Holon
Hebrew transcription(s)
• Hebrew	חוֹלוֹן
• ISO 259	Ḥolon
Arabic transcription(s)
• Arabic	حولون
Logo
Holon
Coordinates: 32°01′N 34°46′E / 32.017°N 34.767°E / 32.017; 34.767Coordinates: 32°01′N 34°46′E / 32.017°N 34.767°E / 32.017; 34.767
District	Tel Aviv
Founded	1936
Government
• Type	City (from 1950)
Area
• Total	18,927 dunams (18.927 km2 or 7.308 sq mi)
Population (2009)[1]
• Total	184,700
Name meaning	(Little) sand
Website	holon.muni.il

Location of Holon in the Tel Aviv District

Holon (Hebrew: חוֹלוֹן‎‎  (audio) (help·info)) is a city on the central coastal strip south of Tel Aviv, Israel. Holon is part of the metropolitan Gush Dan area. In 2009, it had a population of 184,700.^[1] Holon has the second-largest industrial zone in Israel, after Haifa.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology[link]

The name of the city comes from the Hebrew word holon, meaning "(little) sand". The name Holon also appears in the Bible: "And Holon with its suburbs, and Debir with its suburbs" (Book of Joshua, 21:15).^[2]

History[link]

Holon was founded on sand dunes six kilometers from Tel Aviv in 1935.^[3] The Łódzia textile factory was established there by Jewish immigrants from Łódź, Poland, along with many other industrial enterprises.^[3] In the early months of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Holon was on the front line, with constant shooting taking place on the border with the village of Tel A-Rish to its northwest—a suburb of Arab Jaffa—and clashes also in the direction of the town of Yazur to the east. An attack by the Holon-based Haganah militia units on Tel A-Rish was repulsed with considerable losses. After the establishment of the state, Holon expanded to include Tel A-Rish (renamed "Tel Giborim", "The Mound of the Heroes") and the orange groves of Yazur.

Urban development[link]

Design Museum Holon

Historic landmarks in Holon slated for preservation include Derech Habitachon ("Safe Road"), paved during the Israeli war of independence; water towers in the Moledet and Azor neighborhoods; Hosmasa, a building used by the Haganah; the pillbox guard post; Stroma Square, Mansbach health clinic, Hameshakem building, the Agrobank neighborhood and two schools - Bialik and Shenkar.^[4]

Local government[link]

Mayors[link]

Culture[link]

Yanshul, symbol of the Holon Children's Museum

Holon hosts the annual Yemay Zemer song festival and a spring festival devoted to women. Israeli violinist Pinchas Zukerman runs a summer music camp in the city for young violinists.^[5]

Since the election of Mayor Moti Sasson in 1993, many cultural projects have been inaugurated. Billing itself as a "children's city," Holon is home to the Holon Children's Museum and the Mediatheque youth theater.^[6] Holon also plays host each year to a street carnival in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Purim, the Adloyada. Thousands of children dress up in costumes and the streets close down for a parade featuring colorful floats.^[7]

The Design Museum Holon, which opened in 2010 near the "Médiathèque" and the Faculty of Design of Holon Institute of Technology, is the first Israeli museum of design.

Mediatheque cultural center

Samaritan community[link]

Holon's Samaritan synagogue

In 1954, the president of Israel, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, helped to establish a Samaritan quarter on the outskirts of Holon. The quarter was named Neve Pinchas after Pinhas Ben-Abraham, the high priest of the Samaritan community.^[8]

Holon is one of only two cities in the world to have a Samaritan community, the other being the village of Kiryat Luza on Mount Gerizim above Nablus on the West Bank. That community fled Nablus for Kiryat Luza following the outbreak of the First Intifada (1987–93).^{[citation needed]}

Sports[link]

• Hapoel Holon (basketball) – premier league, national champion in 2008 and state cup holder in 2009
• Hapoel Tzafririm Holon F.C. (football) – Liga Alef [3rd tier]
• Maccabi Kiryat-Sharett Holon (handball) – Liga Leumit [1st tier]
• Hapoel Holon chess (chess) – Liga Leumit [1st tier]

Notable residents[link]

