| Elena Sazonenkova | |
|---|---|
 Sazonenkova at the 1989 USA vs. USSR Meet | |
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Country represented |
|
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Born |
October 22, 1973 (age 49) |
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Years on National Team |
1986-1991 |
|
Club |
Profsoyuz |
|
Coach(es) |
Yuri Korozev |
|
Current status |
Retired |
Elena Sazonenkova (Russian: Елена Сазоненкова, born in Riga) is a retired Soviet gymnast. She began gymnastics at age 6 and trained at Profsoyuz under coach Yuri Korozev.
Career[]
One of her first big-time competitions was the 1985 Riga International, placing eleventh in the all-around. Competing as a reserve, she scored 35.625 (8.925 V, 9.40 UB, 8.0 B, and 9.3 FX) -- not bad for an 11 year old! In 1987, she placed nineteenth in the all-around at the USSR Cup.
In 1988, she competed at a dual meet against West Germany, winning team gold and all-around silver medals. At that year's USSR Championships, she placed fifth on beam, sixth on floor, seventh in the all-around, and eighth on vault. At the USSR Cup, she placed twelfth in the all-around. She did not make the Soviet team for the 1988 Olympics, but continued to compete.
In 1989, she competed at a dual meet against the USA, again winning team gold and all-around silver medals. At the USSR Championships, she won bronze on floor and placed fifth on beam, and eighth in the all-around and on uneven bars. She went on to win silver in the all-around at the USSR Cup. She was added to the Soviet team for the World Championships, where she helped them win the team gold, and placed sixth individually on balance beam.
At the 1990 Centenary Cup, she won silver in the all-around, then went on to win the USSR Championships. At the USSR Cup, she won silver on bars, bronze in the all-around, and placed seventh on vault. In 1991, she competed at the Champions All, winning the all-around gold medal. At the University Games, she won gold in the all-around, silver on floor, and bronze with her team. She placed twentieth at her last USSR Championships and retired shortly afterwards.
Medal Count[]
| Year | Event | TF | AA | VT | UB | BB | FX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Riga International | 11 | |||||
| 1987 | USSR Cup | 19 | |||||
| 1988 | FRG-USSR Dual Meet | 1st | 2nd | ||||
| USSR Championships | 2nd | 7 | |||||
| USSR Cup | 12 | ||||||
| 1989 | USA vs. USSR | 1st | 2nd | ||||
| USSR Championships | 8 | ||||||
| USSR Cup | 2nd | ||||||
| Stuttgart World Championships | 1st | 6 | |||||
| 1990 | Centenary Cup | 2nd | |||||
| USSR Championships | 1st | ||||||
| USSR Cup | 3rd | 7 | 2nd | ||||
| 1991 | Champions All | 1st | |||||
| Sheffield Summer Universiade | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | ||||
| USSR Championships | 20 |