Irina Derugina Honored Master of Sports in Rhythmic Gymnastics Date of Birth: 11.01.1958 Country: Ukraine

1. Early Life and Gymnastics Career
2. International Success
3. Coaching Legacy
4. Scandal and Disqualification
5. International Recognition
6. Personal Life

Early Life and Gymnastics Career

Irina Ivanovna Deriugina was born into a family of renowned athletes. Her father, Ivan Konstantinovich Deriugin, was an Olympic champion in pentathlon, and her mother, Albina Nikolaevna Deriugina, was a renowned rhythmic gymnastics coach. Irina began her gymnastics journey at the age of 10 when she enrolled in the National Higher Ballet School. In 1976, she entered the Kyiv State Institute of Physical Culture, where she pursued her studies alongside her gymnastics training.

International Success

Deriugina became a member of the USSR national rhythmic gymnastics team in 1972 and continued to compete until her retirement in 1982. During her illustrious career, she achieved remarkable success at major competitions. She became the first Soviet gymnast to win two individual all-around World Championships in 1977 and 1979. She also claimed multiple European Championships and was a four-time InterVision Cup champion.

Coaching Legacy

Following her retirement from competitive gymnastics, Deriugina joined forces with her mother as coaches of the Ukrainian national rhythmic gymnastics team. Their legendary duo nurtured and trained an impressive array of talented gymnasts, including Alexandra Timoshenko, Oksana Skaldina, Ekaterina Serebryanskaya, and Anna Bessonova. Under their guidance, Ukraine became a dominant force in rhythmic gymnastics, capturing numerous Olympic, World, and European titles.

Scandal and Disqualification

In 2000, Deriugina became embroiled in a judging scandal at the European Championships in Zaragoza, Spain. She was found guilty of biased scoring and was disqualified for one year along with several other judges. In April 2008, she was again disqualified, this time for eight years, for allegedly bribing and influencing judges. Deriugina had the right to appeal this decision within 21 days.

International Recognition

Despite the controversy, Deriugina's contributions to rhythmic gymnastics have been widely recognized. She is an International Judge and a member of the FIG Technical Committee. She is also the founder and organizer of the annual "Deriugina Cup" international rhythmic gymnastics competition in Kyiv.

Personal Life

Irina Deriugina was briefly married to legendary footballer Oleg Blokhin. They had a daughter, also named Irina.