Olena Vitrychenko

(Redirected from Elena Vitrichenko)

Olena Ihorivna Vitrychenko (Ukrainian: Олена Ігорівна Вітриченко, Russian: Елена Игоревна Витриченко; born 25 November 1976), also known as Elena Vitrichenko, is an Individual Ukrainian Rhythmic Gymnast. She is the 1996 Olympics bronze medalist, the 1997 World All-around champion and 1997 European All-around champion.

Olena Vitrychenko
Олена Вітриченко
Olena Vitrychenko smiles during her farewell celebration at 2000 Deventer Grand Prix
Personal information
Full nameOlena Ihorivna Vitrychenko
Alternative name(s)Elena Igorevna Vitrichenko
Country represented Ukraine
Born (1976-11-25) November 25, 1976 (age 47)
Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
DisciplineRhythmic gymnastics
Retired2000
Medal record
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Representing  Ukraine
Event1st2nd3rd
Olympic Games001
World Championships977
European Championships1054
European Team Championships001
European Cup Final021
Grand Prix Final542
Summer Universiade401
Goodwill Games111
Junior European Championships210
Total312018
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Atlanta All-around
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1994 Paris Ball
Gold medal – first place 1995 Vienna Ribbon
Gold medal – first place 1996 Budapest Ribbon
Gold medal – first place 1997 Berlin All-around
Gold medal – first place 1997 Berlin Rope
Gold medal – first place 1997 Berlin Clubs
Gold medal – first place 1997 Berlin Ribbon
Gold medal – first place 1999 Osaka Rope
Gold medal – first place 1999 Osaka Hoop
Silver medal – second place 1992 Brussels 3 ropes/3 balls
Silver medal – second place 1993 Alicante Ball
Silver medal – second place 1993 Alicante Team
Silver medal – second place 1994 Paris Ribbon
Silver medal – second place 1995 Vienna Rope
Silver medal – second place 1996 Budapest Clubs
Silver medal – second place 1997 Berlin Hoop
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Alicante Hoop
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Alicante Clubs
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Vienna Clubs
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Vienna Team
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Berlin Team
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Osaka Ribbon
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Osaka Team
European Championships
Gold medal – first place1994 ThessalonikiRope
Gold medal – first place1994 ThessalonikiHoop
Gold medal – first place1994 ThessalonikiRibbon
Gold medal – first place1994 ThessalonikiTeam
Gold medal – first place1996 AskerTeam
Gold medal – first place1997 PatrasAll-around
Gold medal – first place1997 PatrasHoop
Gold medal – first place1998 PortoClubs
Gold medal – first place1999 BudapestBall
Gold medal – first place1999 BudapestRibbon
Silver medal – second place1994 ThessalonikiAll-around
Silver medal – second place1996 AskerBall
Silver medal – second place1997 PatrasRibbon
Silver medal – second place1998 PortoTeam
Silver medal – second place1999 BudapestRope
Bronze medal – third place1992 Stuttgart3 Ropes + 3 Balls
Bronze medal – third place1996 AskerRope
Bronze medal – third place1996 AskerClubs
Bronze medal – third place1998 PortoRope
European Team Championships
Bronze medal – third place1997 ParisTeam
European Cup Final
Silver medal – second place1995 TelfordAll-around
Silver medal – second place1995 TelfordClubs
Bronze medal – third place1995 TelfordRibbon
Grand Prix Final
Gold medal – first place1995 DeventerRope
Gold medal – first place1995 DeventerClubs
Gold medal – first place1995 DeventerRibbon
Gold medal – first place1997 DeventerClubs
Gold medal – first place1999 KorneuburgRope
Silver medal – second place1994 ViennaAll-around
Silver medal – second place1995 DeventerAll-around
Silver medal – second place1997 DeventerRope
Silver medal – second place1998 LinzAll-around
Bronze medal – third place1997 DeventerRibbon
Bronze medal – third place1999 KorneuburgHoop
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1997 Sicily All-around
Gold medal – first place 1997 Sicily Ribbon
Gold medal – first place 1997 Sicily Hoop
Gold medal – first place 1997 Sicily Rope
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Sicily Clubs
Goodwill Games
Gold medal – first place 1998 New York Rope
Silver medal – second place 1998 New York All-around
Bronze medal – third place 1998 New York Hoop
Representing  Soviet Union
Junior European Championships
Gold medal – first place1991 LisbonTeam
Gold medal – first place1991 LisbonClubs
Silver medal – second place1991 LisbonBall
Event1st2nd3rd
Grand Prix402825
World Cup Series201
Total422826
AwardsLongines Prize for Elegance (1999)

Career

Olena Vitrychenko was introduced to the sport in 1980 when she was four years old by her mother, Nina, herself a former rhythmic gymnast. Her mother coached her at the Deryuguina School in Kiev.

Vitrychenko made her international debut in 1986. At the 1992 European Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, she won a bronze medal as a member of the Ukrainian group. At the 1994 World Championships in Paris, she placed third in the hoop event final behind teammate, Ekaterina Serebrianskaya, and the Belarusian Larissa Lukyanenko who were both tied for the gold (9.875); but an upgraded score (9.825 to 9.875) for then Bulgarian World champion Maria Petrova knocked Vitrichenko out of the bronze medal position into fourth.

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Vitrychenko seemed to be a contender for the gold medal, having placed first after preliminaries and second after the semi-finals. Despite a clean all-around performance in the final, she was given scores in the 9.8 range (the highest score received in the rope event was 9.866). She placed second behind teammate Ekaterina Serebrianskaya after the first rotation on the rope, but her ball routine score of 9.800 threw her out of the gold medal hunt, and she had to fight for the bronze with Russian rival Amina Zaripova. She was able to take the bronze medal[1] due to Zaripova's mishandling of the ribbon, stepping on it before her final toss. Vitrichenko would later say that she felt that she was robbed of the gold. In the following year she became both the World and the European All-Around champion.

