Vitrichenko, Elena Igorevna

Elena’s mother, Nina Vitrichenko , was also a gymnast, and later became her daughter’s coach. Elena began practicing rhythmic gymnastics from the age of four.

Although she first appeared at international competitions in 1986 , she was really noticed at the world championship in Brussels ( Belgium ) in 1992, where she, as a member of the Ukrainian national team, won a silver medal. After that, Elena began to win many other important competitions.

Her best performance was at the 1996 Summer Olympics , where she won a bronze medal. A year later, she won the world and European championships. Favorite subject for Elena was the tape, for the performances with which she three times became the world and twice the European champion.

Vitrichenko finished speaking after the Sydney Olympics (2000).

In Kiev, she organized her own school of rhythmic gymnastics, where Elena is engaged in coaching.

Elena Vitrichenko is married to businessman Alexei Borovikov. Two sons were born in the marriage, David and Caesar, and the daughter of Aurora. The family lives in Spain.

Zaragoza scandal

In 2000, at the European Championship in Zaragoza ( Spain ), Vitrichenko became the cause of a major referee scandal. Based on an analysis of the videos of her speeches, it was recognized that a number of judges biased underestimated the grades. The following judges were found guilty by the Gymnastics Federation: Irina Deryugina ( Ukraine ), Natalya Stepanova ( Belarus ), Gabriela Shtumer ( Austria ), Galina Margina ( Latvia ), Ursula Zolenkamp ( Germany ) and Natalya Ladzinskaya ( Russia ).

However, the President of the Technical Committee for Rhythmic Gymnastics of the International Gymnastics Federation, Egle Abruzzini ( Italian: Egle Abruzzini ) demanded a more severe punishment for judges. As a result, 6 guilty judges were disqualified for one year. Countries must choose other judges for the Sydney Olympic Games to suit the federation requirements. The other 26 judges who were in Zaragoza were also warned and were not allowed to judge in Sydney. Thus, for the first time in the history of rhythmic gymnastics, the biased behavior of judges was proven and punished.

• 1991 European Championship 1st place - team; 5th place - all-around; 4th place - hoop; 2nd place - the ball; 1st place - maces
• 1991 World Championship 5th place - all-around; 4th place - ribbons; 2nd place - jump ropes / balls
• 1993 World Championship 2nd place - team; 6th place - all-around; 3rd place - hoop, maces; 2nd place - the ball; 6th place - tape
• 1994 Gymnastics Games 4th place - all-around; 1st place - hoop; 3rd place - ball; 2nd place - maces; 4th place - tape
• 1994 European Championship 1st place - team; 2nd place - all-around; 1st place - jump rope, hoop, ribbon; 5th place - ball
• 1994 World Championship 6th place - all-around; 4th place - hoop; 1st place - the ball; 5th place - maces; 2nd place - tape
• 1995 European Cup, Italy 2nd place - all-around; 1st place - ball
• 1995 European Cup, Moscow 1st place - all-around
• 1995 Gymnastics Games 7th place all-around; 2nd place - jump rope; 4th place - the ball; 2nd place - maces
• 1995 European Cup Final 2nd place - all-around; 5th place - jump rope, ball; 2nd place - maces; 3rd place - tape
• 1995 World Championship 6th place - all-around; 1st place - tape; 2nd place - jump rope; 3rd place - maces
• 1996 European Championship 6th place - all-around; 3rd place - jump rope, maces; 2nd place - the ball; 6th place - tape
• 1996 World Championship 2nd place - clubs; 1st place - tape
• 1996 Olympic Games 3rd place - all-around
• 1996 Club World Championship 3rd place - all-around
• 1996 Gymnastics Games 3rd place - all-around
• 1997 Deryugina Cup 1st place - all-around; 1st place - jump rope, hoop, ribbon, maces
• 1997 Gymnastics Games 1st place - all-around; 3rd place - jump rope, ribbon; 4th place - maces
• 1997 European Gymnastics Games 3rd place - all-around
• 1997 European Championship 1st place - all-around; 1st place - hoop; 2nd place - tape; 5th place - maces; 7th place jump rope
• 1997 World Championship 1st place - all-around, ribbon, maces, jump rope; 2nd place - hoop
• 1998 European Championship 7th place all-around; 1st place - maces; 3rd place - jump rope; 4th place - hoop
• 1999 Gymnastics Games 1st place - jump rope, hoop; 2nd place - ball, tape
• 1999 European Championship 6th place - all-around; 2nd place - jump rope, 1st place - ball, ribbon
• 1999 World Championship 3rd place - team; 5th place - all-around; 1st place - jump rope, hoop; 3rd place - tape; 8th place - ball
• 2000 Deryugina Cup 11th place - all-around
• 2000 European Championship 19th place - all-around
• 2000 Olympic Games 4th place - all-around

• Honorary Insignia of the President of Ukraine (1996) ^[1]
• Order of Merit, II Degree (1997) ^[2]

• Photo from the site "Ukrainian rhythmic gymnastics" .
• VITRICHENKO Olena Іgorіvna (Ukrainian)