Irina Chashchina is often called the “Snow Queen” of rhythmic gymnastics because she never smiles in the frame. Nevertheless, a serious and focused girl has a lot of fans and many sports awards.
Childhood, education and becoming a gymnast
Irina Chashchina was born in 1982 in Omsk. Her mother worked at a music school; her grandfather and grandmother helped her to raise the girl from her mother. Nothing is known about the father.
Relatives of Irina wanted her to grow athletic, so they gave her swimming and rhythmic gymnastics. Irina herself did not think of any sports career, she was a chubby girl and loved literature. By the way, Irina Chashchina graduated from secondary school with honors.
But the grandfather was adamant. He decided at all costs to make the granddaughter a champion, and she obeyed. At first, Irina became the best in her group of thirty people, then she switched to another coach and began to lead there, and gradually reached the sports peaks.
Career
Journalists sometimes reproached Irina for not wanting to become the first, often content with the second position. In part, these accusations are justified, but on the other hand, Irina had to compete with Alina Kabaeva herself, and this is a difficult opponent. Although Irina herself admits that she is not very ambitious, and the main thing for her is to do her job well.
Be that as it may, the list of awards of the athlete is impressive. But the gymnast’s career was not always cloudless. A doping scandal intervened in her life, as a result of which the athlete lost part of the awards and was disqualified for two years.
Personal life
The "Snow Queen" of rhythmic gymnastics was liked by many men, but she herself was in no hurry to start a serious relationship. But the imperious man again decided everything for her.
At one of the sports, Irina met Evgeny Arkhipov, a businessman and the head of the Federation of kayaking and canoeing. The man was very persistent in his courtship, but Irina three times rejected his offer of a hand and heart. This did not stop the businessman in love, and in the end the gymnast surrendered.
It should be noted that the husband of Irina Chashchina is seventeen years older than her and is a close friend of Dmitry Medvedev, who was then the President of Russia.
According to official figures, the couple does not have children.