Omri Casspi

• Moshik Afia (1974–), singer
• Chen Aharoni (1990–), singer
• Oz Almog (1956–), Israeli-Austrian artist & author
• Rafi Amit, poker player
• David Ben Dayan (1978–), soccer player
• Omri Casspi (1988–), NBA basketball player (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• David D'Or (1966–), countertenor & composer; Israel's 2001 Singer of the Year
• Dana International (1972–), pop singer
• Eran Kolirin (1973–), cinema director & script writer
• Aryeh Krishek (1952 -), novelist and biographer
• Avihu Medina (1948–), composer, arranger, songwriter, and singer
• Lior Narkis (1976–), singer
• Chen Reiss, opera singer
• Rahel Vigdozchik (born 1989), Olympic rhythmic gymnast
• Peter Roth (1974–), rock singer & composer
• Ben Sahar (1989–), soccer player
• Arie Vardi, pianist & teacher

Twin cities[link]

Sister city shields at the city entrance

• Dayton, Ohio, USA
• Suresnes, France
• Berlin-Mitte, Germany
• Hann-Münden, Germany
• Anshan, China

Partnership of kindness with:

• Andong, South Korea

See also[link]

• Holon Academic Institute of Technology

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Holon

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Holon Cemetery

• Holon Municipality official site (English)
• Friends of Holon Foundation (English)
• Design Museum Holon (English)
• Hapoel Holon Basketball Club official site (Hebrew)
• Zafririm Holon soccer club (Hebrew)
• Holon's Story Gardens (1/2)
• Holon's Story Gardens (2/2)
• Pictures of Holon – Israel in Photos
• Youth week in Holon (hebrew)

v t e Tel Aviv District Cities Bat Yam · Bnei Brak · Giv'at Shmuel · Giv'atayim · Herzliya · Holon · Kiryat Ono · Or Yehuda · Ramat Gan · Ramat HaSharon · Tel Aviv-Jaffa Local councils Azor · Kfar Shmaryahu Other sub-divisions: Center District · Haifa District · Jerusalem District · Judea and Samaria Area · North District · South District

Nik Bärtsch (born 1971) is a Swiss pianist, composer and producer from Zurich. He lives in Zurich and Berlin. He began studying piano and percussion at the age of 8. In 1997 he graduated from the Musikhochschule Zürich. Between the years of 1989 and 2001 he studied philosophy, linguistics and musicology at the University of Zurich. He was an Instructor for ‘Practical Aesthetics’ at the 'Musikhochschule Zürich/Winterthur' (2000–2003). In 2003/2004 he lived in Japan for half a year.

Music and career[link]

Nik Bärtsch currently works in three parallel musical settings: as a solo artist, with the acoustic group Mobile and with the 'zen-funk' group Ronin. As a solo artist he performs his own compositions on prepared piano with percussion. Mobile plays purely acoustic music, performed in rituals of up to 36 hours, which include lighting- and room design. Ronin, by contrast, is more flexible and plays rhythmically complex compositions that contain elements of jazz, funk and acoustic rock. Since 1997 Mobile has included Kaspar Rast (drums), Mats Eser (bass) and Don Li (clarinets, sax). In 2001 Ronin started with Kaspar Rast (drums) and Björn Meyer (bass), Andi Pupato (percussion) joined the band in finishing their first record "Randori" in 2001. In 2006 Sha (Clarinets, Sax) joined the band for album "Stoa" released by ECM Records. Bärtsch's earlier projects were released on Ronin Rhythm Records, in 2006 Bärtsch was signed to ECM and has released three albums. In 2008 Nik Bärtsch's Ronin album Holon was released by ECM Records. In 2010 Nik Bärtsch's Ronin album Llyria was released by ECM records. In 2009 Nik Bärtsch's Ronin contributed to the drama Sounds and Silence with Modul 42 and Sound and Silence, Music for Film soundtrack and DVD released by ECM records.

Awards[link]

1999 and 2002 Career award of the ‘UBS Cultural Foundation’. 2002 'Werkjahr' (career award) from the city of Zurich. 2004 Culture-award from the town of Zollikon (appreciation-award). 2006 Priority jazz support from the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.

