that's not all?

I left gymnastics in 2013 after the World Championships. Now back. And I think: “But I can still!”

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 age of gymnasts is very short. Many have only one Olympics, then they have to end their careers ... Doesn't that 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 that's what I'll probably do next. Life will show.

- An interesting choice. Perhaps you speak a foreign language well?
– 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 have time to study?
- All forces go to 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 do not give discounts, do not simplify the task?
- Not. Who am I to make things easy for me? (laughs).

- You compete in the team competition. Do you want to go private?
- I started, by the way, in the personal. Then they called me to the team ... No, I don’t want to - I like it more in the team - here, of course, the responsibility is higher. But you feel that we are together. There is something called "team spirit". We have a very friendly team. If we quarrel, then rarely. And we make up quickly.

- Do you know that you are compared on the forums with Alina Kabaeva?
- I have not heard about that! I think we are very different. I'm not like her ... I think we should remain ourselves, 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 national rhythmic gymnastics team. Master of Sports of Russia of international class. 2016 Summer Olympic champion. Honored Master of Sports. European Champion.

Interview

Vera Biryukova burst into the Rio Olympics at the speed of a meteor and almost at the last moment. 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 dissipated, - says Vera. - I calmly worked 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 worked out well. Even Irina Alexandrovna Viner praised. She said that it was almost imperceptible to her that a new person had joined the group. “You will go to Kazan, and we will see there,” were her words. Only two starts remained 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 squad. But this did not happen either after Kazan or after Baku! But I could only believe that I was going to Rio on a 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 rested in Sardinia, it was great. Then each went to their hometown. I also enjoyed my week at home.
- Did you and your mother remember 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 didn’t need to. The energy was overflowing! Well, I always loved to dance, "bent" in all directions. Then my mother suggested that I try gymnastics. I immediately agreed, although I really had no idea what it was! Maybe I saw it on TV a couple of times. When we returned home, my mother brought me to the hall. And that's how I started training at the age of five. Mom said that parents were not allowed to train so that the children would not be distracted. But she managed to look out the window. He says I always tried, I didn’t mess around. I trained conscientiously, even if the coach left the gym. Although I don't remember that time very well.

- And the first medal?
-I remember. At school competitions, she shared first place with another girl.

- You once mentioned that in childhood your idol in gymnastics was Laysan Utyasheva. But Omsk people traditionally call Irina Chashchina, Evgenia Kanaeva ...
- Irina and Evgenia are great gymnasts. But it's true: it was Laysan that I admired. I always liked the way she moves, works with the subject, her emotionality. Yes, for me she was the best gymnast. And over time, it did not go anywhere, she is still my idol. And not only as an athlete, but also as a person.
- Before the Olympics, did 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. We were introduced by Nastya Bliznyuk. This happened when the girls and I performed at the Alexei Nemov show in Moscow. Laysan also participated in it, we even changed clothes in the same locker room.

- Laysan, after completing her gymnastic career, found herself as a TV presenter. Have you already thought about the future?
- To be honest, this is a difficult topic for me. I have not yet decided on new goals in life, in gymnastics. Now sports take up 100% of my time and it is very difficult to fit something else into my life with such a schedule. So for now I can't answer this question!

Photoshoot

private photos

Sofia Skomorokh

Sofia Pavlovna Skomorokh(born August 18, 1999 Omsk) - Russian gymnast, world and European champion.

Shortly before the Olympics, Sonya was injured and could not 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 of the 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 the girls new victories)

In the team championship, all-around and exercises in individual types. The sisters are always together - so it would be wrong to divide this conversation into two separate interviews. The Averins told R-Sport correspondent Elena Sobol how it is to be like and support each other at competitions, about how they don’t see their relatives for a long time, about their relationship with coach Vera Shatalina and two-time Olympic champion Evgenia Kanaeva, as well as about their goals in sports career.

"I know my sister's program by heart"

- Did everything work out in the team championship?

Dina: It turned out more than planned. Of course, something did not work out, there is something to work on, we will correct it in the all-around. Probably underdeveloped or something else. The task is to do everything to the maximum, as set. The most important thing is that the coach, director and, of course, me like it.

- That is, your personal assessment is also important?

Dina: Of course. This is always present in herself, and the coach teaches this.

- Personal all-around will be the most important here?

Arina: Yes, of course, it will be a very important and responsible competition. This is a selection for the national team, you need to get into the top eight. Such a task is worth it.

- You are always so touchingly worried about each other.

Dina: It's already a tradition - we go out to cheer for each other during the competition. Of course, if the exit is very close, we don't go. But if not, then mentally I'm with my sister anyway. When my sister performs, I don't even know what I'm thinking! I am very afraid, I pronounce all her exercise to myself, I know it by heart. When Arisha staged, I was present at the production, and I have it too. When I watch an exercise, I praise it to myself and scold it. I experience such emotions as if it was me on the carpet, and not her!

