| Nancy Usero | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||||||
| Full name | Nancy Usero Til | |||||||||||
| Country represented |  Spain | |||||||||||
| Born | Zaragoza, Spain | |||||||||||
| Discipline | Rhythmic gymnastics | |||||||||||
| Level | International Elite | |||||||||||
| Years on national team | 1981-1986 | |||||||||||
| Club | Escuela de Gimnasia Rítmica de Zaragoza | |||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | Emilia Boneva | |||||||||||
| Retired | yes | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||
Nancy Usero is a retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast, member of the national group. She was also national head coach from 1998 to 2001.
Usero took up the sport at Escuela de Gimnasia Rítmica of Zaragoza. [1] In 1982 she won bronze in the 2nd category of the Spanish Championships in Palencia. [2] She became part of the Spanish national group, she would train at the Moscardó Gymnasium in Madrid under the orders of the national team coach Emilia Boneva and the group coach, Ana Roncero, Georgi Neykov was the team's choreographer. In 1984 she won the bronze medal in the all-around competition at the European Championships in Vienna along Pilar Domenech, María Fernández, Virginia Manzanera, Eva Obalat and Graciela Yanes, with Rocío Ducay and Ofelia Rodríguez as substitutes. [3] [4] After this achievement, they were all awarded the Medal of Gymnastic Merit of 1984 from the Royal Spanish Gymnastics Federation that was given to them in 1985 in a ceremony presided over by Alfonso de Borbón y Dampierre, Duke of Cádiz, then president of the COE.
At the 1985 World Championships in Valladolid the group was 7th in the All-Around along Pilar Domenech, Eva Obalat, Ofelia Rodríguez, María Fernández and Graciela Yanes, in addition to Ester Domínguez, Rocío Ducay, Laura Manzanera and Estela Martín as substitutes. [5]
After her retirement, she served as technical director of the Aragonese Gymnastics Federation and prepared gymnasts at her childhood club, eventually training Esther Domínguez from 1994 until she was called by the individuals national coach Mar Lozano. [6]
In 1997, Nancy was selected as head of the national junior group. In September 1998, she was named national head coach for groups, replacing María Fernández Ostolaza. She had Dalia Kutkaite as assistant and coach of the junior group, and Cristina Álvarez as choreographer the first year. During 1999 and 2000, the two exercises were with 3 ribbons and 2 hoops and the one with 10 clubs, in the first they used "Zorongo gitano" and "Babelia" by Chano Domínguez, Hozan Yamamoto and Javier Paxariño for the second, as music during 1999. [7] That year the group was made up of Sara Bayón, Marta Calamonte, Lorena Guréndez, Carolina Malchair, Beatriz Nogalez and Paula Orive. At the end of May at the European Championships in Budapest, they were 7th in the All-Around, due to a poor score in the 10 clubs exercise. In the 3 ribbons and 2 hoops competition they won the bronze medal. [8] In August the team won the silver medal in the mixed event at the DTB-Pokal in Bochum. At the end of September at the World Championships in Osaka they were 7th overall competition, which gave them qualification for the Sydney Olympic Games the following year. Subsequently, they took 6th place in both event finals. [9]
In 2000 they had two new routines, now with music by Los Activos and Vicente Amigo and, for the 10 clubs exercise, with a medley by The Corrs and Loreena McKennitt. [7] The Spanish team, made up of Igone Arribas, Marta Calamonte, Lorena Guréndez, Carolina Malchair, Beatriz Nogalez and Carmina Verdú, had the opportunity to revalidate the gold medal won four years before in Atlanta in the same competition. However, a series of errors in the execution of the two exercises, such as a knot in a ribbon and two falls of clubs, caused the Spanish group to be placed in the 10th and last position in the qualification phase, therefore who could not participate in the final. [10]
In October 2000 Nancy Usero was renewed as head coach, position she would keep until March 2001, date on which she was replaced by Nina Vitrichenko, who would be the head coach between March and September of that year.
After Boneva's death on 20 September 2019, Nancy and other former national gymnasts gathered to pay tribute to her during the Euskalgym held on 16 November 2019. The event took place before 8,500 attendees at the Bilbao Exhibition Center de Baracaldo and was followed by a dinner in Boneva's honor. [11]
The bronze medal at the European Championships in Vienna in 1984 was the first for the Spanish group since 1975, and then began a long period of winning international medals. In an interview in 2016, María Fernández highlighted the importance of that medal for Spanish rhythmic gymnastics: [12]
At that time, what we wanted was to overthrow the Eastern countries [...] As the medals were always Russia, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia, ours was a great milestone and the bronze in the European Championship was indeed a feat for the team . It was the start of something.