Discography[link]

Don Li

• 1999 Gen, Tonus-Music-Records

Nik Bärtsch's Ronin:

• 2010 Llyria, ECM
• 2008 Holon, ECM
• 2006 Stoa, ECM
• 2004 Rea, Ronin Records
• 2003 Live, Ronin Records
• 2002 Randori, Ronin Records

Nik Bärtsch's Mobile:

• 2004 Aer
• 2001 Ritual Groove Music

Nik Bärtsch:

• 2002 Hishiryo

External links[link]

• Official Homepage
• Nik Bärtsch's Ronin at MySpace
• Nik Bärtsch at Allmusic
• "In Conversation with Nik Bärtsch" by Stuart Nicholson (Jazz.com).

Anna Bessonova
Bessonova at World Cup Finals in Benidorm 2008
Personal information
Full name	Hanna Volodymyrivna Bessonova
Nickname(s)	Anya, Bess
Country represented	Ukraine
Born	(1984-07-29) July 29, 1984 (age 27) Kiev
Hometown	Kiev
Height	174 centimetres (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	49 kilograms (110 lb)
Discipline	Rhythmic gymnastics
Club	Deriugins School
Head coach(es)	Albina Deriugina
Assistant coach(es)	Irina Deriugina
Choreographer	Irina Grischenko
Retired	2010
Medal record Competitor for  Ukraine Rhythmic Gymnastics Olympic Games Bronze 2004 Athens All-around Bronze 2008 Beijing All-around World Championships Bronze 2009 Mie All-around Bronze 2009 Mie Rope Bronze 2009 Mie Ball Silver 2009 Mie Ribbon Gold 2007 Patras All-around Bronze 2007 Patras Hoop Silver 2007 Patras Clubs Silver 2007 Patras Ribbon Silver 2005 Baku Team Silver 2005 Baku All-around Silver 2005 Baku Rope Silver 2005 Baku Ball Silver 2005 Baku Clubs Silver 2005 Baku Ribbon Silver 2003 Budapest All-around Silver 2003 Budapest Ball Silver 2003 Budapest Ribbon Silver 2003 Budapest Team Gold 2003 Budapest Hoop Gold 2003 Budapest Clubs Gold 2001 Madrid Team Bronze 2001 Madrid All-around Bronze 2001 Madrid Rope Silver 2001 Madrid Hoop Silver 2001 Madrid Ball Bronze 1999 Osaka Team European Championships Silver 2009 Baku Ball Bronze 2009 Baku Rope Bronze 2009 Baku Hoop Bronze 2009 Baku Ribbon Bronze 2009 Baku Team Silver 2008 Torino All-around Silver 2007 Baku Hoop Silver 2007 Baku Ribbon Bronze 2007 Baku Clubs Silver 2007 Baku Team Bronze 2006 Moscow All-around Silver 2005 Moscow Ball Silver 2005 Moscow Ribbon Bronze 2005 Moscow Rope Bronze 2005 Moscow Clubs Silver 2005 Moscow Team Silver 2004 Kiev All-around Silver 2004 Kiev Team Gold 2003 Riesa Ribbon Gold 2003 Riesa Hoop Gold 2003 Riesa Clubs Silver 2003 Riesa Ball Bronze 2002 Granada All-around Silver 2002 Granada Team World Cup Final Silver 2008 Benidorm Hoop Silver 2008 Benidorm Clubs Silver 2008 Benidorm Ribbon Gold 2007 Ljubljana Clubs Silver 2007 Ljubljana Hoop Bronze 2006 Mie Rope Bronze 2006 Mie Ball Bronze 2006 Mie Ribbon Gold 2002 Stuttgart Rope Gold 2002 Stuttgart Hoop Gold 2002 Stuttgart Clubs Silver 2002 Stuttgart Ball Grand Prix Final Silver 2006 Berlin ball Gold 2004 Deventer Hoop Gold 2004 Deventer Clubs Silver 2004 Deventer Ribbon Bronze 2004 Deventer Ball Gold 2003 Innsbruck All-around Gold 2003 Innsbruck Ribbon Gold 2003 Innsbruck Hoop Silver 2003 Innsbruck Clubs Silver 2003 Innsbruck Ball World Games Silver 2005 Duisburg Ball Silver 2009 Kaohsiung Rope Silver 2009 Kaohsiung Ball Silver 2009 Kaohsiung Ribbon Bronze 2005 Duisburg Ribbon Gold 2005 Duisburg Rope Universiade Silver 2009 Belgrade All-around Silver 2009 Belgrade Rope Silver 2009 Belgrade Ball Silver 2009 Belgrade Ribbon Gold 2007 Bangkok All-around Gold 2007 Bangkok Rope Gold 2007 Bangkok Hoop Gold 2007 Bangkok Clubs Gold 2007 Bangkok Ribbon Gold 2005 Izmir All-around Gold 2005 Izmir Rope Gold 2005 Izmir Ball Gold 2005 Izmir Clubs Bronze 2005 Izmir Ribbon Silver 2003 Daegu All-around Silver 2003 Daegu Hoop Silver 2003 Daegu Ball Silver 2003 Daegu Clubs Gold 2003 Daegu Ribbon

