The rhythmic gymnast became world champion twice and received several silver medals at European championships. The most outstanding result in her sports career - Maria Netesova won the Sydney Olympic Games.
Sports career
Netesova Maria Vyacheslavovna was born on May 26, 1983 in Sverdlovsk (since 1991 Yekaterinburg). In her hometown, from the age of five, she began practicing rhythmic gymnastics at the Kalininets club under the guidance of the first coach Natalya Kashtanova. N. Kravtsova.
She began taking part in all-Russian competitions in 1994, for three years, until 1996 she won many junior tournaments. In 1995, she was accepted into the Russian youth team. In 1996 he became a master of sports. In the same year, she joined the team of athletes who were preparing for the subsequent Olympics.
In 1997, Maria entered the top three at the European Championships, receiving a bronze medal. In 1998, Maria won the World Championships in the category of group exercises with a ball, for which she received an international master of sports. The following year, 1999, she became the absolute world champion in rhythmic gymnastics. In the same year, 1999, she took the second step of the podium three times at a European level competition, for which she received the “Honored Master of Sports of Russia.”
In 2000, Masha, as a member of the Russian team, took part in the Australian XXVII Summer Sydney Olympic Games, where she became the Olympic champion in the group all-around. Ira Belova, Natasha Lavrova, Lena Shalamova, Ira Zilber and Vera Shimanskaya performed together with Masha. The fight was difficult, the main competitors of the Russians were the Greeks and Belarusians. The victory was difficult - both the Russian and Belarusian teams were given the same score - 39.5, but based on the results of all performances, the Russian team still took the lead and won gold.
Since 1998, while still a schoolgirl, Maria began working as an athlete-instructor at Ekaterinburg sports school No. 19. Masha won the Olympic Games only after graduating from school No. 100 in Ekaterinburg in 2000.
At the peak of her career, Maria was 174 centimeters tall and weighed 50 kilograms.
In 2003 she entered the physical education university, and while still studying she began working as an instructor for the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team. Her best friend is Elena Shalamova, with whom she performed at the Sydney Olympics. The girls together created the Maria Netesova and Elena Shalamova Sports Center in 2013.
Now she is married to an athlete, football player Zhenya Zinoviev, and now Masha Netesova goes by the name Maria Zinovieva.
Main awards
World Championships in Seville in 1998 - gold medal for group all-around.
World Championships in Osaka in 1999 - gold medal for group all-around.
European Championships in Budapest, 1999 - silver medal in the group all-around.
Sydney Olympics, 2000 - gold medal in group all-around.
European Championships in Geneva, 2001 - gold medal in the group all-around.
In 2001, she became a Knight of the Order of Friendship, and also received an honorary badge for the development of Russian sports.
Continuing the topic of outstanding gymnasts of Yekaterinburg and the Sverdlovsk region, I would like to talk about the Olympic champion of the Summer Games in Sydney 2000, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, holder of the Order of Friendship Maria Vyacheslavovna Netosova (married Zinovieva).
Maria was born on May 26, 1983 in the city of Sverdlovsk. At the age of five she began practicing rhythmic gymnastics at the Kalininets club under the leadership of N. Kravtsova. Then she began to train under the guidance of the Honored Trainer of Russia Natalya Anatolyevna Kashtanova.
“My father brought me to rhythmic gymnastics. But a little later I became a fan, watching it on TV. I was madly sick with this, I ran to the hall. All summer, when the children were on vacation, I sat in the hall. This fanaticism gives its results. A child, if he is sick with something, does not see anything around him. He goes only towards his goal, and, naturally, achieves it“says the athlete.
At the age of 11, the gymnast begins to take part in all-Russian competitions.
In 1995, Maria was accepted into the country's youth team. And in 1996 she was awarded the title “Master of Sports”. At the same time, the gymnast begins training in a team to prepare for the next Olympic Games.
In 1997, Maria won a bronze medal at the European Championships. And already in 1998, the gymnast won the World Championships in Seville in group exercises with the ball, for which she received the title “Master of Sports of International Class.”
Since 1998, while still a schoolgirl, Maria began working as an athlete-instructor in her native Sports School No. 19.
The following year, 1999, Maria Netosova, as part of the national team, became a three-time silver medalist at the European Championships in Budapest and the absolute winner at the World Championships in Osaka. Then she received the title “Honored Master of Sports of Russia.” In 2000, Maria Netosova graduated from school No. 100.
The apogee of the gymnast's career was the victory at the Australian XXVII Summer Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. Ira Belova, Natasha Lavrova, Lena Shalamova, Ira Zilber and Vera Shimanskaya performed together with Maria on the Russian national team. The main competitors were Greek and Belarusian gymnasts. But the Russian team still won the gold medal after a bitter struggle.
In 2001, at the European Championships in Geneva, Maria received a gold medal in the group all-around. In the same year, she becomes a Knight of the Order of Friendship, and also receives the honorary badge “For services to the development of physical culture and sports in Russia.”
In 2003, Maria entered the Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism, and while still studying she worked as an instructor for the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team. Together with Elena Shalamova, in 2013 he created the Maria Netosova and Elena Shalamova Center for Sports Development in the capital.