Olena at 1999 European Championships

At the peak of a long and well-publicized feud with the head of the Ukrainian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, Vitrychenko was placed 19th at the 2000 European Championships in Zaragoza, Spain, and withdrew in protest.[2][3] After an official evaluation of videotapes determined that certain judges had clearly discriminated against Vitrichenko, the FIG sanctioned the following judges: Natalia Stepanova (Belarus), Gabriele Stummer (Austria), Galina Marjina (Latvia), Ursula Sohlenkamp (Germany), Natalia Lashtsinkaya (Russia), and Ukrainian Irina Diriugina.[4] Although Madame Abruzzini, the then-president of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee, wanted more severe punishment, such as life suspension, the judges were suspended for one year and excluded from a judging course in Rome. Their federations were forced to select other judges for the Sydney Olympics who met the requirements of FIG. The other 26 judges that were at Zaragoza received warnings and were not allowed to judge in Sydney.[5] It was the first time in the sport's history that severe inappropriate behavior was proven and penalized.

After the Europeans, Vitrychenko's own federation tried to deny her a spot on the Ukrainian Olympic team in 2000. She appealed to the International Olympic Committee who overturned the decision, and awarded her a spot on the team. She performed well at the Olympics, finishing in fourth place behind Alina Kabaeva.[6]

Vitrychenko retired from the sport after the 2000 Sydney Olympics, saying that the omnipresent judging politics would prevent her from achieving further success. She stated that she is not embittered by her controversial placings: "The most important thing that I have learned in elite sports is to experience other people's victories and to forgive people."[This quote needs a citation]. Over the course of her career, she won a total of nine World titles and ten European titles.

Vitrychenko coached rhythmic gymnastics in Spain for ten years. In March 2013, she began coaching at the Illinois Rhythmic Gymnastic Center.[7]

Olena Vitrychenko opened up her own club Vitrychenko Academy on the Chicago Northshore in November 2014. More information about her club can be found at www.vitrychenkoacademy.com

Routine music information

YearApparatusMusic title [8]
2000HoopToccata and Fugue in D Minor by Vanessa Mae
Rope (second)Bumble Bee Boogie by Robert Wells
Rope (first)Ty zh mene pidmanula by Vladimir Bustriakov (Ukrainian traditional)
BallApassionata by Secret Garden
RibbonPlaza of Execution / Stealing the Map music from The Mask of Zorro by James Horner
1999HoopSteppe by Rene Aubry
Rope (second)Ty zh mene pidmanula by Vladimir Bustriakov (Ukrainian traditional)
Rope (first)Plaza of Execution / Stealing the Map music from The Mask of Zorro by James Horner
BallApassionata by Secret Garden
Ribbon (second)Harlem Nocturne by Sam Taylor
Ribbon (first)Theme from Rainman by Hans Zimmer
1998HoopSaltimbanco music from Cirque du Soleil: Saltimbanco by Rene Dupere
ClubsBirimbau (from Mystère, Cirque du Soleil) by Rene Dupere
RopeSeisouso music from Quidam by Benoît Jutras
RibbonOne Man's Dream by Yanni
1997HoopSaltimbanco music from Cirque du Soleil: Saltimbanco by Rene Dupere
Clubs (second)Birimbau (from Mystère, Cirque du Soleil) by Rene Dupere
Clubs (first)Latino by Anatoly Vekshin
RopeThe Heat (from Birdy) by Peter Gabriel
RibbonOne Man's Dream by Yanni
1996Ball?
RopeSing, Sing, Sing by Benjamin Goodman
Clubs?
RibbonPink Panther, by Henry Mancini
1995BallEchano by Chuck Mangione
Rope (second)Sing, Sing, Sing by Benjamin Goodman
Rope (first)Toccata & Fugue in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach
Clubs?
Ribbon (second)Scene from The Carmen Ballet by Rodion Shchedrin/ Bizet
Ribbon (first)Boléro by Maurice Ravel
1994BallToccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach
RopeMarche en la by Ennio Morricone
ClubsEclipse (from Nouvelle Experience, Cirque du Soleil) by Rene Dupere
RibbonPeer Gynt Suite No.1: In The Hall Of The Mountain King music from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg
1993Ball (second)Marche en la by Ennio Morricone
Ball (first)Peer Gynt Suite No.1: In The Hall Of The Mountain King music from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg
Hoop?
ClubsRhapsody in Blue / Fascinating Rhythm by George Gershwin
Ribbon?

Detailed Olympic results

YearCompetition descriptionLocationMusicApparatusScore-FinalScore-Qualifying
2000OlympicsSydneyAll-around39.40839.399
Plaza of Execution / Stealing the Map music from The Mask of Zorro by James HornerRibbon9.8759.883
Sing, Sing, Sing by Benjamin GoodmanRope9.8259.850
Pink Dream by Anatoly VekshinBall9.8759.866
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Vanessa MaeHoop9.8839.800
YearCompetition descriptionLocationMusicApparatusScore-FinalScore-Qualifying
1996OlympicsAtlantaAll-around39.33139.266
unknown musicRibbon9.8169.866
Sing, Sing, Sing by Benjamin GoodmanRope9.8669.750
Pink Dream by Anatoly VekshinBall9.8009.900
unknown musicClubs9.8499.750

Honours

Orders

References