Lilia Alexandrovna Podkopayeva (Russian: Лилия Александровна Подкопаева; Ukrainian: Лілія Олександрівна Подкопаєва; alternative transliteration Lilia Oleksandrivna Podkopaieva; born August 15, 1978 in Donetsk) is a retired Ukrainian gymnast who became the 1996 Olympic all-around champion. Gymnastics has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. ... The 1996 Summer Olympics, formally known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and informally known as the Centennial Olympics, were held in 1996 in Atlanta, United States. ... At the 1996 Summer Olympics, two different gymnastics disciplines were contested: Artistic gymnastics and Rhythmic gymnastics. ... The 1996 Summer Olympics, formally known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and informally known as the Centennial Olympics, were held in 1996 in Atlanta, United States. ... At the 1996 Summer Olympics, two different gymnastics disciplines were contested: Artistic gymnastics and Rhythmic gymnastics. ... The 1996 Summer Olympics, formally known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and informally known as the Centennial Olympics, were held in 1996 in Atlanta, United States. ... At the 1996 Summer Olympics, two different gymnastics disciplines were contested: Artistic gymnastics and Rhythmic gymnastics. ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Map of Ukraine with Donetsk highlighted. ... Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, and kinesthetic awareness, such as handsprings, handstands, split leaps, aerials and cartwheels. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ...

Podkoypayeva was often referred to as the "complete package" gymnast, possessing equal qualities of technical skill and artistic expression. Her routines were known for their melding of balletic, expressive choreography, clean execution, impeccable form and extremely difficult skills. In addition, Podkopayeva was known for being strong on all four apparatus, without an obvious weak event. She was the originator of two skills that are still included in the Code of Points: the Podkopayeva vault and a double front half-out salto on the floor exercise. The Code of Points is a document, published by the International Federation of Gymnastics, which regulates gymnastics scoring. ... In architecture, a vault is an arched structure of masonry, forming a ceiling or canopy. ... Salto may refer to: Places Brazil Salto, Brazil (pop: 103,844 2004), São Paulo Cape Verde Salto, Cape Verde, a parish in the municipality of São Filipe in the southern part of Fogo Island Portugal Salto, Portugal, a parish in the municipality of Montalegre Uruguay Salto, Uruguay, a... A Canadian gymnast trains on a floor. ...

Gymnastics career

Podkopayeva was introduced to gymnastics at the age of five by her grandmother. As a junior, before the breakup of the Soviet Union, she briefly trained at the Soviets' renowned Round Lake gymnastics facility. At the 1996 Olympics, Russian (and former Soviet) head coach Leonid Arkaev noted that Podkopayeva was the gymnast with whom he most missed working. In Ukraine, Podkopayeva trained at the National Training Center in Kiev under the tutelage of former European, World and Olympic gold medalist Ludmilla Tourischeva. Ludmilla Ivanovna Turischeva (Russian: Людмила Ивановна Турищева alternate spellings: Lyudmilla Turischeva, Ludmilla Tourischeva, born July 10, 1952 in Grozny) is a former Russian gymnast and a nine-time Olympic medalist for the Soviet Union. ...

Podkopayeva made her senior international debut in 1993. Only 14 at that year's World Championships, she placed 16th in the all-around. She qualified for the vault final, but, clearly disoriented and overwhelmed, crashed on her first attempt and finished last. Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 1994, Podkopayeva's competitive fortunes improved immensely. At the 1994 World Championships, she finished sixth in the all-around--a ten place improvement from the previous year--and won a silver medal on the balance beam. At the European Championships, she earned four medals, becoming the European Champion on floor exercise, placing second on the beam, and winning bronze medals in the vault and team events. She also qualified for the all-around and the uneven bars, where she placed fifth and sixth, respectively. Podkopayeva also did well at the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, where she won the vault title, placed 4th in the all-around, won a silver medal with the Ukranian team and a second silver on floor. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... The Balance Beam is a artistic gymnastics apparatus. ... Logo of the 2nd Games in Seattle The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and...

