Irina Devina (; born 8 May 1959 in

Zhukovsky, Moscow Oblast Zhukovsky (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Moskva River, southeast of Moscow. Population: History The urban-type settlement of Stakhanovo was founded in 1935 from the dacha settl ...

Russia SSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

, Soviet Union) is retired

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

rhythmic gymnast Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and rope. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, fle ...

who has competed both as an individual and in group. She is a (1979, 1977)

World Champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

in Group all-around and won the 1981 USSR Championships in all-around.

Career

Devina was an elegant and technical gymnast who started gymnastics at 6 years of age. She is twice World Champion as member the Soviet group that won the all-around gold in 1977 and 1979 (in Basel and London). She began competing as an individual at the beginning of the 1980s, a time of the uprise and domination of the

Golden Girls of Bulgaria The "Golden Girls" of Bulgaria () refers to Bulgarian rhythmic gymnasts and particularly those who represented Bulgaria from 1976 to 1999, when the team was coached by Neshka Robeva. In this period, the Golden Girls won 14 Rhythmic Gymnastics Wor ...

of her generation (

Iliana Raeva Iliana Raycheva Raeva-Sirakova (; ; born 15 March 1963) is a Bulgarian gymnast who competed in modern rhythmic gymnastics for her country from 1978 to 1983 . She was one of the Golden Girls of Bulgaria that dominated Rhythmic Gymnastics in 1980 ...

Anelia Ralenkova Anelia Ralenkova (; born 25 December 1963) is a Bulgarian former individual rhythmic gymnast. She is one of the "Golden Girls" of Bulgaria that dominated rhythmic gymnastics in the 1980s. She now works as a coach. Biography She won gold meda ...

Lilia Ignatova Lilia Ignatova (; born 17 May 1965) is a Bulgarian modern rhythmic gymnast. She was one of the Golden Girls of Bulgaria who dominated rhythmic gymnastics in the 1980s. Personal life Ignatova was born on 17 May 1965 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She gav ...

, Diliana Gueorguieva) limiting her competitive victories, nevertheless Devina won gold in ribbon at the 1981 World Championships and finished 4th in all-around, the highest ranked Soviet. She also came in 4th in all-around at the 1982 Europeans. In 1983, Devina competed with teammate

Dalia Kutkaitė Dalia Kutkaitė (born 11 February 1965 in Vilnius, Lithuania) is retired Lithuanian rhythmic gymnast who competed for the Soviet Union. She is the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, 1982 European all-around champion and the Rhythmic Gymn ...

at the inaugural World Cup Final held in

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

, she took two bronze medals in hoop and ribbon.1983 World Cup Final
/ref> Devina won the 1981 USSR Championships in all-around ahead of silver medalist

Venera Zaripova Venera Zinurovna Zaripova (; born 5 April 1966 in Tashkömür, Kyrgyz SSR, USSR) is a former individual Soviet rhythmic gymnast. She is a two-time all-around silver medalist and 4-time gold medalist in the USSR Championships. Career Venera wa ...

, she also won the all-around silver at the 1982 USSR Championships held in

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

behind

. After completing her competitive career, Devina married famous Soviet Olympic Pentathlon athlete, Vasily Neffedov. She now lives in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and briefly taught as a coach being a holder of Honored Master of Sports of the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Influence

Devina was the first rhythmic gymnast to perform a penché pivot turn.

References

External links

* * 1959 births Living people Soviet rhythmic gymnasts Russian rhythmic gymnasts Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Sportspeople from Zhukovsky, Moscow Oblast Gymnasts from Moscow Oblast 20th-century Russian sportswomen {{USSR-sport-bio-stub