Oksana Skaldina is one of the strongest gymnasts of the late eighties. In her short but vibrant career, she managed to win six gold medals at the World Championships, and also won bronze at the Olympics in Barcelona. Having ended with an active career, she did not leave rhythmic gymnastics, continuing to work as a coach.
Girl from Zaporozhye
Oksana Skaldina, gymnastics for which became the meaning of life, was born in Zaporozhye in 1972. Ukraine at that time was considered one of the main suppliers to the USSR national team in rhythmic gymnastics. The legendary school of the Deryugin sisters was considered one of the strongest in the world.
However, the parents of five-year-old Oksana have not yet dreamed of any global achievements for their daughter, but simply brought her to the rhythmic gymnastics section in her native Zaporozhye. Here she began to study in a group with Lyudmila Kovalik.
The girl’s affairs went smoothly. She achieved success in her first Republican competitions. Pretty soon, a promising athlete was noticed in Kiev, and she became a student of the school of Albina and Irina Deryugin, who regularly trained the leaders of world rhythmic gymnastics.
Oksana Skaldina, having moved from her native Zaporozhye at a tender age, ended up in a completely different world, faced a completely different level of competition and requirements, however, she persisted and became one of the best students of the glorious school.
Breakthrough
In 1989, the coaches of the national team took to the world championship in Yugoslavia a very little-known athlete from Zaporozhye, who was barely seventeen years old. However, she decided to take the chance given to her and quickly broke into the world elite of sports. Oksana Skaldina unexpectedly for many experts immediately won three personal gold medals, becoming the first in exercises with a hoop, ribbon and rope.
Particularly spectacular was her performance in the last of the listed species, which was considered her favorite.
At first, the judges gave her 9.8 points for a spectacular presentation of the rope exercise. However, after a short meeting of the technical committee, they overcame their indecision and changed their assessment to the maximum possible - ten.
In addition, at the same World Cup, Oksana Skaldina became the third in the all-around, and also won gold in team competitions. Thus, she became a four-time world champion in her seventeen years.
Hard choise
In 1991, the Ukrainian went to her second world championship already in the status of one of the favorites, firmly aiming for the highest positions in world rhythmic gymnastics. She was not as successful as the last time, performed in separate forms, limiting herself to silver in exercises with the ball. She also received bronze for a hoop and a skipping rope.
However, having saved her strength in individual battles, Oksana Skaldina brilliantly proved herself in the main battle. The gymnast brilliantly won the all-around, becoming the absolute world champion, and also helped the national team become the first in team competitions.
In 1992, the united team of the CIS republics went to the Olympic Games in Barcelona. According to the rules of the international federation, only two gymnasts could represent a team of one country. According to sports indicators, the Russian woman Oksana Kostina and the Ukrainian Aleksandra Timoshenko were to go to Barcelona. However, the Ukrainian delegation and Albina Deryugina began to actively fight for the right to exhibit two Ukrainian gymnasts and pushed this decision at the highest level as an exception.
Final chord
The favorite of the Olympic tournament was considered to be Alexandra Tymoshenko, who became the champion. Oksana Skaldina set herself the goal of taking at least silver medals, but the factor of “home stands” intervened. The judges shamelessly supported the local athlete Carolina Pascual, who eventually beat Oksana, who became the third.
The outraged girl protested at the award ceremony, defiantly ignoring Carolina. She only congratulated her teammate, Alexander Tymoshenko, on victory.
The Olympic Games became the peak of the career of Zaporizhzhya gymnast. After their completion, she announced her retirement from big sport, having managed in several years of her outstanding performances to become a six-time world champion and Olympic medalist.
After sports
Having completed an active career, Oksana Skaldina became an excellent coach. She raised the world and European champion Ksenia Dzhalaganiya, as well as a number of other beautiful and memorable athletes.
At the end of her career, the legendary gymnast took up her personal life. The former husband of Oksana also represented the world of big sport. He was an excellent pentathlete, became the winner of the Olympic Games. Daughter Daria was professionally engaged in rhythmic gymnastics, was part of the Russian team, but she completed active performances quite early in 2014.