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2010)

Anna Bessonova (Ukrainian: Ганна Володимирівна Безсонова/Hanna Volodymyrivna Bessonova; Russian: Анна Владимировна Бессонова/Anna Vladimirovna Bessonova) (born July 29, 1984) is a former Individual Rhythmic Gymnast who was born in Kiev, Ukraine. Her father is the Dynamo Kiev football player Vladimir Bessonov and her mother, Viktoria, was a two time world champion group rhythmic gymnast.

Biography[link]

Bessonova began rhythmic gymnastics at age 5. Her mother would have rather seen her daughter on the ballet stage, however, Bessonova decided on rhythmic gymnastics. She is coached by the mother/daughter combination of Albina and Irina Deriugina at the Deriugins School in Kiev.

Since 2003, when Bessonova was 19, she became a leader of the Ukrainian National Team. During ten years Anna Bessonova entered the top gymnasts list.

In 2003 Bessonova became twice World Champion - she won the Hoop Event Final (Anna performed her hoop routine by music from ballet Swan Lake, this routine is still one of her best) as well as the Clubs Final. In the Budapest World Championships Anna Bessonova was very close to the All Around title, but a drop during the ball routine made her Silver medalist.

Moreover, in 2003, Anna became triple European Champion - in Hoop, Clubs and Ribbon Event Finals.

She won the bronze individual all around medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2004 Athens Olympics. (with a total score of 106.700: Ribbon 26.725, Clubs 26.950, Ball 26.525, Hoop 26.500).

In 2005 Anna Bessonova became a 6-times Silver Medalist during 2005 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships - in All Around, Rope, Ball, Clubs and Ribbon Finals.

In 2007, Bessonova became world champion at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship in Patras winning the all-around gold medal. This was long-awaited by the RG community after her second places at the previous 2003 and 2005 Championships.

In 2008, Bessonova also won all around golds at the LA Lights, Deriugina Cup (Kiev World Cup) and Miss Valentine Competitions as well as the all around silver at the European Championships in Torino. At 2008 World Cup events, Anna accumulated 15 medals. The year culminated in her all around bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics.

In 2009, Anna placed first in the All-Around at the Kiev World Cup and Deriugina Cup events, and also won bronze in both the World and European Championships.

She is 1.74m (5'9") and weighs 49 kg (108 lbs).

External links[link]

Anna Bessonova Official Web Site

• Anna Bessonova at Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anna Bessonova

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Irina Risenzon
Risenzon at the 7th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup, Benidorm, 2008
Personal information
Country represented	Israel
Born	(1988-01-14) 14 January 1988 (age 24) Buda, Hungary[1]
Residence	Holon, Israel[1]
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Discipline	Rhythmic gymnastics
Head coach(es)	Irina Vigdorchik[1]
Medal record Competitor for  Israel Rhythmic Gymnastics Grand Prix Final Bronze 2009 Berlin Ball Bronze 2009 Berlin Hoop Bronze 2008 Bratislava All-around Bronze 2008 Bratislava Rope Bronze 2008 Bratislava Clubs Bronze 2008 Bratislava Ribbon Bronze 2007 Innsbruck Hoop Bronze 2007 Innsbruck Rope Universiade Silver 2009 Belgrade Hoop

Irina Risenzon (Hebrew: אירה ריסנזון‎, born 14 January 1988 in Buda, Hungary) is an Israeli rhythmic gymnast.

Biography[link]

Rizenson is Jewish, and has been coached by Ira Vigdorchik of Holon.^[2][3] She competed on behalf of Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, china, placing 9th in the individual all-around competition. In 2009, she won silver medals in the individual hoop event at the Summer Universiade and in the individual ribbon event at the FIG World Cup.^[4]

References[link]

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This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since November 2011. It may contain wording that merely promotes the subject without imparting verifiable information. Tagged since November 2011. Its neutrality is disputed. Tagged since November 2011. Its tone or style may not reflect the formal tone used on Wikipedia. Tagged since November 2011.