Marta Aberturas Rubio is a former Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She was World champion in 1991 with the rest of the Spanish group, in addition to achieving numerous other medals with the Spanish national rhythmic gymnastics team. The generation of gymnasts that she joined is known by the nickname of the First Golden Girls.
Sara Bayón is a Spanish former rhythmic gymnast, former team coach of the Spanish national rhythmic gymnastics group, and current coach of the French group. She is the only Spanish gymnast who has been world champion as an athlete and as a coach, being world champion in 3 ribbons and 2 hoops in Seville 1998, and as a coach, in 10 clubs in Kyiv 2013 and Izmir 2014.
Débora Alonso Herrero is a former Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She was World champion in 1991 with the rest of the Spanish group, in addition to achieving numerous other medals with the Spanish national rhythmic gymnastics team. The generation of gymnasts that she joined is known by the nickname of the "First Golden Girls".
Carolina Borrell Penades is a former Spanish rhythmic gymnast who competed in the Spanish national rhythmic gymnastics team. As an individual, she achieved bronze both in teams and in clubs at the 1991 European Junior Championships in Lisbon, while with the group she won bronze in both in the All-Around and with 4 hoops + 4 clubs at the 1993 European Championships in Bucharest.
Emilia Boneva was a Bulgarian coach in rhythmic gymnastics and head coach of the Spanish national team from 1982 to 1996. Her achievements included the Olympic gold won by the Niñas de Oro in Atlanta 1996, Carolina Pascual's silver medal in Barcelona 1992. Among other awards, she received the silver medal of Royal Order of Sports Merit (1994).
María Fernández Ostolaza is retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast and coach. As a gymnast she's a European bronze medalist, as a trainer she led the group to international success.
Virginia Manzanera is a former Spanish rhythmic gymnast and coach. She won a European bronze medal in 1984.
Pilar Domenech is a former Spanish rhythmic gymnast, member of the national group. She won a European bronze medal in 1984.
Eva Obalat Mangrané is retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast and chief executive officer. As a gymnast she's a double European bronze medalist.
Isabel Gómez Pérez is a former Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She is a European and World medalist.
María Flor Elso Torralba, known as Lorea Elso, is a former Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She was World champion in 1991 and two-time European champion in 1992. The generation of gymnasts that she was part of is known by the nickname "Primeras Chicas de Oro". Elso is tied with Teresa Fuster, Marta Baldó and Estela Giménez for the Spanish rhythmic gymnast with the most medals in World Championships, with a total of 8.
María Teresa Fuster Amades, also known as Bito Fuster or Teresa Fuster, is a retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She was World champion in 1991 and two-time European champion in 1992. The generation of gymnasts that she was part of is known by the nickname "Primeras Chicas de Oro". Fuster is tied with Lorea Elso, Marta Baldó and Estela Giménez for the Spanish rhythmic gymnast with the most medals in World Championships, with a total of 8. She was also part of the Spanish female rugby national team.
Montserrat Martín López, also known as Montse Martín, is a retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast, graphic designer, painter, illustrator, actress and dancer. She was World champion in 1991 and two-time European champion in 1992. The generation of gymnasts that she was part of is known by the nickname "Primeras Chicas de Oro".
Vanesa Muñiz Rubio is a retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast. During her time in the national team she won 9 international medals.
Cristina Chapuli Egido is a retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She was World champion in 1991. The generation of gymnasts that she was part of is known by the nickname "Primeras Chicas de Oro".
Gemma Royo Lorte is a Spanish retired rhythmic gymnast. She was World champion in 1991 and two-time European champion in 1992. The generation of gymnasts that she was part of is known by the nickname "Primeras Chicas de Oro".
Alicia Martín Jurado is a retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She is a two-time European champion and world runner-up, in addition to winning numerous other international medals.
Bárbara Plaza Hernández was a former Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She was a World and European medalist.
Violeta Giménez Niñoles is a retired Spanish rhythmic and acrobatic gymnast. In rhythmic gymnastics she's a three times World medalist.
Paula Orive Ozores is a retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast. As a member of the senior group she is a European and World medalist.
{{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)