Irina Viner-Usmanova


Irina Alexandrovna Viner-Usmanova is a Russian rhythmic gymnastics coach who is head coach of the Russian national team, president of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, and former vice president of the International Gymnastics Federation.
In 2015, Viner was awarded the Olympic Order in recognition of her outstanding achievements in global sports, making Viner the first gymnastics coach in history to receive the award. Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee, personally handed her the necklace and presented the award.
Viner is one of the most successful gymnastics coaches of all time, her pupils include the past five Olympic all-around champions: Margarita Mamun, Evgeniya Kanaeva, Alina Kabaeva, and Yulia Barsukova.
She is married to business magnate Alisher Usmanov, Russia's richest man, who has a net worth of more than $14 billion.

Personal life

Viner was born in Samarkand, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union.
Her father, Alexander, was a People's Artist of the USSR. Her mother, Zoya, was a doctor. Viner is Jewish, and is interested in Kabbalah. She told that her pupils venerates myrrh-pouring icons before every competition. Among her many state awards, she was given the "Living Legend" prize by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia in 2007.
Viner is married to Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov, who was also born in Uzbekistan, and is Muslim. She and Usmanov originally met in their youth at a sports hall in Tashkent, where he was involved in fencing; they reconnected many years later in Moscow. She has a son from a previous marriage, Anton, who was born in 1973 and later adopted by Usmanov.

Career

As a young girl Viner wanted to take ballet but was discouraged, so she took up gymnastics at the age of 11. Viner was a three-time champion of the Uzbek SSR and graduated from the Uzbek State Institute of Physical Culture. She worked as coach of the national team in rhythmic gymnastics in Tashkent, and under her tutelage, Venera Zaripova became her first successful gymnast. In 1990, Viner briefly moved to Great Britain to coach the British national team.
In 1992, Viner was invited to become head coach of the Russian national team and moved to Moscow. Since 2001, Viner has been the head coach of the Olympic Training Center of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics in Novogorsk, and in 2008 she became president of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation.
In 2015, Viner was awarded the Olympic Order in recognition of her outstanding achievements in global sports, making Viner the first gymnastics coach to receive the award. Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee personally handed the necklace to her and presented the award.
Viner said: "I never expected that I would be awarded such an important Order. It was an honor that President of IOC, Thomas Bach arrived here. Sport is the only war that has a peaceful end. I believe that the whole world of gymnastics was awarded, for women and girls. It is important that we train together and help other countries - That is why a lot of representatives of other countries train in Russia. We will do our best in order that this kind of sport remains in the Olympic program. I think we will never be thrown to the sidelines and rhythmic gymnastics will remain in the Olympic Family".

Notable pupils

Viner has trained many Russian Olympic/World/European/World Cup medal winners, including:
Individual rhythmic gymnasts:
Notable group rhythmic gymnasts:
She has also trained the Russian Group that won the 2012 Summer Olympics Gold in Group All-around:
Counselor/Coordinator for Russian Group:
2016 Summer Olympics Group gold medalists


2008 Summer Olympics Group gold medalists


2004 Summer Olympics Group gold medalists


2000 Summer Olympics Group gold medalists


International gymnasts:
Although Viner is the Head of the Russian National rhythmic gymnastics Federation. the Russian gymnasts have their own personal coaches and trainers supervising their daily training and in competitions. Notable Russian rhythmic gymnast coaches include: