Anastasia Bliznyuk is Russian two-time group all-around champion who coached the Chinese rhythmic gymnastics team to an Olympic gold at Paris 2024, find out more about her and her age and height
The Chinese team won with a score of 69.800 points, with Israel and Italy coming winning second and third, respectively.
Who is Anastasia Bliznyuk coach of China rhythmic gymnastics team at 2024 Olympics, bio, age, height, family and Instagram
Ever since the Russian team’s Olympic debut in 1996, it has dominated the rhythmic competition but the team did not appear this year due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Anastasia Bliznyuk tastes Olympic gold win with China
Following an investigation after the 2016 Rio Olympics, the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed that the RUSADA and the Centre of Sports Preparation of the National Teams of Russia, protected the participation of doped Russian athletes. As a result, Russia was officially banned from the Olympics in 2019, and athletes had to perform under the banner of ‘The Russian Olympic Committee’ in Tokyo.
Despite the ban, Bliznyuk seemingly fulfilled her dreams through the Chinese team’s Olympic glory. The 30-year-old coached the China’s rhythmic gymnastics team to win gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In doing so, China became the first non-European country to take gold in gymnastics.
Anastasia Bliznyuk bio
Anastasia Ilyinichna Bliznyuk is a Russian group rhythmic gymnast who was born on June 28, 1994, in Zaporizhia, Ukraine. She is the daughter of former football player Ilya Bliznyuk who played for the Ukrainian national team. Ilya also served as the head coach of FC Zirka Kirovograd. Anastasia has an older sister named Alexandra and a younger brother named Vladimir. She currently resides in Penza, Russia, and started coaching Chinese national group in rhythmic gymnastics in late 2022. The team recently won a gold medal in the Group All-around Final at the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Height and weight
Anastasia Bliznyuk stands at a height of 173 cm (5 ft 8 in), and weighs around 51 kg (112 lb).
Career and achievements
Anastasia Bliznyuk is a two-time 2012 and 2016 Olympics Group All-around champion. She also won a Group All-around silver medal in the 2020 Olympics as well as a gold in the same event in 2017 World Championships. During the 2013 World Championships, Anastasia won a Group All-around bronze medal, and has won the European title three times – 2012, 2016, 2018.
Bliznyuk is just the third Russian group rhythmic gymnast to win two gold medals in the Olympic Games after the late Natalia Lavrova and Yelena Posevina. She also holds the record of being the only rhythmic gymnast to win three medals in the Olympic Games.
Anastasia Bliznyuk has an Instagram account with the handle @bli28zia, with over 26.5K followers and about 142 posts.