| Challen Sievers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Challen Kelly Sievers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented |  United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 19 April 1979 Downers Grove, United States of America | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Rhythmic Gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Level | International Elite | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years on national team | 1994–1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | Rossitza Todorova | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Challen Kelly Sievers (born 19 April 1979) is a retired American rhythmic gymnast. She was part of the national senior group. [1]
Challen began individual rhythmic gymnastics in 1987 and was a junior national champion in individual competition. [2] She was on the US national rhythmic gymnastics team from 1994 to 1996, being part of the national senior group along Kate Nelson, Lori Fredreickson, Aliane Baquerot, Ginny Ledgerwood, Becky Turner, Brandi Siegel and Mandy James. [3] They all lived together in suburban Chicago largely due to her father, Ron, whose construction firm renovated the house where the gymnasts lived and converted a former racquetball complex into the gym where they trained. [4] They won silver at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, and placed second in the group at the 1995 Four Continents Championships. [5]
In the summer of 1996 Mandy, Aliane Baquerot, Kate Nelson, Becky Turner, Brandi Siegel and Mandy James were selected to compete at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, the first edition to feature the group competition. [6] They finished in 9th place and so did not advance to the final. [7] After the Games her father bought the Olympic carpets that were competed on in Atlanta.
Lilia Oleksandrivna Podkopayeva is a Ukrainian former artistic gymnast. She is the 1995 world all-around champion, and the 1996 Olympic all-around and floor exercise champion. Often thought of as a complete athlete, Podkopayeva was known for combining power, style, and balletic grace.
Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and rope. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coordinated. Rhythmic gymnastics is governed by the International Gymnastics Federation (FiG), which first recognized it as a sport in 1963. It became an Olympic sport in 1984, with an individual all-around event. The group all-around competition was added to the Olympics in 1996. At the international level, rhythmic gymnastics is a women-only sport. The most prestigious competitions, besides the Olympic Games, are the World Championships, World Games, European Championships, European Games, the World Cup Series and the Grand Prix Series. Gymnasts are judged on their artistry, execution of skills, and difficulty of skills, for which they gain points. They perform leaps, balances, and rotations along with handling the apparatus.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics, two different gymnastics disciplines were contested: artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics. The artistic gymnastics events were held at the Georgia Dome from July 20–25 and July 28–29. The rhythmic gymnastics events were held at Stegeman Coliseum in nearby Athens, on the campus of the University of Georgia from August 1–4.
Blaine Carew Wilson is a retired American gymnast. He is a five-time U.S. national champion (1996-2000), a three-time Olympian, and an Olympic silver medalist in the team competition at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Olena Ihorivna Vitrychenko, also known as Elena Vitrichenko, is an Individual Ukrainian Rhythmic Gymnast. She is the 1996 Olympics bronze medalist, the 1997 World All-around champion and 1997 European All-around champion.
The Tour of Gymnastics Superstars was a 2008 nationwide concert tour featuring 17 American gymnasts plus recording artists Jordan Pruitt, Carly Patterson, and KSM. The tour visited 34 cities in more than 20 U.S. states.
Tania Lamarca Celada is a former Spanish rhythmic gymnast and Olympic medallist. She won a gold medal with the Spanish group at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The team was formed by Tania, Estela Giménez, Marta Baldó, Nuria Cabanillas, Lorena Guréndez and Estíbaliz Martínez. Also she was two times world champion in 3 balls/2 ribbons.
Marta Baldó Marín is a Spanish rhythmic gymnast and Olympic Champion. She won a gold medal with the Spanish group at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The team was formed by Marta, Estela Giménez, Nuria Cabanillas, Lorena Guréndez, Estíbaliz Martínez and Tania Lamarca. She has also won bronze, silver and gold metals at the rhythmic gymnastics World Championships, and silver and bronze metals at the European championships.
Nuria Cabanillas Provencio is a Spanish rhythmic gymnast and Olympic Champion. She won a gold medal with the Spanish group at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The team was formed by Nuria, Estela Giménez, Marta Baldó, Lorena Guréndez, Estíbaliz Martínez and Tania Lamarca. Also she was three times world champion: two in 3 balls/2 ribbons and one in 3 ribbons/2 hoops. Nuria Cabanillas Provencio retired in 1999.
Diane Simpson is an American athlete, an Olympian and an eight-time Rhythmic gymnastics national team member, and was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Class of 2004. She is a media marketing communications consultant and project manager who writes, produces and manages talent, events and operations logistics / hospitality for clients, sponsors and stakeholders.
Valentina Kevliyan is a Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast.
Maya Tabakova is a Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast.
Déborah Medrado Barbosa is a Brazilian group rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2021 and 2022 Pan American group all-around champion and the 2019 Pan American Games 3 hoops + 4 clubs champion. She won three gold medals at the 2018 South American Games and at the 2019 South American Championships. She represented Brazil at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Dörte Schiltz is a former German rhythmic gymnast.
Dayane Camillo da Silva is a retired Brazilian rhythmic gymnast. She competed at two Olympic Games.
Rebecca Ann Turner, known as Becky Turner, is a retired American rhythmic gymnast. She was part of the national senior group.
Katherine O'Donnell Nelson, known as Kate Nelson, is a retired American rhythmic gymnast. She was part of the national senior group.
Aliane Mata-Baquerot, known as Aliane Baquerot, is a retired American rhythmic gymnast. She was part of the national senior group.
Mandy Marie James-Morgan is a retired American rhythmic gymnast and stuntwoman. She was part of the national senior group.
Brandi Sue Siegel is a retired American rhythmic gymnast. She was part of the national senior group.
| Men's artistic gymnastics athletes |
|  | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's artistic gymnastics athletes |
| ||||
| Rhythmic gymnastics athletes |
| ||||
| Coaches |
| ||||