Yevgeniya Kanayeva
Kanaeva during a ceremony November 2010
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Zhenya, Kanai
Country represented	Russia
Born	(1990-04-02) April 2, 1990 (age 22) Omsk, Soviet Union
Height	170 centimetres (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	49 kilograms (108 lb)
Discipline	Rhythmic gymnastics
Club	Gazprom
Head coach(es)	Irina Viner
Assistant coach(es)	Vera Shtelbaums
Choreographer	Veronica Shatkova
Eponymous skills	Ring Pivots
Medal record Competitor for  Russia Rhythmic Gymnastics Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing All-Around World Championships Gold 2011 Montpellier All-around Gold 2011 Montpellier Ball Gold 2011 Montpellier Hoop Gold 2011 Montpellier Clubs Gold 2011 Montpellier Ribbon Gold 2011 Montpellier Team Gold 2010 Moscow All-around Gold 2010 Moscow Ball Gold 2010 Moscow Hoop Silver 2010 Moscow Rope Gold 2010 Moscow Team Gold 2009 Mie All-around Gold 2009 Mie Ball Gold 2009 Mie Hoop Gold 2009 Mie Ribbon Gold 2009 Mie Rope Gold 2009 Mie Team Gold 2007 Patras Team European Championships Gold 2011 Minsk Team Gold 2011 Minsk Hoop Gold 2011 Minsk Ribbon Silver 2011 Minsk Ball Gold 2010 Bremen All-around Gold 2009 Baku Team Gold 2009 Baku Ball Gold 2009 Baku Hoop Gold 2009 Baku Ribbon Gold 2009 Baku Rope Gold 2008 Torino All-around Gold 2007 Baku Team Gold 2007 Baku Ribbon World Games Gold 2009 Kaohsiung Ball Gold 2009 Kaohsiung Hoop Gold 2009 Kaohsiung Ribbon Gold 2009 Kaohsiung Rope World Cup Final Gold 2011 Aeon All-around Gold 2011 Aeon Ball Gold 2011 Aeon Hoop Gold 2011 Aeon Clubs Gold 2011 Aeon Ribbon Gold 2010 Pesaro All-around Gold 2010 Pesaro Rope Gold 2010 Pesaro Hoop Gold 2010 Pesaro Ball Gold 2010 Pesaro Ribbon Gold 2009 Minsk All-around Gold 2009 Minsk Rope Gold 2009 Minsk Hoop Gold 2009 Minsk Ball Gold 2009 Minsk Ribbon Gold 2008 Benidorm Clubs Gold 2008 Benidorm Hoop Gold 2008 Benidorm Ribbon Bronze 2007 Ljubljana All-around Silver 2007 Ljubljana Clubs Bronze 2007 Ljubljana Rope Gold 2004 Aeon All-around (junior) Gold 2004 Aeon Ball (junior) Gold 2004 Aeon Rope (junior) Gold 2004 Aeon Clubs (junior) Gold 2004 Aeon Ribbon (junior) Gold 2003 Aeon All-around (junior) Gold 2003 Aeon Ball (junior) Gold 2003 Aeon Rope (junior) Gold 2003 Aeon Clubs (junior) Gold 2003 Aeon Ribbon (junior) Grand Prix Final Gold 2011 Brno All-around Gold 2011 Brno Ball Gold 2011 Brno Hoop Gold 2011 Brno Clubs Gold 2011 Brno Ribbon Gold 2010 Berlin All-around Gold 2010 Berlin Rope Gold 2010 Berlin Hoop Gold 2010 Berlin Ball Gold 2010 Berlin Ribbon Gold 2009 Berlin All-around Gold 2009 Berlin Rope Gold 2009 Berlin Hoop Gold 2009 Berlin Ball Gold 2009 Berlin Ribbon Summer Universiade Gold 2011 Shenzhen All-around Gold 2011 Shenzhen Ball Gold 2011 Shenzhen Clubs Gold 2011 Shenzhen Hoop Silver 2011 Shenzhen Ribbon Gold 2009 Belgrade All-around Gold 2009 Belgrade Ball Gold 2009 Belgrade Rope Gold 2009 Belgrade Hoop Gold 2009 Belgrade Ribbon

Yevgeniya Olegovna Kanayeva (Russian: Евгения Олеговна Канаева; born April 2, 1990 Omsk, Soviet Union) is a Russian rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic individual gold medalist and European Champion in the all around for Rhythmic Gymnastics. Omsk is also the hometown of 2004 Olympic silver medalist Irina Tchachina and she is training with the same coach. At the 2008 European Championships, in Torino she led the field by almost two full points, placing first in every event.

