Uliana Donskova

Uliana Donskova
Donskova at the 2012 RG New Year's master class
Personal information
Full name	Uliana Vyacheslavovna Donskova
Alternative name(s)	Juliana Donskova
Country represented	Russia
Born	(1992-08-24) 24 August 1992 Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Oblast, Russia
Discipline	Rhythmic gymnastics
Level	Senior elite
Gym	Novogorsk
Head coach(es)	Irina Viner
Retired	2012
Medal record Group rhythmic gymnastics Representing Russia Olympic Games 2012 London Group All-around World Championships 2009 Mie 5 Hoops 2010 Moscow 3 Ribbons/ 2 Ropes 2010 Moscow 5 Balls 2011 Montpellier 5 Balls 2011 Montpellier Group All-around 2009 Mie Group All-around 2009 Mie 3 Ribbons/ 2 Ropes 2010 Moscow Group All-around European Championships 2010 Bremen Group All-around 2010 Bremen 5 hoops 2010 Bremen 3 Ribbons/ 2 Ropes 2012 N.Novgorod Group All-around 2012 N.Novgorod 5 Balls Junior European Championships 2007 Baku 10 Clubs World Cup Final 2012 Minsk Group All-around 2012 Minsk 5 Balls 2012 Minsk 3 Ribbons/ 2 Hoops

Uliana Vyacheslavovna Donskova (Russian: Ульяна Вячеславовна Донскова; born 24 August 1992) is a Russian group rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2012 Olympics Group All-around champion, the 2011 World Group All-around silver medalist, the 2010 World Group All-around bronze medalist, the 2012 European Group All-around gold medalist and the 2010 European Group All-around gold medalist.

Career

Donskova (right) at the 3 Ribbons +
2 Hoops final in 2012 Summer Olympics

Donskova started training in gymnastics when she was five years old. She started competing with the Russian Group in 2007. They won gold medal in 10 Clubs Final at the 2007 European Championships in Baku. She competed in her first World Championship on August 12, 2009 in Japan, in Mie. There she together with the other Russian group received a gold medal and two bronze medals. She was again part of the Russian Group at the European Championships in Bremen and at the 2010 and 2011 World Championships.

She won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the group all-around event together with other group members (Ksenia Dudkina, Anastasia Bliznyuk, Alina Makarenko, Anastasia Nazarenko, Karolina Sevastyanova). Donskova admitted the group believed they would win gold in London "It was a long time with hard work. We believed in our victory, but we didn't allow ourselves to relax. We didn't think about the medal".

It was Russia's 4th consecutive win in the Group since the 2000 Summer Olympics. Donskova said: "We had no idea that we were going for four in a row." When asked to explain the secret of Russia's success in rhythmic gymnastics, she added: "We're born as rhythmic gymnasts." For six months leading up to the Olympic Games, the Russian gymnasts ate only buckwheat. Donskova retired from rhythmic gymnastics after the 2012 Olympics.

Personal life

Donskova is a student at the Lesgaft National State University of Physical Culture, Sport & Health in Saint Petersburg, Russia. On June 25, 2014, Donskova married former CSKA Moskva Ice Hockey player Ruben Begunts. The couple had their first child in August 2015.

Detailed Olympic results

(L-R) Ksenia Dudkina, Alina Makarenko, Anastasia Nazarenko, Uliana Donskova and Anastasia Bliznyuk in 5 Balls final at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Year	Competition Description	Location	Music	Apparatus	Rank	Score-Final	Rank	Score-Qualifying
2012	Olympics	London		All-around	1st	57.000	1st	56.375
			Giselle by Adolphe Adams	5 Balls	1st	28.700	1st	28.375
			( Knock on Wood / Tough Lover / At Last / Oye ) by Safri Duo / Christina Aguilera / Kenny G / Gloria Estefan	3 Ribbons / 2 Hoops	1st	28.300	1st	28.000

External links

• Uliana Donskova at the International Gymnastics Federation
• Uliana Donskova at Olympedia
• Uliana Donskova at Olympics.com
• Uliana Donskova on Instagram