Arina: I have exactly the same feelings. And you worry more about your sister. You know for yourself - where you throw, how you catch. And when Dina speaks, I don’t understand what she will do, how she will act. I'm worried about my sister.

- If you are doubly scared than others, then, probably, doubly joyful?

Arina: Yes, it's true.

How hard is it if one performs well and the other does not?

Arina: It's not that difficult, I guess. The one of us who performed well, she will support, say important words to improve the next day.

- Are you always together?

Dina: Yes! It helps a lot, and not only in training. We are always together in life. There is rarely free time at competitions, and there are days off at training camps. Every year we have training camps in Croatia, in our free time we sunbathe there, swim, go somewhere or just walk. Now they were preparing for the Russian Championship in Novogorsk, they arrived with the most fighting mood.

Zhenya Kanaeva - an example

- Did you choose the music yourself this year?

Arina: With a coach and director.

Dina: We are already slowly looking for music for the new season, we will show the coach something.

Arina: We are preparing in advance.

- Do you like the staging process?

Dina: Yes! This is something new and interesting. In a year, the old gets bored, you learn new elements, you want to go to training with pleasure, even around the clock! Fatigue is not felt at all.

- Is it harder to compete at Russian or international competitions?

Dina: It's a little more difficult at the Russian competitions, we compete at home.

Arina: Moreover, we have very serious competition in Russia, it is more difficult, of course.

- There is no feeling that the level of the World Cup?

Dina: Yes, only among Russian women.

- Are the fans different?

Arina: Abroad is also very well supported, they are also suitable. I want to perform for the audience again and again, you go out with pleasure.

- Doesn't it bother you when a crowd of little girls comes up and asks you to sign or take a photo as a keepsake?

Dina: No, on the contrary, very nice (smiles). But if they come up before the performance, then it may be a little confusing or even unnerving, because you are getting ready, getting ready. Usually we ask after the performance, and everyone comes after.

- Who is an example and inspiration for you in rhythmic gymnastics?

Dina: Zhenya Kanaeva! She was always hardworking, obedient, purposeful. She works as a coach now in Novogorsk, sometimes she tells me something, she makes some comments. Helps a lot! Zhenya recently finished her career, she remembers everything, what to do, tells.

Arina: She told us a very valuable thing about the skill in the ribbon. How to throw it correctly, how to catch it, how to make it fly into your hand, how not to get confused.

- What have you added this year?

Dina: In terms of emotions.

Arina: In emotions, in technique. Turns - try to always turn three or more.

"Only new acquaintances confuse"

- Are you often confused?

Dina: Relatives - no. And new people and friends confuse at first, and then get used to it.

- Ever enjoyed what you look like? Did they go out, for example, for each other to the blackboard at school?

Arina: We didn’t particularly attend school, and there wasn’t such a thing, probably we never wanted to.

- How are relations with older sister Polina?

Dina: We have a very good relationship, we are friends, we correspond every day. We rarely see each other, really. She and her mother came to visit us in Moscow before leaving for Sochi.

- She does not regret that she ended her career?

Dina: No, she is now training little girls by herself. So sometimes it can give us a hint. He always supports us at competitions, writes, but never scolds.

- Is it cool to be the same?

Dina: We don't really notice it. But now we have begun to dress differently, we already want to be a little different, so that they know that we can be different.

Arina: Everything used to be the same. Probably tired.

- How does your mother feel about not seeing you for a long time?

Dina: Calm down, she's already used to it. At first she cried when we left for Moscow. We got used to it, we got used to it, and then it became normal. But she had never watched the competition since childhood. We have such a tradition that she doesn't even watch us live. She can't, she's very worried.

Arina: We also have some traditions, but which ones are a secret.

About the coach, the Olympics and dreams

- You have a very warm relationship with the coach Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina.

Arina: It somehow happened right away with us.

Dina: She noticed us, took us to train. She treated us like her own daughters. She is like a second mother to us, it helps us a lot. Every year we get closer and closer to her.

- Is Vera Nikolaevna demanding?

Dina: Yes.

- Does it happen that he swears?

Arina: All coaches swear, you can’t praise us for what we are doing wrong! (Laughs) And if everything is good, then he praises.

- What is the best way to work on yourself?

Dina: Probably criticism.

Arina: Yes, criticism. We are told mistakes, we correct them and become better and better.

- What is your goal in sports?

Dina: Probably go to the Olympics. And become an Olympic champion.

Arina: Me too.

- Do you think about the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro?

Dina: We don't really think about it, we just work, improve our results. And there - how it goes.

Arina: If they say yes, we must always be ready.

- Do you have a dream outside of sports?

Arina: Probably, there is. Start a family (laughs).

Dina: And I always dreamed of building a house so that we could live together as a family. Not to be separated from my sister.

- Do you like to dream at all?

Dina: Yes, of course. Sometimes we dream about a vacation. I want to, when we finish with sports, I want to take the whole family and go somewhere to relax, not to think about anything.

- You have, of course, a heavy schedule. And it happens that you just want to lie down and do nothing because of fatigue?