Kanayeva also beat compatriot Vera Sessina who won the all-around title in 2006 but was out due to injury and compatriot Olga Kapranova the 2005 World Champion.

Kanayeva won her first Olympic gold medal in Beijing 2008 in the women's rhythmic individual all-around final with a score of 75.500 (Rope:18.850, Hoop:18.850, Clubs:18,950 and Ribbon:18.850).

In the 2009 European Championship in Baku, Azerbaijan, she got five gold medals of 5 possible.

In 2009, at the 29th World Championship in Mie, Japan, she won 6 gold medals and became the only woman rhythmic gymnast in history to have set such record. In 2011, at the 31st World Championship in Montpellier, France, Kanayeva repeated her success by winning all 6 gold medals.

She is one of the best rhythmic gymnasts in history.

Kanayeva is 1.70m (5'7") tall and weighs 49 kg (108 lbs).

Biography[link]

Childhood[link]

Yevgeniya Kanayeva was born on 2 April 1990 in the Russian city of Omsk, Siberia, Her mother, Svetlana, was also a rhythmic gymnast – entitled ‘Master of Sports’. However, it was her grandmother, a devoted fan of Rhythmic Gymnastics and figure skating, who introduced her to Rhythmic Gymnastics at the age of 6.^[1] Despite her young age, the little Kanayeva had already shown enormous potential. Her first trainer, Elena Arais (daughter of Kanayeva’s current trainer Vera Efremovna Shtelbaums), was impressed by her enthusiasm to learn doing difficult elements.^[2] Shtelbaums, who worked in the same gymnastic school, also recalled the time when Kanayeva spent long hours practicing even though all other students were gone, with her grandmother standing in the cold dark corridor waiting to take her home.^[3] Besides her passion for Rhythmic Gymnastics, the little Kanayeva was well known for her kindness and care for others. She was nicknamed ‘Mother Theresa’ by the training staff and the parents of her childhood friends.^[4]

Kanayeva was selected to join a group of young rhythmic gymnasts from Omsk for a try-out in Moscow at the age of 12. Her performance caught the eyes of Amina Zaripova - the person in charge of the youth program. She was then invited to train at the School of the Olympic Reserve. With Shtelbaums being also in Moscow as Omsk native Irina Tchachina’s personal trainer, Kanayeva received good supervision from her and improved quickly. In 2003 Kanayeva represented ‘Gazprom’ as a junior rhythmic gymnast to take part in the World Club Championship (also known as ‘Aeon Cup’) in Japan alongside Irina Tchachina and Alina Kabayeva. She won the junior title. At around the same time, she was noticed by the head trainer of the Russian national team, Irina Aleksandrovna Viner. She was accepted to train at ‘Novogorsk’, the training centre for national team members alone. In Viner’s words, it was a crucial period for Kanayeva because ‘it is better to witness something once than to hear it for 100 times. Alina Kabayeva started in the same way by training among the stars. Oaks do not grow in the desert, they grow among oaks. Kanayeva was lucky in this sense – that there were ‘Novogorsk’ and Vera Efremovna, and we made that decision. She started showing herself as a very clever and very gifted girl in love with Rhythmic Gymnastics.^[3]

The Rise[link]

Kanaeva in 2008

Kanayeva’s path to rise to the senior rank was not without difficulty due to Russia’s rich resource in rhythmic gymnasts. Since the end of the Olympic Games 2004, in which Kabayeva and Tchachina won the gold and silver medal respectively, Vera Sessina and Olga Kapranova had risen up and gradually become Russia’s leading rhythmic gymnasts. With Kabayeva remaining competitive, there was simply no room for Kanayeva. Yet, she continually worked hard, and the opportunity came in 2007.