“We take all the children. Every child is already a genius from the very beginning. Everyone should be given a chance, every child who loves this sport and who wants to do it,” says Maria about the Center.
Now Maria is married to an athlete, football player Evgeny Zinoviev.
“Big sport is nothing but difficulties, a huge load of ten hours in the gym. I want to advise girls to never give up, never stop. Everyone has the desire to quit, even the greatest people. But don’t give in to this thought.”- says the Olympic champion to young gymnasts.
Alexandra Koroleva
At the turn of the millennium, at the last Olympics of the outgoing 20th century, Maria Netosova ascended to the Olympic podium. To the very top step.
This happened at the XXVII Summer Olympic Games in Sydney. year two thousand. The whole world was eagerly and apprehensively awaiting the millennium, unprecedented in its destructive power of a computer failure or the fall of a giant meteorite.
And only our Olympic rhythmic gymnastics team was optimistically preparing to win the Summer Olympics. The team did a titanic preparatory work, and no meteorite would have stopped our girls.
A little background. Group exercises in rhythmic gymnastics are radically different from individual exercises. Performing in a group is much more difficult. Each girl has to manage not only her object and her body, but also keep her partners’ sports objects in sight and coordinate her movements with theirs. It's terribly difficult. Any country can produce one super champion in individual performances. Good gymnasts appear in all parts of the world. But raising a team of six top-class athletes is not something everyone can do. Therefore, every state that is fighting for the title of a world sports power is simply obliged to submit a team of “artists” to the Olympics.
It will not work to assemble a good team using the pine-forest principle. The head coach selects the most talented girls from the youth team and prepares the entire four-year Olympic cycle for the main start in their lives.
In 1996, when the team was being formed for Sydney 2000, Maria Netosova, a gymnast from Yekaterinburg, shone in our youth team
A smiling, charming, approachable girl happily responded to the offer to perform in group exercises. She was not afraid of the upcoming intensive training regimen. Gymnasts already train eight hours a day. But the prospect of defending the honor of the national flag at the most important gymnastics competitions was very encouraging. After a couple of years of intensive training, our team began to reshape the world table of ranks in rhythmic gymnastics. Of course, Maria Netosova also participated in this process along with everyone else.
In 1997, the girls became bronze medalists at the European Championship in group exercises as part of the youth team.
Then they win the adult world championship for two years in a row (98.99).
For her contribution to these victories, Maria Netosova was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports (rhythmic gymnastics).
The girls are perfectly prepared for the XXVII Summer Olympic Games in Sydney. They are world champions. Favorites for the upcoming competitions. The whole country is just waiting for victory.
But the rivals are not ready to give up their medals without a fight. This is precisely the value of Olympic gold, that you have to fight for it. Our competition is from the Greek and Belarusian teams.
Both the Russian and Belarusian schools of rhythmic gymnastics have related origins. We can say that two graduates of the same school competed at the Sydney Olympics. The judges give each team 39.5 points, which drives the situation into a dead end. However, the Russians, based on the total points of the two days of competition, come out on top. And they take away “gold” from Sydney, as you remember from the beginning of our story.
Four years of hard sports work have borne fruit. Maria Netosova brings an Olympic gold medal to her native Yekaterinburg. The city greets her with wild rejoicing and mass festivities.
The delight of our fellow citizens was shared by the top officials of the state. By presidential decree, Maria Netosova was awarded state awards for her sporting achievements:
By decree of the President of the Russian Federation, she was awarded the Order of Friendship for high achievements at the Games of the XXV11 Olympiad in 2000. In Sydney
She was awarded the honorary badge “For merits in the development of physical culture and sports.”
Despite the fact that all the major sports peaks have already been conquered, Maria Netosova remains in big-time sports. She is driven by an idealistic desire to pass on her sporting experience to the next generation of gymnasts. In 2001, she became a two-time European champion in group exercises in rhythmic gymnastics.
In 2002, Maria Netosova:
Honored Master of Sports of Russia, Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics,
World champion in 1998 and 1999, two-time European champion in 2001 and multiple winner of international competitions in rhythmic gymnastics is ending her sports career.
After a short rest, he sat down with his textbooks and in 2003 entered the Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism. Receives pedagogical education. She studies and at the same time works as an instructor with the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team. On the one hand, it passes on experience to the younger generation of athletes, and on the other hand, it develops the professional skills of the future profession.
Sports friendships last a lifetime. Maria Netosova is so used to living and working together with her Olympic teammate Elena Shalamova that they continue to go through life together.
In 2013, the girls created their own school, to which they gave their names without false modesty:
"Sports Development Center named after Elena Shalamova and Maria Netosova."
And they set themselves a new goal: - promotion of rhythmic gymnastics and other spectacular sports by combining the unique capabilities of leading athletes and modern forms of multimedia and interactive technologies.
It is very important that famous athletes appear not just on the sign of the sports center, but also among the employees of this center.
It is wonderful that great athletes continue to defend the colors of the national flag. Even if not on the sports mat and not in swimsuits, but as sports administrators or coaches.
Without a doubt, Maria Netosova will train more than one galaxy of talented gymnasts.
And it is very possible that with her direct participation, rhythmic gymnastics will become the most popular sport, and her students will delight her more than once with their Olympic achievements.