Podkpopayeva competed in the 1995 World Championships with a new set of routines and an optimum physical condition. Due to her past inconsistencies, she was widely considered to be an underdog. However, while other more decorated gymnasts faltered, Podkopayeva had the meet of her life, winning the all-around title. She beat Svetlana Khorkina of Russia and Lavinia Milosovici of Romania, both multiple world and Olympic champions, into second and third place. In the event finals Lilia proved her all-around win had not been a fluke, taking another gold medal on the vault and silvers on the uneven bars and the beam. Her contributions in the team competition also helped the Ukrainians to a fifth place finish, allowing them to qualify a full team to the 1996 Olympic Games. Svetlana Vasilievna Khorkina (Russian: Светлана Васильевна Хоркина, born January 19, 1979 in Belgorod, Russia) is by far Russias most successful female gymnast after the breakup of the Soviet Union> Not only is she the winner of several world championship events and Olympic medals. ... Lavinia Milosovici (born October 21, 1977 in Lugoj, Romania) was one of the most successful female gymnasts of the 1990s, but is currently barred from the sport. ... The uneven bars or asymmetric bars is a artistic gymnastics apparatus. ...

In early 1996, Podkopayeva was seriously injured when she fell from the beam in practice, breaking one rib and fracturing another. Not much was made of this injury, however, and she recovered sufficiently to win three gold medals at the 1996 European Championships in the all-around, bars and floor finals. In the all-around, Lila pushed her childhood idol Svetlana Boginskaya into second place. She also won a bronze on the vault. Svetlana Leonidovna Boginskaya (also spelled Boguinskaia (incorrectly) and Boginskaia, Belarusian: Сьвятлана Леанідаўна Багінская, Russian: Светлана Леонидовна Богинская, born February 9, 1973 in Minsk) is a Soviet/Belarusian gymnast. ...

As the defending World and European Champion, Podkopayeva was a favorite at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. In the team competition, on every event except optional vault, she posted the highest scores of the Ukrainian team, helping them to a fifth-place finish. She qualified in first place to the all-around final, where she had a strong performance and won the gold medal. In doing so, she became the first female gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title as a defending World Champion since Ludmilla Tourischeva in 1972. In addition, Podkopayeva also became the first female gymnast since Tourischeva to hold the European, World, and Olympic all-around titles at the same time. She also became the first, and to date, only, Olympic all-around champion to come from a team that finished outside the medals. She dedicated her title to her beloved grandmother, who had died just three weeks prior to the Olympics. Podkopayeva won a second gold medal in the floor exercise final and a silver on the beam. Ludmilla Ivanovna Turischeva (Russian: Людмила Ивановна Турищева alternate spellings: Lyudmilla Turischeva, Ludmilla Tourischeva, born July 10, 1952 in Grozny) is a former Russian gymnast and a nine-time Olympic medalist for the Soviet Union. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Podkopayeva originally intended to continue competing after the 1996 Olympics and was a part of the Ukrainian team at the 1997 Worlds, however, injuries forced her to sit out Worlds and to retire.

Life after gymnastics

Podkopayeva is currently the Ukrainian United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/AIDS. [1]. She is married to Ukrainian businessman Timofei Nagorny. They are the parents of two children: Vadim, adopted in Ukraine in July 2006; and Karolina, born in November of the same year. The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

Podkopyeva is still actively involved with the sport of gymnastics, and is Ukraine's Ambassador of Sport to the Council of Europe. She was certified as an international brevet judge in 2004, and also coaches extensively in the U.S. and Ukraine. In Ukraine, Podkopayeva founded the Golden Lily tournament. The event, started in 2002, has evolved from an international gymnastics competition to a gala exhibition. She has additionally worked as a television personality, hosting a show entitled "Aerobics for Champions."

In 2007, she appeared on the Ukrainian version of Dancing With the Stars. Countries with their own version Dancing with the Stars is the name for a number of international television series based on the format of the British series Strictly Come Dancing. ...

Trivia

• According to the Soviet tradition of encouraging athletes, Podkopayeva was formally granted an officer rank of SBU (Ukraine's main intelligence agency) and received respective payment.
• Good friends with Belarusian gymnast Elena Piskun. Piskun named her first child 'Lilia' in honor of their friendship.
• Known informally as "LilyPod" by some English-speaking fans.

Soviet redirects here. ... An officer is a member of a military, naval, or if applicable, other uniformed services who holds a position of responsibility. ... rank. ... The three-letter initialism SBU has several uses: St. ... An intelligence agency is a governmental organization devoted to gathering of information by means of espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public sources. ...

External links and sources

• Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique profile for Lilia Podkopayeva

• International Gymnastics Legends: Lilia Podkopayeva
• The Golden Lily Competition (in Ukrainian)
• "Big Plans for Podkopayeva" International Gymnast, July 2006
• [2] Interview with Lilia Podkopayeva, International Gymnast, 2004