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Svetlana Vasilievna Khorkina

PERSONAL DETAILS
Date of birth: 19 Jan 1979
Gender: Female
Height: 164 cm / 5'5"
Weight: 47 kgs / 104 lbs
Birth Place: Belgorod (Russian Federation)
Marital Status: Single
Children: None

SPORTING PROFILE
Preferred Events: Uneven Bars
Coach: Boris Pilkin

GENERAL INTEREST
Nicknames: Sveta and Queen of Bars. Her team-mates address her as Khora.

Car: Honda CR-V - Dark Metallic Green

Hobbies: Reading and shopping.

Sporting relatives:
My younger sister Julia is a gymnast as well. She is 3 years younger than me. She trains quite hard to try to reach the top level. Who knows ... she has always been very proud of my achievements and I suppose it helped her.

Why this sport:
I chose the sport after I saw Oksana Omelianchik on TV when I was about six years old. After she began gymnastics, her height was a problem. Her trainers suggested she do rhythmic gymnastics, she did for a year and then switched back to the gymnastics that she loved.

Most influential person:
Her family - They support me. During the 1997 World Championships in Lausanne, my mother spent most of her time lighting candles in the church. While my father sat silently in front of the TV set.
Coach, Boris Pilkin - He is like a second father to me.

Most admired person:
Olga Mostepanova, Alexei Nemov, Svetlana Boguinskaya and Vitaly Scherbo.
In the beginning it was Svetlana Boguinskaya. Then I gradually realised that the best thing in life is to build your own aura.

Ambitions:
Svetlana thinks something along the lines of becoming an independent business woman or modelling, but she also would like to do something for her hometown of Belgorod.
I am studying physical education to become a coach.

Major awards:
Has a vault named after her in the Code de Pointage called the 'KHORKINA'. She only uses it when she absolutely needs to, for instance to secure a victory in an All Around competition.
She has several elements named after her on the bars, including a Shaposhnikova-like flight element with a half turn to hang on the high bar. Since she starts her flight facing outwards, she cannot see her hands grabbing the high rail. It is also a blind move, which can only be learnt through relentless practice.

THOUGHTS & QUOTATIONS
- Her Height -
Svetlana's height is often a topic of conversation and it almost cost her a career in gymnastics. Early on coaches convinced her to do rhythmic gymnastics, she did, but later switched back to the gymnastics she loved most, artistic.
Her coach, Boris Pilkin, originally though Khorkina was too tall for gymnastics, but his wife persuaded him to coach the young athlete. He developed special training methods for her height and build.
A tall and elegant gymnast, Svetlana uses her height to great effect, especially on uneven bars, where she is World and Olympic champion.

- Her Debut -
Her first big contest was the Moscow all stars in 1992 where she placed 5th all around.

- Her Personal Happiness -
Hmm ... let me dream a little ... OK, I live in a large villa somewhere abroad - In Switzerland, Italy or France. I have a cat or big dog at home . Finally a garden and path where I can take walks at night.

- Her Fame -
They come up to me sometimes of course. But instead of a broken record approach of 'do you have the time miss?', they hold out a hand, documents or money for an autograph. Not because I am an attractive woman but because I am a famous athlete. Sometimes that sucks.
Svetlana welcomes the spotlight at all times - I want to be recognised from half a mile away...

- Her Wardrobe -
I like classic clothes. I like pants suits and for denim, I like Versace. Usually when I travel I take five outfits, because I don't usually have time to wear anything else.

- Journalists -
It depends. But for some reason they all want to talk to me right before a competition, just when I have a million things going on inside my head. Times like that I am really nervous, though I try not to show it. but I realise I am not just Svetlana, but in a sense the personification of gymnastics.

- Her First Love -
In 1996, when I was 17. But I don't want to talk about it now because the guy is in gymnastics. It is ancient history now.

- Her Style On Floor -
One needs to be very artistic to express the meaning and the style. To tell you the truth I do not think I have yet achieved my best, although I am very happy and the audience loves my routines.

- Her Sense Of Humour -
My family is very cheerful one and that is a great help.

- Being The Russian Team Leader -
It seems that everyone in the team comes up to Khorkina's shoulder when they need to cry and when they are in need - I know. I do not feel like the captain, I simply have more experience.
I am older than most of the girls and I just try to help them at any time they need it.

- 1999 World Championships -
At the 1999 World Championships, Russia was in a position to win the team competition, but Khorkina's fall in the final rotation allowed Romania to win the gold medal.
In her attempt to defend her All Around title, Khorkina finished 12th after struggles on beam and vault. Although the World Championships was not a complete failure for her - she won gold on uneven bars and bronze on floor.

- 2000 Olympics -
Falling on the bars in both the team and all-around finals led to devastation for Svetlana after scoring the highest total in qualifications. She might not have fallen on the bars if not for the vault controversy but there was nothing she can do about it. Showing her great determination and competitiveness, she pulled herself together and managed to grab the gold in the bars final and the silver in the floor final.

- 2001 World Championships -
This World Championships belonged to Svetlana as she grabbed five medals, namely gold in the all-around, the vault final and the bars final, silver in the team, and bronze in the floor final.

- 2002 European Championships -
Another great medal haul for Svetlana. She couldn't emulate her four gold medals in Paris 2 years ago, but she still managed to defend her all-around and bars gold medals, and also getting gold with the other girls in the team. Her last medal was silver from the beam finals, one of her weaker apparatus these days. Overall, it was a great weekend for her.