School of Olga Kapranova Petrovo Far. Sports Club "Olga Kapranova School"
A new figure appears. A young girl, flexible and graceful Olga Kapranova. She is among the best gymnasts in the world and stands alongside such celebrities as Alina Kabaeva, Yana Batyrshina and Evgenia Kanaeva. But Olga was related to rhythmic gymnastics by one unexpected meeting, which influenced the rest of her life. The biography of Olga Kapranova will be discussed in detail in the article.
Biography
Kapranova Olga Sergeevna was born in Moscow on December 6, 1987. Her dad is a simple worker. My mother, a chemist by training, quit her job after the birth of her second daughter and decided to start raising her daughters. Four years after birth, the search for Olya’s talent begins. At first, the mother decided that her daughter should definitely take up swimming. But at the very first competition, Olya swam last. She was not at all upset about this, and was even glad that now she would not have to enter the cold water of the pool.
The second step in finding talent was the choreographic studio. But after looking at her data, the choreographers didn’t even accept Olga. Then there was ballroom dancing. After several lessons, it became clear to my mother that this was not her daughter’s calling either. Piano lessons also did not interest the little girl. The teachers threw up their hands - the girl has no hearing. And only a chance meeting with Elena Nefedova determined Olga’s future fate. According to the gymnast’s stories, she, her mother and sister Katya were waiting for the bus, playing, performing various flips. Suddenly, they were approached by a young girl who invited them to her art studio. Initially, they wanted to take only sister Katya, but my mother insisted that both girls study.
So, at the age of 7, Olga began rhythmic gymnastics classes. In the first year of training it was difficult, the girl could not do some stretches, and was a little overweight. Mom supported her youngest daughter, helped her in doing physical exercises, put her in the splits, and soon Olya caught up with her older sister and other students in level. Katya would later become a two-time Russian champion and move on to coaching.
The beginning of big victories
2002 was marked by a change of coach. Elena Nefedova was replaced by Vera Shatalina. And, starting in 2003, Olga began to achieve great success in sports. She was included in the national team for the World Championships, which was held in Budapest. In team competitions, Kapralova becomes first. 2005 - first place at the World Championships in Baku. In the same year she won the title of absolute European champion.
2007, Patras - the gymnast again confirms her title of world champion. She becomes a favorite among Russian gymnasts.
Failures and departure from big sport
All Olga’s efforts come down to one thing - preparing for the Olympic Games in Beijing. Unfortunately, 2008 was a bad year for her. After qualifying, Kapranova was second, coaches and fans were already hoping for victory. But the performance with clubs ruined the chances of winning. And in the end, the gymnast took only 4th place. In one of the interviews, Olga admitted that she alone was to blame for this loss. I couldn't handle the clubs - and here's the result.
Having a hard time experiencing the defeat, the athlete decided to quit rhythmic gymnastics and leave the sport. Coach Irina Winner helped her cope with her difficult psychological condition; she persuaded the girl to wait and compete at the World Championships in 2009. Kapranova continued her performances. 2009 was an alternation of victories and defeats for the nine-time world champion. The performance in Maribor was victorious, here Olga won 3 gold medals, but in Japan the gymnast could not win bronze. All the gold ended up in Evgenia Kanaeva’s piggy bank. Kapranova became a ten-time world champion there, in Japan, taking first place in team performances. After this, the athlete leaves the arena of big sports.
However, Olga’s departure is not personal grievances or ambitions. Russians have always been the best among representatives of other countries in rhythmic gymnastics. In order to somehow remove this backlog, the assessment rules were changed. And now dance elements and choreography come first. The complexity of the performance is not assessed as before, but Olga performed exercises of high complexity. Currently, none of the athletes has reached the level that Kapranova had.
Olga Kapranova School
Kapranova could not leave her beloved rhythmic gymnastics forever. And in 2010, together with her sister Ekaterina, who was already working as a coach, Olga opened a school for training young athletes. Initially, training was conducted in one of the clubs in the Moscow region, but over time, the number of studios increased. Now you can study in Moscow, Khimki, Odintsovo, and the Leningrad region.
