Irina Sazonova

Last updated
Irina Sazonova
Full nameИрина Сазонова
Born (1991-09-02) 2 September 1991 (age 33)
Vologda, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height5 ft 3 in (160 cm)
Gymnastics career
Discipline Women's artistic gymnastics
Country representedFlag of Iceland.svg Iceland
Years on national team2005–12 (RUS)
2014–Present (ISL)
Former countries representedFlag of Russia.svg Russia
ClubFimleikadeild Armanns
Head coach(es)Hildur Ketilsdottir, Vladimir Antonov
Former coach(es)Svetlana Kolomenskaya, Yuri Kolomensky
Medal record
Women's gymnastics
Representing Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
Summer Universiade
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2011 Shenzhen Team
Representing Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland
Northern European Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2014 Greve Uneven Bars
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2015 Limerick Uneven Bars
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2017 Tórshavn Team
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2017 Tórshavn All-Around
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2019 Kópavogur Uneven Bars
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2019 Kópavogur Floor Exercise
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2015 Limerick Team
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2015 Limerick Floor Exercise
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2019 Kópavogur Vault

Irina Sazonova (born 2 September 1991) is a Russian-born Icelandic female artistic gymnast, currently representing Iceland at international competitions. Prior to her move to Iceland, she represented Russia at the 2011 Summer Universiade. She represented Iceland at the 2015 Northern European and World Championships and became the first female Icelandic gymnast at the Olympics, competing in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. She currently resides in Reykjavík and trains at Fimleikadeild Armanns. [1]

Contents

As a Russian athlete, she competed at the 2009 Russian Artistic Gymnastics Championships, 2010 Russian Artistic Gymnastics Championships and 2011 Summer Universiade. Representing Iceland, she competed at the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow. [2] She became the first Icelandic female to book an Olympic spot in the apparatus and all-around events at the Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro. [3]

Career

Russia

Sazonova made her international debut as a junior, competing at the 2005 WOGA Classic in Texas. She won bronze on vault, and placed fifth in the all-around and floor exercise, sixth on uneven bars, and thirteenth on balance beam. As a senior, she competed at the Russian Championships in 2010, winning team bronze, and placing fifth on floor and thirteenth in the all-around. She was sent to compete at the Cottbus World Cup the following year, but did not make the event finals. Later that year, she competed at the Universiade, winning team bronze, and placing sixth on uneven bars and seventh in the all-around.

Iceland

Sazonova made the move to Iceland in 2014, with her change in nationality and international representation becoming official later that year. Her first international competition representing Iceland was the Voronin Cup in her native Russia, but she did not make the event finals. The following year, she competed at the Northern European Championships, winning uneven bars gold, floor exercise bronze, and placing fourth in the all-around. She also competed at the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, but did not make the event finals. At the Voronin Cup at the end of the year, she placed sixth in the all-around and uneven bars and eighth on balance beam.

In April 2016, she competed at the Olympic Test Event. She placed thirty-ninth in the all-around, qualifying as an individual for the Olympics. She later competed at the Nordic Championships, winning team and uneven bars gold, vault silver, and placing fifth in the all-around. In June, she competed at the European Championships in Switzerland, but did not make the event finals.

Rio Olympics

Sazonova competed in the fourth subdivision of qualifications, starting on vault. She placed fortieth in the all-around, fifty-eighth on uneven bars, sixtieth on floor exercise, and sixty-fourth on balance beam.

Following Rio, she placed sixth on uneven bars and seventh on vault at the Cottbus World Cup in November. In December, she competed at the Voronin Cup, winning silver on vault, bronze on bars and beam, and placing fourth in the all-around and sixth with her team and on floor.

Competitive history

YearEventTFAAVTUBBBFX
2005 WOGA Classic 5Bronze medal icon.svg6135
2010 Russian Championships Bronze medal icon.svg135
Stuttgart World Cup 6
2011 Shenzhen Summer Universiade Bronze medal icon.svg76
2014 Voronin Cup 3
2015 Northern European Championships 4Gold medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svg
World Championships 98
Voronin Cup 668
2016 Icelandic ChampionshipsGold medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg
Olympic Test Event 39
GK ChampionshipsGold medal icon.svg
Nordic Championships Gold medal icon.svg5Silver medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg
European Championships 14
Olympic Games 40
TM Tournament66Bronze medal icon.svg
Iceland Fall CupGold medal icon.svg
Cottbus World Cup 76
Turnkunst International4Silver medal icon.svg
Voronin Cup 64Silver medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svg6
2017 Icelandic Team ChampionshipsBronze medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
Icelandic ChampionshipsGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg6Gold medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
European Championships 39
GK ChampionshipsSilver medal icon.svg
World Championships 37
Northern European Championships Silver medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg587
Voronin Cup Bronze medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svg85
2018 Reykjavík International GamesSilver medal icon.svg
Icelandic Team ChampionshipsSilver medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
Icelandic ChampionshipsGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
2019 Northern European Championships 45Bronze medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
World Championships 110

See also

References

  1. Crumlish, John. "Russian-Born Sazonova Realizes Olympic Dream In Iceland". intlgymnast.com. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  2. "2015 World Gymnastics Championships athletes - Irina Sazonova". longinestiming.com. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  3. "Rio 2016 Olympic qualifiers in Women's Artistic Gymnastics: See the updated list!". FIG. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.