1. Irina
Tchachina

2. Career
Irina stretching during training
Tchachina is born to a Russian family and the oldest of three children (Irina has a younger brother and
sister). She started her sports career at the age of 6 in her home town of Omsk (also the hometown of
former World Champion and the first ever European Champion Galima Shugurova and 2 time Olympic
Gold medalist Evgenia Kanaeva). After she became impressed watching the World Rhythmic Gymnastics
Championships on television, her grandfather, a devoted amateur sportsman, took her to a sports school.
Her early days were filled with music lessons, swimming and rhythmic gymnastics. Faced with a choice at
age 11, she chose gymnastics. She was coached by Vera Efremovna Shtelbaums and her daughter Elena
Arais since the age of five. Her favourite gymnasts are Elena Vitrichenko and Yanina Batyrchina.

6. In 2003, she suffered an ankle injury, and dealt with it for two years. She won the all-around bronze
medal at the 2003 World Championships, silver in clubs and bronze in hoop event finals.
At the Athens Olympics in 2004, Tchachina won the silver medal in the all-around competition,
scoring 107.325 points - her teammate Alina Kabaeva took the gold with a score of 108.400.
After the Olympic season, Tchachina experienced her recurring ankle injury but won the bronze
medal in all-around at the 2005 World Championships and a pair of bronze medals in clubs and
rope finals. She retired from rhythmic gymnastics in early 2006.

7. Post-retirement
After her retirement, Tchachina was invited to the Russian television project "Dances on
Ice", partnering with Olympic bronze medalist ice dancer Ruslan Goncharov. She also appeared
on the project "Circus with stars" along with other athletes, including Svetlana Khorkina.
Tchachina then starred as the lead heroine in the Russian film "The Way" (2009 film) with
Artem Mikhalkov. Tchachina also wrote an autobiography called Irina Tchachina: Being
Yourself. Commenting on her sport, she said: "Besides your body, you should train your mind
too. Intelligence is crucial to rhythmic gymnastics." In late 2011, Tchachina married Russian
businessman Evgeny Arkhipov.

8. On 4 December 2012 at the
conference of the Russian
Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics
in Novogorsk, Tchachina was
elected vice-president of The
Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics
Federation along with 2008 and
2012 Olympic champion Evgenia
Kanaeva. Tchachina was
recommended by Irina Viner for the
position of President of the Russian
Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation
but she declined.
On May 2013, Tchachina opened up
her rhythmic gymnastics school
named after her in Barnaul, Altai
Krai. The Opening Ceremony was
attended by other rhythmic
gymnasts Liubov Charkashyna,
Natalia Godunko and Olga
Kapranova.