Yulia Barsukova

Infobox Gymnast
gymnastname= Yulia Barsukova


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country= RUS
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birthdate= birth date and age|1978|12|31
birthplace= Moscow
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height= convert|168|cm|ftin
discipline= RG
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natlteam=
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gym=
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headcoach= Irina Viner
assistcoach= Vera Chatalina
formercoach=
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music= "Giselle" by Adolphe Adam
"Swan Lake" by Tchaikovski
"The Swan" by Saint-Saëns
eponymousskills=
retired=
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Yulia Vladimirovna Barsukova ( _ru. Юлия Владимировна Барсукова, sometimes Romanized Youlia Barsoukova, born December 31, 1978 in Moscow, Russian SSR, Soviet Union) is Individual Rhythmic Gymnast. She is the 2000 Olympic Champion in the All-Around.

Biography

At age five, she began figure skating in the Izmaylovo District of Moscow were she lived. One day, when she was eight years old, she was passing a sports club, and in the window, she saw girls practicing Rhythmic Gymnastics. Pretty soon, her father signed her up for Rhythmic Gymnastics. And after three years she moved to a Tagansky District high school's Rhythmic Gymnastics department.

Barsukova was coached by Vera Silaeva, until she was sixteen. And then, literally taking her by the hand, she took Barsukova to the famous Russian Head Coach, Irina Viner. But the head coach of the national team, did not like Barsukova at first. Viner gave up only after the pressure of the choreographer of the Russian National team, Veronica Shatkova.

Barsukova began competed at international competitions following the coaching change, She received an unofficial title of "Miss Bolshoi Theater" during an evening dedicated to the 15th anniversary of Ballet magazine where Barsukova performed along with the stars of the theater. Her "Dying Swan" ball routine brought a lot of applause from dancers, most of whom gave her a standing ovation.

She won many gymnastics titles after her emergence in major competitions as a second member of the Russian team. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics after a fumble with the Hoop by then World Champion, Alina Kabaeva, Barsukova won the gold despite a missed foot-catch at the end of her rope routine. She also won the rope final in both the 1999 (9.933) and 2000 (9.983)European Championships. Now, she is participating in the project of 1 Russian Channel "Stars on Ice". She is married to Denis Samokhin, a Russian ice dancer.

External links

*fig|id=2507|name=Yulia Barsukova