Yelena Produnova

Yelena Produnova
— Gymnast —
Full name	Yelena Sergeyevna Produnova
Alternative name(s)	Elena
Country represented	Russia 1995-2000
Born	(1980-02-15) February 15, 1980
Residence	Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior International Elite
Eponymous skills	Produnova (balance beam), Produnova (uneven bars) and Produnova (vault)
Retired	2000
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 1 1 World Championships 0 2 2 European Championships 1 1 1 European Team Championships 1 0 0 Summer Universiade 3 1 0 Representing  Russia Olympic Games 2000 Sydney Team 2000 Sydney Balance Beam World Championships 1997 Lausanne Team 1999 Tianjin Team 1997 Lausanne All-Around 1997 Lausanne Floor Exercise European Championships 2000 Paris Team 2000 Paris Floor Exercise 2000 Paris Uneven Bars European Team Championships 1999 Patras Team Summer Universiade 1999 Palma Team 1999 Palma Vault 1999 Palma Balance Beam 1999 Palma All-Around

Yelena Sergeyevna Produnova, also known as Elena, (Russian: Елена Серге́евна Продунова; born February 15, 1980) is a Russian former competitive gymnast. Her senior international career lasted from 1995 to 2000, and earned her multiple world and Olympic medals, though gold always eluded her. She is known for her innovative and powerful skills on the vault and floor exercise. The most difficult vault in women's gymnastics is named after her.^[1]

Personal life

Produnova was born on February 15, 1980. She lives in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast, Russia.

Gymnastics career

Produnova's favorite gymnasts are Elena Shushunova, Alexei Nemov and Svetlana Boginskaya.

1995–96

Produnova's first major senior competition was the 1995 World Championships in Sabae, Fukui, Japan where the Russians finished fourth. Inexperienced, she made little impact on the international scene. A heel injury hampered her chances of being chosen for the 1996 Summer Olympics, and she stayed at home.

1997

At the 1997 World Championships in Lausanne, the tumbles in Produnova's floor routine drew gasps of admiration, but she kept taking large steps back to control her last tumbling pass. Still, Russia took team silver behind Romania, and Produnova claimed a pair of bronzes in the all-around and floor exercise.

1998

In 1998, Produnova overcame an ankle injury. That year she also qualified 1st at the 1998 Russian Nationals and finished 5th in the all-around and 3rd on the vault. During the 1998 Cottbus event, Produnova finished 2nd on the vault, 1st on the balance beam, and 2nd on the floor. She was unable to compete at the European Championships because of her injury.

1999

At the 1999 University Games, Produnova won vault and beam titles, and also finished 2nd in the AA and first in the team competition. It was here that she debuted her handspring double front vault, since known as a Produnova. It is the highest rated vault according to the Code of Points and as of August 2016 only four other female gymnasts successfully performed this vault in competition – Dominican Yamilet Peña, Egyptian Fadwa Mahmoud, Oksana Chusovitina from Uzbekistan and Dipa Karmakar from India.

The 1999 World Championships in Tianjin, China, Produnova finished fourth in the vault, bars, floor and all-around finals. The overall champion was Maria Olaru. Russia once again finished second to Romania.

2000

The 2000 European Championships saw Russia, with the help of Produnova, beat Romania for gold for the first time ever. Produnova also took a bronze on beam, behind teammate Svetlana Khorkina, and a silver on floor behind Ludivine Furnon of France. These results and her victory in the Russian national championships gained Produnova a place on the team for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

In the preliminary round at the Olympics, the Russians were dominant. The quartet of Produnova, Khorkina, Yekaterina Lobaznyuk and world vault champion Elena Zamolodchikova all qualified for multiple finals. Though the Romanians were world champions, the Russians had beaten them earlier in the year.

Four of Russia's six gymnasts fell in the team final; only the two least known members of the team performed without major errors. Produnova sat down only one of two vaults and her score was dropped (at this time, teams could drop the lowest score on each apparatus therefore one fall was not too drastic). After her one error, she recorded the team's highest scores on beam and bars. The same principle applied to Khorkina's fall from bars since the score did not have to count towards the team title, the mistake did not have to cost them the gold. Both Zamolodchikova and Lobaznyuk fell on the beam, and it was not until Produnova's solid performance that the Russians showed a clean routine. The Russians were the top scoring team on floor, but it was not enough for the gold. Romania were victorious by a margin of only two tenths. Produnova and Khorkina both removed their silver medals as they walked off the podium.

Produnova had qualified for the all-around finals, where she was a legitimate medal threat. However, she had broken her foot during the Olympics and had to withdraw. Teammate Elena Zamolodchikova took her place. Two of the three Russians fell, and none managed to make the podium.

Produnova competed in both of the finals to which she had qualified, bars and beam. A mistake kept her out of the medals on bars. She hit her beam routine solidly and stuck her difficult double front dismount, winning a bronze medal, behind Liu Xuan of China and Lobaznyuk.

2004

Sydney was Produnova's last major competition. She retired at the age of 24.

Eponymous skills

Produnova is one of the few gymnasts to have skills on all four events named after her:

Floor music

Produnova's floor exercise music at the 2000 Summer Olympics is "The Ride" from James Horner's The Mask of Zorro soundtrack. "The Ride" is the third track of the soundtrack CD, before and after two songs with "Elena" in their names.

Competitive history

See also

• List of Olympic female gymnasts for Russia

References

External links

• Yelena Produnova at the International Federation of Gymnastics
• List of competitive results at Gymn Forum
• Fansite with photos
• Produnova(Vault animation)