Arina: It happens. There are difficult days during preparation, when you just want to lie down and lie down.

About chocolate and hobbies

- They say that in Novogorsk you can’t even eat a piece of extra chocolate.

Arina: No, the coach allows us. She knows that we ourselves monitor the weight, she trusts us.

Dina: In general, it is not very difficult to monitor weight. Perhaps we were lucky after all by nature.

Arina: Sweet? I don’t want the whole cake, I like marmalade more, somehow I’m not particularly drawn to chocolate.

Dina: I'm somehow indifferent to sweets.

What do you think sport has given you?

Arina: First of all - character. Posture, figure.

Dina: If we didn’t go in for sports, we would always be at home, it would be hard to part with loved ones, with parents. Sport has made us independent.

- You are already studying at the university, despite the fact that you are only 17 years old.

Dina: We are already finishing the first year, studying to be a coach. It's not hard to study, there is time - we go to St. Petersburg to study, but no - we do our homework.

- Would you like to work in your profession in the future?

Dina: At first I wanted to choose some other education so that after the sport I would just work. And so I wanted to be a coach, but now I don’t really want to. I want to get a higher education first, then a family, a job. And if you work as a coach and have a family, it will be hard.

Arina: As a coach, honestly, I don’t really want to work yet. Because I understand how hard it is. Maybe I'll grow up and want to. I love working with young children, I really like to prompt, explain. Perhaps someday ... In general, we have not yet thought about the future, what will happen after rhythmic gymnastics.

Arina: I love to draw. Especially tigers, I really like them. I taught myself, it's just my hobby. And now I'm trying to learn English. Need to learn. While the level is zero, we stopped attending school normally from the fifth grade, there was no time to teach it. We focused on the main subjects for admission, and now we decided to take up English.

Dina: We understand that English is very necessary, we often travel abroad. It's hard not to know English there, I want to communicate. Our elder sister knows English, it is easy for her.

Arina: We want the same. My sister is with us.

Dina: We tried to talk to each other with Arisha, but every time we try, we start laughing. In addition, there are press conferences at international competitions, you need to understand what question you are asked and answer it yourself.

Arina Alekseevna Averina. She was born on August 13, 1998 in the Volga region of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Russian rhythmic gymnast. Master of sports of international class.

Father is a football player. Mother Oksana Averina was engaged in gymnastics.

Twin sister - also a famous rhythmic gymnast.

The elder sister, Polina Averina, was a member of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team.

Arina, like her twin sister Dina, started 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 little ones always came with their mother to meet Polina. They were very restless: they always tried to climb higher on the gymnastic rail. 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 began at the age of 11.

Since September 2011, she began training at the Novogorsk training center. She and Dina were noticed at the Young Gymnast competitions, and after the training camp in Croatia they were invited to the training center for training with Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina.

The sisters had a growth problem. So, at the age of 12, they looked at 9. Because of this, their career could not take place. But then they were already in the youth team of Russia and the coach decided to examine the girls - the doctors studied their bones, phalanges of the fingers for what the growth zone is. No pathologies were identified. They slightly reduced the load, added more fish and sour cream to the diet - and the athletes went up.

Until the age of 12, Arina studied at 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 champion of Moscow in 2014, and Arina was the second.

Then the girls went to Israel, to the "Grand Prix Holon 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 performance with the ball. In general, 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 win prizes, but in the final of her performance with the ball she received a gold medal. In the final with a hoop - bronze, with maces - silver.

At the Luxembourg Trophy 2014, Arina took second place in the all-around.

In 2015, she performed at the annual Grand Prix 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 replenishes his piggy bank with gold in the finals with a hoop and clubs, and is in second position with a 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 the performance in Corbeil-Esson, where Arina won five gold medals out of five possible - for the all-around and all finals. By the way, in the final with the ribbon, Averina shared the first step of the podium with her sister.

At international tournaments in Budapest and Sofia, Arina takes 3rd and 2nd places in the all-around, respectively.

In 2016, Arina and Dina Averins were already called the "secret weapon of the Russian national team", who replaced the leaders of Russian rhythmic gymnastics. Dina and Arina are given additional responsibility, and throughout the season they prove their right to play in tournaments along with the first numbers of the national team.

In the all-around at the Grand Prix stage in Moscow, Arina takes third place in the all-around, becomes second in clubs and first in the ribbon. She is sent to the World Cup in Lisbon, where she takes fifth place in the all-around and second in the ribbon final.

The year 2017 was triumphant for the Averin sisters.

At the World Games in Wroclaw, she took four medals, of which three were gold - she won in the hoop, ribbon and ball exercises, and was also third in the clubs exercises.

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, two of which were of the highest standard (ball and ribbon). She was also the second in the all-around and exercises with a hoop, the third - with maces.

In the all-around (that is, 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 Championship in Pesaro 2017)

The growth of Arina Averina: 164 centimeters.

Personal life of Arina Averina:

Single. At the 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