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Long and thorny was the way of Ukrainian gymnasts to the top of the world’s recognition. The Deriugins’ School was created more than four decades ago when the graduate of the Kyiv Institute of Physical culture and sports, Albina Deriugina, entered the difficult path of the coach. Working precisely and diligently, Albina Nikolayevna has already made everybody be respectful towards the Kiev school of rhythmic gymnastics in the beginning of the 70th when graces from Kiev entered the national team of the USSR and became World champions in group event. Zhanna Vasura was the first among them. Soon after her success the gymnastics’ world was shaded by the marvellous talent and mastery of Irina Deriugina, daughter and Albina Nikolayevna’s favourite student. Olga Schegoleva, Viktoria Serikh, Olga Plohova, Ludmila Yeftushenko were also bringing home medals from world and European Championships together with Irina. It was difficult to train in Novogorsk, in Russia, far from home. The gymnasts often wanted to return home, to eat the famous “Kiev cake”, to walk along Kreschatyk. Viktoria Serikh has competed in the national team of the Soviet Union for 5 years. Being only 14 years old, she became a World Champion and already at the age of 18 finished her carreir. In 1984 she gave birth to her daughter Anna that had the fate to continue the success of her mom in rhythmic gymnastics.
The change of generation is a very difficult process, several years, as a rule, should pass until the new stars are prepared. In the beginning of the 80th, while Albina Deriugina as well as her daughter Irina who decided to join the narrow path of the coach and began creating compositions of Ukrainian gymnasts, were preparing new primas of grace and flexibility, Bulgarians were dominating in the sport, their totalitarian reign has been present for a long time.
And exactly in ten years after the triumphal victories of Irina Deriugina, the duet of mother and daughter introduced Aleksandra Timoshenko and Oksana Skaldina as well as Elina Khozlu, who became famous in group event. They collected all the gold medals of World Championships in the period of 1988 till 1992. The Olympic Games 1992 in Barcelona brought Timoshenko the title of Olympic Champion and Skaldina got the bronze medal.
At the same period of time, young Ekaterina Serebrianskaya and Elena Vitrichenko were training in Deriugins school. Again the succession of generations worked. The World has not known the rivals to them for 4 years. And again 2 Ukrainian flags were ascending on the Olympic Games : Atlanta brought Ukraine again a “gold” and a “bronze”
Leading Ukrainian gymnasts are currently training in the school, including world champions Tamara Yerofeyeva, Anna Bessonova, Natalia Godunko, Elena Dzoubchuk and Elizaveta Karabash. They do not return without a medal from any competition, the spectators greet them warmly at every tournament, because they see the work of Irina and Albina Deriugina – smoothness, delicate grace of movements as well as exact execution of the most difficult elements are wonderfully combined with feminine refinement and spontaneity.
Gymnasts and coaches from all over the world want to come to Kiev and train under the intent look of Ukrainian coaches. Among them were gymnasts from Norway, Finland, Korea, Japan, Estonia and Russia. Once they were preparing and training in the capital of Ukraine. Many Ukrainian coaches bring the gymnasts of other countries to victory, among them Estonia, Spain, USA, Croatia, Portugal...
At the end of 50 years of work as a coach, Albina Deriugina is preparing to introduce new stars to the world. Not only her daughter and first assistant Irina Deriugina who is creating all the compositions of Ukrainian gymnasts helps her as much as possible, but also other coaches, who try to inject in young graces a victorious spirit of the reknowned Kiev centre of rhythmic gymnastics. They are the honoured coach of Ukraine Lidia Yavorskaya, World Champions Viktoria Bessonova and Elina Khozlu, European Champion Galina Beloglazova, masters of sports Valeria Zayets and Marina Kardash and many others. Deriugina School is a big family with deep roots, traditions and history, which, we hope, will never end.