The coaches at the school are honored champions, famous gymnasts and talented teachers who find an individual approach to each child. Olga Kapranova’s school is really bearing fruit. More than once, her students have become winners of competitions at the Russian and international levels.
The main goal of studying at Olga Kapranova’s school
The goal of the school is to give the child faith in his own strengths, help him gain confidence, hope, and teach him to achieve success in life, and not only in sports. Unfortunately, parents often interfere with this. They, as a rule, want to see an Olympic champion in their child, not a personality. Kapranova's school helps solve these problems.
Currently, the school works not only with young athletes from 3 to 10 years old, but also invites adults who want to try themselves in rhythmic gymnastics to study. You can enroll in the school by simply calling or leaving an application on the website.
So Olga returned to her childhood. She combines work in the studio and the position of director at her native sports school. It was here that she began her professional career, and now she helps many children achieve their dreams.
Olga Kapranova: personal life
Olga devoted all her years to sports, and her personal life always remained in last place. In her youth, the girl fell in love many times, fans always surrounded her, but few people knew about the gymnast’s personal relationships. There are rumors that in 2006 Kapranova was not included in the national team because of her affair with a young man. Olga Kapranova got married? No, according to Olga, she has not yet met a person with whom she could be close. Many fans still love her, write, call and give gifts. But the girl sees her happiness in something else.
The meaning of Olga's life
After finishing her career, Olga Kapranov (rhythmic gymnastics) decided to devote herself to little students. On her pages on social networks you can see with what love she communicates with her students, inquires about their mood, the weather, tells the news, supports and gives advice. With genuine joy and pride, Olga Sergeevna informs everyone about the victories of her students.
All her personal time is scheduled minute by minute. In addition, Olga herself is still studying. She is a graduate student at the Russian State Social University, majoring in psychology.
Hobbies and leisure
Another weakness of Olga is pets, especially dogs. A griffon dog lives in her house. Olga asks her fans not to give her flowers and gifts, but to donate dog food, which she personally delivers to shelters.
Currently, Olga lives with her family in the city of Zvenigorod and does her favorite job. The athlete's main hobbies are reading classical literature, poetry, music, embroidery, and horse riding. In addition, the athlete cooks well for her family and friends.
Olga Kapranova is not only a great athlete, but also a person with an open and kind soul, a cheerful, easy-going and courageous character. Her willpower, skill and perseverance can be the envy of any great athlete.
Ten-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics Olga Kapranova, in a conversation with R-Sport correspondent Anna Manakova, shared her opinion on changes in the rules for the current Olympic cycle, told which gymnastics school she likes best and why the most carefree time is training time.
Coaching kids is like a drug
Olga, I would like to know more about your life after finishing your sports career. As far as I know, the President of the All-Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics and the head coach of the Russian national team said that you will start working as a coach at the Olympic Training Center?
I finished my career in 2009. My sister Ekaterina worked for a very long time as a trainer in the training center for Irina Alexandrovna. And this is great, because I could learn a lot from the most experienced Olimpiyka coaches. And when I graduated, my sister and I opened a sports club, it’s called Olga Kapranova’s school. Now we have about 150 children training. In addition, for almost two years now I have been working as the director of the Olympic Reserve Sports School No. 74 of Moskomsport, where almost 500 gymnasts are seriously preparing to conquer the heights of sports.
- What age children do you train with?
In the sports school of the Olympic reserve, starting from the age of six and until they show results. These can be gymnasts over 18 years of age. The sports club has existed for four years, and so far the oldest children were born in 1999.
- You also work as a chief judge at many competitions. What are your responsibilities?
This is very responsible. Mainly - resolving controversial situations in refereeing. In principle, there is no bias, especially at children's competitions. But judges do not always evaluate gymnasts in accordance with the rules: some know the rules worse, others know them better - this is often the problem.
- What is more interesting for you: coaching or the work of the head referee?
I love gymnastics and it’s hard for me to give up one of these classes. I don't remember the last time I had a day off, but I love it. It's very interesting to judge. There are more qualified judges from whom you can learn a lot. I observe how they act in some controversial and difficult moments. The coaching profession is also interesting. They say that people who work with children look younger. This is true! Children do not always show the results they want. But when you come to training and see how happy they are, it’s amazing. I can't get rid of it - it's like a drug. I love children, I love coaching them, and I think they love me too.
- Do they call you affectionately or is everything strict?
Olga Sergeevna (smiles). Subordination must be maintained.
The sooner you start, the sooner you finish
- When you retired in 2009, there were already changes to the rules for the new Olympic cycle. After the 2012 London Olympics, the rules changed even more...
Yes, they change every four years after the Olympics. Unfortunately, the latest changes, in my opinion, are killing the sports component of our sport. There are different opinions: some praise them very much, others don’t. But as for me, I don’t like these rules at all.
- I just haven’t heard a single positive review about the rules for the current Olympic cycle...
Everyone praises them so much now (smiles in surprise). I don't like the new rules because we have sports, not dancing. Innovations strive to make gymnastics more attractive to spectators. We do not have a team sport, so a priori we will not assemble stadiums like those for football, and we don’t need it! We have beautiful girls perform and do complex elements. And now we need to include many dance tracks in the program. In my time there was still normal gymnastics and in the times of ( , ( , (Laysan) Utyasheva, ( . In March, Batyrshina held a tournament, there was a screen on which performances were broadcast. And what Yana Batyrshina did in 1996 is not now one girl can't do it. Then there were complex elements, not like now - you need to go out, dance, take three risks, - and everything is great. In all of Europe and America, everyone was equal, and that's why I love watching what I did, Alina Kabaeva , Irina Chashchina This is interesting to watch - it was gymnastics as a sport.
- It turns out that the new rules have simplified rhythmic gymnastics, making all performances similar?
During those gymnastics days, everyone did different elements. Those who knew how to bend well scored high points with flexibility elements. Those who knew how to jump well jumped. But now there is no such thing. Everyone must do the same thing to score 10 points for difficulty and 10 points for execution. And if you can do these specific elements, it means you will score 10 points. And if you do something else, you simply won’t get them. We have been making turns in the back turn all our lives - this is a complex, beautiful and sporty element. Now this element costs, in my opinion, 0.4 points, and the dance track 0.3 points. Making a back tourlane is much more difficult than dancing, but why do it? You can dance twice and get 0.6 points. That's the point.
- There is an opinion that now girls are accepted into rhythmic gymnastics based on anthropometric data...
Of course, we love children with data and texture. But Zhenya Kanaeva is far from tall and does not have long legs. But she worked fantastically on the mat and became the first gymnast to win two Olympics. Any girl can become a champion, regardless of her natural abilities. We are not gods and cannot tell a five-year-old child: “You have no data and you will never become a gymnast.” Now it’s very early gymnastics. I joined gymnastics at the age of 7 with my older sister. And, my first coach Elena Yuryevna Nefedova immediately saw something in Katya and started working with us, and already at the age of 15, Irina Aleksandrovna Viner and I and my coach Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina went to the World Championships. And now children are brought to the gym literally from the age of two, and already at 5-6 they take objects - this is early. We are racing somewhere, there are always competitions for such young children. And at the age of 13, such a child will say: “Mommy, I’m tired of training.” Naturally, the sooner you start, the sooner you finish.
Maybe this is, to some extent, a plus; she will finish sports earlier and the girl will have time to choose a future profession?
Basically, it’s never too late to learn (smiles). It depends on the person and life priorities. For example, Almudena Sid Tostado ended her career as a gymnast at the age of 27, having competed at four Olympics: she got married, she has children, and I am sure that she has an education. Everything is good in life. She managed everything. I graduated at 22, I have two degrees. You can do everything. The main thing is to want it.
- Of the last long-lived gymnasts, we can only remember the Bulgarian Silvia Miteva, who retired last season at the age of 27...
I didn't know. I remember that she performed when I was a gymnast. But I can say that it is difficult to work for results. Almudena is a good gymnast, the whole world knows her, but she was probably always in the top ten. But if a girl takes first place, then naturally it’s difficult to hold on until she’s 27 years old.
