| Natalia Kalinina | |
|---|---|
 Kalinina at the 1995 Universiade | |
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Full name |
Natalia Grigoriyevna Kalinina |
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Country represented |
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Former countr(ies) represented |
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Born |
December 16 1973 |
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Years on National Team |
1987-1996 |
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Club |
Dynamo Kherson |
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Coach(es) |
Oleg Ostapenko |
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Current status |
Retired |
Natalia Grigoriyevna Kalinina (Russian: Наталья Григорьевна Калинина, Ukrainian: Наталія Григорівна Калініна, born December 16 in Kherson) is a retired gymnast from the former Soviet Union. She was a member of the last Soviet team to win a World team gold medal, at the 1991 World Championships in Indianapolis, and was also European Champion on uneven bars in 1990. She trained at Dynamo Kherson alongside Tatiana Lysenko and Elena Abrashitova.
Career[]
Her international debut came in 1988 at the Junior Friendship Tournament (Druzhba), where she won team gold and placed fifth in the all-around. She went on to compete in a dual meet against East Germany, where she won gold with her team, in the all-around, on beam and floor, and silver on vault and bars.
In 1989, she won silver in the all-around at the Chunichi Cup, and went on to win silver on bars, place fifth on vault, and ninth in the all-around. At the Tokyo Cup, she won gold on uneven bars, and went on to compete at the USSR Cup, winning silver on bars and bronze in the all-around.
In 1990, she competed at the American Cup, winning silver in the all-around, and gold on vault, beam, and floor. At the European Championships, she tied for gold on uneven bars with compatriot Svetlana Boginskaya, won silver in the all-around and on beam, and placed fourth on vault. She was named to the Soviet team for the Goodwill Games in Seattle. She won gold with her team, in the all-around, on beam and floor (tied with Boginskaya), and silver on vault and bars. She went on to compete at a friendly meet against the USA, winning team gold and placing tenth in the all-around. She also won the USSR Championships, and went on to win bronze on bars, beam, and floor, and placed fifth in the all-around. She placed fifth in the all-around again at the Moscow World Stars and won vault.
In 1991, she won gold on balance beam and silver in the all-around at Moscow News. She also placed sixth at the USSR Championships and fourth at the USSR Spartakiade. She was named to the Soviet team for the World Championships, where the team won gold.
In 1992, Kalinina placed fifth in the all-around at the CIS Championships. She was not named to the Unified (former USSR) Olympic squad. She cites that politics would not allow four of the seven gymnasts to be culled from one republic (three Ukrainians were already on the roster). Kalinina attended college in Kiev, and competed at the World University Games in 1993 (winning two gold medals) and 1995.
Retirement[]
Upon graduation in '96, Kalinina moved to Moscow where she joined the circus. There, she met fellow performer Mikhail Tsitsilin. The two married and relocated to Tsitsilin's hometown of Voronezh, Russia, where the couple began coaching gymnastics.
In early 2000, Kalinina and Tsitsilin moved to the U.S. They currently coach at the Peninsula Gymnastics club in San Mateo, Calif. "I want to teach my gymnasts how to do all the elements properly and beautifully," Kalinina said.
Medal Count[]
| Year | Event | TF | AA | VT | UB | BB | FX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Druzhba | 1st | 5 | ||||
| GDR-USSR Dual Meet | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | |
| USSR Championships | 7 | ||||||
| 1989 | Chunichi Cup | 2nd | |||||
| DTB Cup | 9 | 5 | 2nd | ||||
| Tokyo Cup | 1st | ||||||
| USA vs. USSR | 1st | 12 | |||||
| USSR Cup | 3rd | 2nd | |||||
| 1990 | McDonald's American Cup | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||
| Athens European Championships | 2nd | 4 | 1st | 2nd | |||
| Seattle Goodwill Games | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | |
| International Mixed Pairs | 14 | ||||||
| USA vs. USSR | 1st | 10 | |||||
| USSR Championships | 2nd | ||||||
| USSR Cup | 5 | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | |||
| Moscow News | 5 | 1st | |||||
| 1991 | Blume Memorial | 6 | |||||
| World Stars | 2nd | 1st | |||||
| USSR Championships | 3rd | ||||||
| USSR Spartakiade | 4 | ||||||
| USSR-ITA Dual Meet | 1st | ||||||
| Indianapolis World Championships | 1st | ||||||
| 1992 | CIS Championships | 5 | |||||
| World Stars | 3rd | ||||||
| 1993 | Chunichi Cup | 4 | |||||
| Tokyo Cup | 6 | 7 | |||||
| Buffalo Summer Universiade | 1st | 6 | 1st | 1st | |||
| 1994 | Stockholm European Championships | 3rd | 8 | ||||
| Ukrainian Championships | 1st | ||||||
| 1995 | Fukuoka Summer Universiade | 4 | 3rd |