Galima Shugurova

Galima Shugurova
— Gymnast —
Galima Shugurova in 1973
Personal information
Full name	Galima Akhmetkareevna Shugurova
Alternative name(s)	Galina Shugurova
Country represented	Soviet Union
Born	8 November 1953 Omsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Discipline	Rhythmic gymnastics
Head coach(es)	Maria Lisitzian
Eponymous skills	The Shugurova - tipping / spinning a rolling hoop with the feet during a leap
Medal record Competitor for  Soviet Union World Championships 1969 Varna Rope 1969 Varna Ball 1973 Rotterdam All-around 1973 Rotterdam Ball 1973 Rotterdam Clubs 1973 Rotterdam Ribbon 1977 Basel Rope 1977 Basel Hoop 1977 Basel Ball 1969 Varna All-around 1971 Havana Ball 1977 Basel All-around 1971 Havana Ribbon European Championships 1978 Madrid All-around 1978 Madrid Rope 1978 Madrid Ribbon 1978 Madrid Ball

Galima Akhmetkareevna Shugurova (Russian: Галима Ахметкареевна Шугурова; Tatar: Ğalima Əxmətgərəy qızı Şөgurova, Галима Әхмәтгәрәй кызы Шөгурова; born 8 November 1953) is a retired rhythmic gymnast who competed for the Soviet Union. She is the 1973 World All-around champion and two time (1969, 1977) World All-around silver medalist. She is the first All-around winner of the European Championships.

Personal life

Shugurova was born to a Tatar family in the city of Omsk, in western Siberia. She studied history at the Omsk Pedagogical Institute. Shugurova graduated from the Omsk Institute of Physical Training in 1975.

Career

Shugurova was introduced to rhythmic gymnastics when she was eight years old. Initially, she was more attracted to figure skating and choreography classes.

Shugurova debuted on the world stage as a 14-year-old in Varna, Bulgaria at the 1969 World Championships, winning gold medals in rope and ball. At 15, she made her first appearance at the USSR championships, placing second in the all-around. The following year she won a bronze medal in the USSR Cup competition and was also successful in international competitions in the former Yugoslavia, where the journalists voted her the "most engaging" gymnast.

At the 1973 World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Shurugova shared the world crown in the all-around with Bulgarian Maria Gigova. She also won gold medals in ribbon, ball and clubs. Both of the ribbon routines at this Championship were to the same music – a piece from Georges Bizet's ballet "Carmen".

Shurugova is considered as one of the great gymnasts that revolutionized the sport of rhythmic gymnastics in the Soviet Union. She was the third Soviet rhythmic gymnast to become world all-around champion—after Ludmila Savinkova (1963) and Elena Karpuchina (1967)—and the first ever European all-around champion in 1978.

Influence

Shugurova help created a new rhythmic gymnastics element called the "Shugurova" which consists of tipping or spinning a rolling hoop with the feet during a leap.^[1]

Achievements

• The youngest gymnast to win a gold medal in World Championships at 14 years of age ( rope and ball ) at the 1969 World Championships, that record cannot be undone as the new age rule for senior gymnasts must turn at least 15 years of age.
• First ever winner of the European Championships in 1978.

References

1. RG named elements

External links

• Galima Shugurova at Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique
• Image from Ukraine RG