- In the Russian team, this option is probably not possible at all?
There is huge competition in the Russian team and this is also good.
Ukrainians shoot and immediately end their careers
Kudryavtseva is a very strong girl. She does a very good job of the subject, really interesting. Nobody does this now. She is young, thin, beautiful - she is pleasant to look at and she is only 16 years old. And at the age of 15 she became the youngest absolute world champion! I'm very happy for her because she didn't get confused. In our team, Irina Aleksandrovna Viner-Usmanova manages everything, and as long as she keeps it all in check, we will always have gold.
- And who would be singled out among the world’s gymnasts? Maybe someone from a Ukrainian or Belarusian school?
No, I always liked Russians. I like some Ukrainian women, but for some reason they shoot at competitions and immediately finish. I don't understand why they don't hold on. The last girl they had some kind of cycle was Anna Bessonova. And now I’m just thinking “what a great gymnast, I should watch her at the competition,” when she’s already finishing. It is very difficult to stay in first place. As they say, it is easier to rise than to hold on. Only Zhenya Kanaeva and Alina Kabaeva held on for more than one year - this is not just winning competitions. And, of course, when a gymnast loses something after a peak or realizes that she is no longer competitive, it is better to finish.
- The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were unsuccessful for you, but you didn’t immediately end your career?
I performed poorly at the Olympics and wanted to finish. But Irina Aleksandrovna said that finishing this is the easiest thing and we should try to at least win something else. And I can always leave. And I won, albeit in the team competition, at the World Championships in Japan. But she still left after the gold medal.
The fact that you only won the team event at the World Championships - was that still a negative note at the end of your career or a positive one?
There was no negative or positive note here. There was the Olympics, which usually happens once in a lifetime for an athlete. And in principle, the negative remained: the Olympics are for life, and there is no second chance. But winning a tenth anniversary medal at the World Championships is never a bad thing either. Again, you need to overcome yourself first. It was very difficult to stay: to recover again, lose weight, work out the program, learn it and perform.
After finishing your career, was there a desire to be away from rhythmic gymnastics and not have anything to do with it?
I wanted to. And now sometimes I want to. And I’m sure that I won’t be upset at all, and it will be interesting for me to do something else (smiles). But this happens to everyone. Fleeting, of course. You can’t be such a crazy fan.
Current gymnasts are closed from the press. Is this some kind of special restriction to keep female athletes strict?
When we work out, we don’t think about the press, we don’t think about anything material. Girls live for gymnastics. For a minute and a half on set you live it - and this is probably the most wonderful time. When I was still training in Novogorsk, it was terribly difficult for us in training. Yulia Barsukova came into the hall and said: “Girls, this is your happiest time.” I thought: “Yes, God forbid at all!” (laughs). And now I understand that this is actually true. Because there are no worries there. There is everything: doctors, psychologists, excellent food, sauna, swimming pool, massages. We don't have to worry about anything. And we only worry about the object - ribbons, balls. And we live by it. I cannot say whether they are limiting or not. Athletes just don’t need it. A true athlete lives by medals, performances and spectators, fans.
- So fans want to know more about their favorites...
The people demand bread and circuses! Viewers always want scandals (laughs).
- So it’s good that they try to isolate gymnasts from the press and don’t interfere with their training?
There must still be discipline. This is also a high success rate!
But maybe this also affects interest in the sport? Less information - does interest fade if it is shown less often on television?
Considering the insane number of people who want to do rhythmic gymnastics, it is now a very popular sport. I don’t understand why they show some kind of horror on TV. Dozens of similar talk shows on federal channels. But they don’t show gymnastics (laughs). Maybe not spectacular. Although for us it is very spectacular. But we should ask TV producers why our sport is not on air. They work for ratings there.
Few Russian gymnasts can boast of a world champion title, and Olga Sergeevna Kapranova has won world competitions ten times. Since childhood, she went to different clubs, but a chance meeting led her to a rhythmic gymnastics studio. Now the gymnast is an Honored Master of Sports, a Judge of the international category, Olga Kapranova’s gymnastics school, where the athlete works as the head coach, trains a new generation of gymnasts.
