Aliya Yussupova (Kazakh: Әлия Мақсұтқызы Жүсіпова, Äliia Maqsūtqyzy Jüsıpova; born 15 May 1984) is a retired individual rhythmic gymnast who competed for Kazakhstan, coached by Irina Viner. In February 2021, she became the president of the Kazakhstan Gymnastics Federation, and she was re-elected in 2024.[1][2]
Personal life
Aliya Yussupova is a Sunni Muslim of Kazakh ethnicity.[3][4]
Career
Yussupova moved to Moscow and began training with renowned Russian coach Irina Viner.
She won two silver medals in ball and clubs at the 2004 World Cup Final in Moscow. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, she qualified for the finals in 5th place. In the finals, she took fourth place with a total of 103.975 (Ribbon 25.550, Clubs 26.325, Ball 26.600, Hoop 25.500).
Yussupova won the Kazakhstani National Championships in the individual all-around competition in 2000–2005. At the 2006 Asian championships in Surat, India (from 29 July to 3 August), she swept the rhythmic gymnastics medals. She won six gold medals, including four individual apparatus titles, the team gold and the individual all-around title. At the 2007 World Championships, she finished 6th in the all-around.
She competed in her second Olympics at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where she finished 5th in the all-around event finals. She was the all-around bronze medalist at the 2009 Universiade. At the 2009 Asian championships in Astana, she won all six gold medals again.
Yussupova retired from competition at the end of the 2009 season.
Coaching career
In 2013, she started to train fellow Kazakhstani rhythmic gymnast Sabina Ashirbayeva. Her other notable students include Alina Adilkhanova and Elzhana Taniyeva. She was the head coach of the Kazakhstani national team from 2012 until 2025, when she resigned to focus more on her work with the federation.[5]
Achievements
- First Asian and Kazakh rhythmic gymnast to medal at the World Cup final.
- First Kazakh gymnast to place in top 10 Finals in the Olympic Games (2004 and 2008).
Detailed Olympic results
| Year | Competition description | Location | Music | Apparatus | Score - final | Score - qualifying |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Olympics | Beijing | All-around | 69.800 | 69.800 | |
| Music from Da Vinci Code by Hans Zimmer | Hoop | 17.625 | 17.900 | |||
| Scott & Fran's Paso Doble by David Hirschfelder & The Bogo Pogo Orchestra | Rope | 17.825 | 17.575 | |||
| Spartacus by Aram Khatchaturian | Clubs | 17.650 | 17.575 | |||
| Artsakh by Ara Gevorkian | Ribbon | 16.700 | 16.750 |
| Year | Competition description | Location | Music | Apparatus | Score - final | Score - qualifying |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Olympics | Athens | All-around | 103.975 | 101.500 | |
| Mystics Lullaby / Anatolian Deluxe / Marrakesh Night Market by Loreena McKennitt / Turkish Percussion Group |
Ball | 26.600 | 26.150 | |||
| Bolero (Closing Credits) music from Moulin Rouge by Steve Sharples |
Hoop | 25.500 | 25.800 | |||
| Ya Habibi Yallah by Alabina | Clubs | 26.325 | 25.725 | |||
| Op-sa by Esil Dyuran | Ribbon | 25.550 | 23.825 |
References
- ^ "Women in sport: Aliya Yussupova's Olympic goals". olympic.kz. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
- ^ "Aliya Yusupova reelected as head of Kazakhstan Gymnastics Federation". Kazinform. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
- ^ Interview with Aliya Yussupova Archived 3 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
- ^ Aliya Yussupova is getting married Archived 12 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
- ^ "Head coach of Kazakhstan's rhythmic gymnastics team Aliya Yussupova resigns". Kazinform. 18 January 2025. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