In summer 2007, the team of rhythmic gymnasts, who were supposed to be heading to the European championship in Baku of Azerbaijan, was already known. They were Kabayeva, Sessina and Kapranova. However, due to a serious injury, Kabayeva needed to withdraw on the eve of the championship. In search of a replacement, Viner entrusted Kanayeva from the reserve team to do one apparatus – the ribbon. Despite the short notice, Kanayeva’s first performance on the international stage did not disappoint her trainers and supporters. Kanayeva won the gold medals in individual apparatus and in the team competition. Few months later, she won another gold medal in the team competition at the World Championship in Patras, Greece.

The Olympics Season[link]

With the opportunity to take part in the Olympic Games in Beijing arising, Kanayeva’s performance in 2008 was breathtaking. All her routines (hoop, clubs, rope and ribbon) were designed with high difficulties and thoughtful music selection to bring out her uniqueness. One of which was her ribbon routine performed with the special edited piano version of ‘Moscow Nights (Подмосковные вечера)’.

Kanayeva began her 2008 season under the shadows of Sesina, Kapranova and Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast, the then World Champion, Anna Bessonova. However, by mid-spring she was able to overcome all odds and win all Individual All-around titles in the Grand Prix and World Cup series, as well as the Russian National Championship. At the European Championship in Turin, Italy, she was no longer a replacement or a reserve as one year before but an established senior rhythmic gymnast of the Russian national team. She defeated Bessonova and Kapranova with high scores in all her routines and became the European Champion. On Viner’ mind, by that time, Kanayeva was the automatic first choice for her Olympic team ahead of Sesina and Kapranova. Viner later settled with Kanayeva and Kapranova as the representatives of the Russian Federations in the Rhythmic Gymnastics competition for the Olympic Games.

Kanayeva was the youngest among all the finalists in the Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics competition. However, she was also the calmest and made the fewest mistakes. In her words, the Olympic Games was ‘different from all other competitions. You just have to concentrate on yourself, the apparatus and the carpet. You should not pay attention on anything else. I persuaded myself that everything would be alright, that I should not worry.’^[3] With this mentality, Kanayeva won the Olympic title with an excellent score 75.50, ahead of second place Inna Zhukova of Belarus by a margin of 3.50 point. According to Viner, what Kanayeva achieved was exceptional as the huge margin between her and the silver medalist was not likely to be ever repeated by any other rhythmic gymnasts in future Olympic Games.^[3]

The Record-breaker[link]

With the implementation of the new ‘Codes of Points’, Kanayeva's style was changed drastically in 2009. The transition was not smooth as in early season she struggled against injuries and exhaustion. Although she remained undefeated in all Individual All-around competitions, on a few occasions Sesina and Bessonova finished ahead of her in individual apparatus. Nevertheless, in May Kanayeva won the gold medals for all 4 apparatus at the European Championship in Baku. Then, in July, she collected all gold medals available (9 in total) at the Rhythmic Gymnastics competitions in the Universiade and the World Games. In fact, her 5 gold medals in the Universiade enabled Russia to come top on the overall team ranking. President Dmitry Medvedev of the Russian Federations openly complimented on Kanayeva’s contribution.^[5] She was also hailed as the 'Heroine of the Games' by the official website of Universiade Belgrade 2009.^[6]

In September, the World Championship in Rhythmic Gymnastics (Mie Prefecture, Japan) provided Kanayeva the opportunity to become World Champion. Kanayeva qualified for the Individual All-around final by coming first in every single apparatus, each with a gold medal. Besides, her results in individual apparatus also won her a gold medal for the team competition (together with Olga Kapranova, Daria Kondakova and Daria Dmitrieva). As a result, prior to the Individual All-around final, Kanaeva had already won 5 gold medals – equaled the record set by Oxana Kostina of Russia in 1992 of winning the most number of gold medals in one single Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championship.