Childhood
Olga’s hometown is Moscow, where she was born on December 6, 1987. Dad Sergei Kapranov earned money by physical labor, mother was a chemist by training. Mom was closely involved in the development of her two daughters (elder sister Ekaterina). Olya was involved in swimming, but she was unable to win competitions. The girl was not accepted into the choreographic studio because the teachers did not like the girl’s physical characteristics. Ballroom dancing, music lessons - everything started with enthusiasm, but the passion quickly passed.
One day, two sisters, Olga and Ekaterina, were waiting with their mother for a bus at the bus stop. There was no transport, and the girls got carried away with various acrobatic exercises. A random passer-by, a young girl, noticed the young talents and suggested that her older sister, Katya, take up rhythmic gymnastics. It turned out to be Lena Nefedova, a gymnast and sports coach. Here again Olga was unlucky; she, the future champion, was simply ignored. But my mother set a condition: if the eldest daughter studies, then the youngest daughter should also attend a sports studio.
People start going to rhythmic gymnastics at four and even three years old. Olga’s seven-year age is generally considered unlucky for starting classes, since childhood plasticity is lost; sometimes coaches don’t even want to talk about starting a sports career at such a late age for gymnastics. Olga had a hard time - she was not thin, her stretch marks were not ideal. Ekaterina, who was more prepared thanks to better physical characteristics, did much better.
Her mother came to the aid of her youngest daughter - she helped do the splits, stretched the little athlete and soon surpassed her sister Katya in technique, who would also achieve considerable success - she would be a twice Russian champion and would work as a coach together with her younger sister.
Victory
In 2000, Irina Viner invited Olya to the Olympic training center. In 2002, Elena Nefedova passed the coaching baton to Vera Shatalina. The girl had a series of successes. She is part of the Russian team going to the world championship, which took place in 2003 in the capital of Hungary, Budapest, where she takes first place in the team.
In 2003, there were three stages of the World Cup - Baku (two bronze medals), Tashkent (three gold, one silver and one bronze medal) and Moscow (three bronze).
In 2005, Olya became the world champion in almost all disciplines at competitions that took place in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. At the Moscow European Championships she won one gold and two silver medals. Then there were two stages of the World Cup - Tashkent (one gold, one silver medal) and in Corbeil-Eson (bronze for the ribbon).
In 2006 there were also serious successes - a silver medal at the World Cup finals in the Japanese city of Mie, as well as two golds and two silvers - for participation in the O. Kostina memorial.
In 2007, the athlete received one gold, silver and bronze medal at the European Championships in Baku. Then there were the stages of the World Championship - the Greek Patras (three gold, silver, bronze), in Kiev (gold, silver, bronze), in Ljubljana (silver and two bronze), the Portimao stage (Portugal) brought a gold medal for hoop. Thanks to this set of victories, Olga is considered the best among Russian rhythmic gymnasts, and she is being prepared for the Beijing Olympics.
After the Olympics
The sports year began with the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The games themselves were encouraging - Olga was considered the first in the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team, and was second in qualifying for the games. But these competitions are too competitive and unpredictable, since the athletes are ready to fight with all their might for victory. Unfortunately, there was no prize-winning place; Olga Kapranova was only fourth in the individual all-around. The fall behind third place was caused by failure in the most difficult discipline - exercises with clubs, where the gymnast must be a real juggler.
The athlete was so upset by the actual defeat in Beijing that she wanted to leave the sport. However, the coach of the Russian national team saw great potential in the athlete, considering Beijing an accident, which convinced her to continue performing, and gymnast Olga Kapranova was in the sport for almost another two years. Olga’s physical data in 2008 was height – 177 centimeters, weight – 57 kilograms.
In 2008 there were many successes - bronze at the Turin European Championship, many medals were brought by the Kiev, Maribor, Minsk, Portimao, Benidorm stages of the World Cup, and received a silver medal at the O. Kostina Memorial in Irkutsk.
