Elena Evgenievna Minaeva (born February 17, 1972, Moscow, USSR) is a Russian basketball player who played the role of a center player. Silver medalist of the World Cup, three-time champion of Russia, international master of sports.
Biography and career
By parental will and will, Elena Minaeva became a pupil of the Moscow basketball school “Trinta”. Her career was not easy, and therefore is worthy of respect. She receives an invitation to the cadet team of the Soviet Union in 1989. It was the European Championship in Romania, where Elena becomes the owner of a bronze medal. The very next year, she became a member of the USSR junior team; it was in the team that Elena fights for the European championship in Spain and wins. The famous athlete attracts the attention of famous trainers of the country.
When Elena graduated from sports school, coach Tatyana Ovechkina invited a promising basketball player to Dynamo Moscow. Dynamo became the first and only Russian professional club for Elena and her career. Dynamo is her second family. All the successes of the team, starting from the late 90s and ending with the beginning of the 2000s, are inextricably linked with Minaeva: three-time champion of Russia, winner of 3 bronze medals of the Russian championship. Elena achieved a club record for the number of rebounds in one match (23). It was installed in the 1997/1998 season in the Dynamo Energy match.
The most distinguished season is 1997/1998. The basketball player then won the first “gold” in the Russian championship, and in the preliminary tournament Minaeva scored the most points (16.4 on average) in the team in 30 matches, and in the final series against “Uralmash” she got the second indicator (13.6 points). During the qualifying tournament for the European Championship - 1999, held in Israel, Elena made her debut. This happened on May 13, 1998 in a match against Yugoslavia as part of the Russian team. Two weeks later, the basketball player becomes a member of the "world forum" in Germany. There she takes part in two games. In the games of the Russian team, after these competitions, Elena did not participate.
The 2001/2002 season was the last basketball season for Elena. It ends on a positive note: winning bronze medals at Dynamo Energy, participating in the semifinals of the Ronchetti Cup. The last match with the French team “Tarbom” was a real benefit for Minaeva (21 points, 10 rebounds). But fate decided then in its own way: according to the results of two matches held, Dynamo did not get four points to reach the final of the European Cup. Elena made her contribution to the development of Russian basketball unambiguously and indisputably.
Today Elena Minaeva is a judge of the Moscow College of Basketball Referees. She trains children with full dedication at the school of Olympic reserve No. 49 "Trinta" (specialized children and youth school named after Y. Ravinsky). Her education and work are always closely intertwined with basketball.
Personal life
Elena Minaeva does not advertise her personal life. Who her husband is is unknown. However, all her friends are convinced that she is a wonderful wife.