Although none expected it to be a record-breaking World Championship, Kanayeva’s determination was clearly seen in the Individual All-around final. After 3 rotations she led second place Kondakova by 0.850. As Kondakova finished her final rotation (rope) elegantly with a high score in 28.400, the atmosphere in the gymnasium turned electrified. After waiting for 5 other finalists to complete their routines, Kanayeva held the ball in her hands and stepped onto the carpet as the last competitor of the day. She gave a championship-winning performance. By a margin of 0.600, Kanayeva won her sixth gold medal and set a new record by winning the most number of gold medals in one single Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championship. With physical and emotional exhaustion, Kanayeva shed her tears when the Russian training staff embraced her.. President Dmitry Medvedev of the Russian Federation acknowledged Kanayeva's new record by sending her a telegram of congratulation.^[7]

On and Off the Carpet[link]

Kanayeva’s success in Rhythmic Gymnastics has not only won her admiration across Russia and around the globe but also continued Omsk’s tradition in producing outstanding rhythmic gymnasts. Sport commentator and former rhythmic gymnast Lyaisan Utyasheva once described Kanayeva as a combination of Tchachina and Kabayeva.^[8] However, Kanayeva had no intention to be a copier of the former greats.^[9] Frequently in interviews, when asked about her views on success and future plan, her reply was that she lived only in today and every victory motivated her to improve further.^[3] According to Arais, Kanayeva always applies the principle ‘winner or loser’ in life, which has distinguished her from others since her first step in Rhythmic Gymnastics.^[10] For Kanayeva, 'victory and defeat both give lessons. In the face of victory, the most important thing is not to be overwhelmed but to stay on the ground, to go on and work and take delight in life. For an athlete’s life does not only come through by one victory, and a real athlete is one who is capable of winning and losing.'^[9]

Although Kanayeva's ability to follow her trainers' instructions was well known, she had no hesitation to give her opinions on her routines and performances.^[4] Year by year, she has shown desires in trying out new elements and adopting new styles. She stated that her satisfaction in Rhythmic Gymnastics was not merely associated with scores or medals but more with the reaction of the audience to her performance.^[11]

For Shtelbaums, Kanayeva has the quality to become a good trainer because of her attentiveness to instruct young rhythmic gymnasts.^[4] Currently, she is enrolled at The Siberian State University of Physical Training and Sports. When asked what she would like to do when her sporting career is over, Kanayeva expressed her wish to learn how to draw and play piano.^[3] She has also said in other interviews that she is keen to study a foreign language, such as English, and some computer-related subjects.^[12] Her mother Svetlana said her daughter is thoughtful in this aspect as all her prize money is being saved up for future education.^[13]

By the end of 2009, Kanayeva was awarded the title ‘Merited Master of Sports’ in Russia. Irina Tchachina was the guest of honour to present Kanayeva the award.

Records[link]

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29th RG World Championships Mie, Japan 2009

1. Yevgeniya Kanayeva set a record in the 29th RG World Championships 2009 in Mie by winning 6 gold medals. She is the first gymnast in RG history to achieve such results in one single World Championship.

31st World Championship Montpellier, France 2011

1. She equals the record of Maria Petrova (rhythmic gymnast), who won 3 world titles for three consecutive years (1993/1994/1995), and of María Gigova (1969/1971/1973).
2. She is the first gymnast who has won 3 consecutive world titles without sharing the triumph with other gymnasts. Petrova and Gigova shared their respective titles with other gymnasts.
3. It is the second time when Yevgeniya Kanayeva won 6 gold medals out of 6. She equals her own record.
4. She is the first gymnast who has won gold medals in all of apparatus. (5 apparatus, rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon). She is also the only one gymnast in history to ahieve gold medals in the 7 individual categories of rhythmic gymnastics (All-around, rope, hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and team competition).
5. She levels with Maria Gigova in hoop: both have won 3 gold medals in the World Championships.
6. She levels with Ekaterina Serebrianskaya and Lilia Ignatova in ball: all of them have won 3 gold medals in the World Championships.
7. She is the gymnast in the entire RG history who has won the most World Championships titles: 17 gold medals.

Grand Prix Brno, Czech 2011

1. On October 16, 2011 Yevgeniya Kanayeva scored 30, she got perfect 10 in difficulty, artistry and execution at ribbon final, Grand Prix Brno 2011, Czech. She is the first gymnast in the history of rhythmic gymnastic to achieve full mark under 30 points judging system.

Routines Music Information[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yevgeniya Olegovna Kanayeva

• Евгения Канаева стала чемпионкой Европы в многоборье
• Eugenia Kanaeva at Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique
• Zhenya Kanaeva Gymnasium (Evgenia Kanaeva unofficial fans website)
• Rhythmic Gymnastics Results