The main event of 2009, the World Championships in the Japanese city of Ise (Mie Prefecture), was controversial - the individual disciplines went without awards, but she won gold in the team championship. The Baku European Championship also brought a gold medal. The World Cup stages took place in St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Maribor, Minsk, where there were prizes.
But it was felt that younger gymnasts were stepping on their heels, preventing them from reaching the highest steps of the podium. Only the World Cup stage in Maribor brought three gold medals; the main competitor, the new star Evgenia Kanaeva, did not come there. But still, there were a lot of medals, in 2009 the gymnast received about ten prizes, and the tenth World Champion medal.
In 2009, the gymnast stopped competing, but became a coach, first at training camps, then at her own sports school, where she works and runs together with her sister Ekaterina.
Work and personal life
Olga Kapranova's school first carried out its work in a sports club near Moscow. But two sisters, Olga Kapranova and Ekaterina Kapranova, were too successful and famous, and rhythmic gymnastics is too popular a sport, there is a great demand for it, so Moscow, Khimki, Odintsovo and Leningrad branches of the school were opened.
This is not just a private club, but professional studios where the trainers are athletes, choreographers, and teachers with significant experience and impressive success stories. Among the students there are already examples of champions of all-Russian and international scales. Children from three to ten years old are accepted, but there are also classes for adults who want to improve their skills and improve their physical abilities.
Personal life - Olga Kapranova, has not yet settled her family, she devotes all her energy to her young pupils, spends a lot of time managing her sports studios, and also takes part in training herself. She is also a graduate student majoring in psychology. He owns a Griffon dog, in general loves dogs very much, visits dog shelters, which he helps financially.
Lives in Zvenigorod, reads classics, embroiders, loves listening to music, riding horses, and cooking delicious food for his family. She devoted her childhood and youth to sports, now she wants to live a full and varied life, and she is doing this very well. Olga Kapranova has her own Instagram page, a VKontakte page and a VKontakte group dedicated to a sports club.
We invite children 4-8 years old to practice rhythmic gymnastics at our sports club “Olga Kapranova’s School” at the “PRESIDENT SCHOOL”.
Classes are conducted by a trainer:
Yusupova Elvira Nikolaevna– Master of Sports in rhythmic gymnastics. Education: 2009-2013 - Uzbek State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports. Trainer of the 1st category. From 2007 to 2014, she worked as a coach at the RSDYUSSHOR Academy (Republican Specialized Children and Youth Sports School of Olympic Reserve) in rhythmic gymnastics of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Elvira Nikolaevna’s pupil joined the Uzbekistan youth rhythmic gymnastics team. The Olga Kapranova School has been working at the Sports Club since 2014.
Trainings are held according to the schedule:
Tuesday, Thursday from 16:00 to 18:00
Cost of training per month:
15,000 rubles.
About rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics for children- the most suitable sport for the physical and aesthetic development of girls. Gymnastics fosters emotional sensitivity to music and its direct embodiment in movement.
The development of flexibility, coordination, musicality, along with the development of strength and endurance, the formation of a beautiful figure - all this makes rhythmic gymnastics for children very attractive when choosing a sport.
But not all kids can withstand the stress and demands of specialized sports schools, because rhythmic gymnastics is first and foremost a sport. But you can also practice gymnastics in a club, where adequate workload and a friendly attitude from the trainer will help your child fall in love with sports, learn to move beautifully, and receive emotional joy.
We invite children from 4 to 6 years of age to join our rhythmic gymnastics group. Rhythmic gymnastics classes in our sports club include mastering simple gymnastic elements (“bridge”, “splits”, “shoulder stand”, etc.). Exercises with objects (with a jump rope, a hoop and a ball), outdoor games add interest to the kids' activities.
In classes in the middle group of rhythmic gymnastics for children (6–8 years old), the main focus is on developing flexibility and coordination; the main equipment used is a hoop and a jump rope. Also, girls begin to create an exercise without an object with musical accompaniment, with which they will perform in competitions in the future. Classes include elements of choreography and acrobatics.
