Alternative name(s) Vera Biriukova Gym Novogorsk Height 1.68 m Residence Moscow, Russia | Years on national team 2013–present Head coach(es) Tatiana Sergaeva Weight 47 kg Country represented Russia | |
Full name Vera Leonidovna Biryukova Born 11 April 1998 (age 18)
Omsk, Omsk Oblast, Russia ( 1998-04-11 ) Club OMSK Centre of Gymnastics Similar Maria Tolkacheva, Anastasiya Tatareva, Anastasia Bliznyuk | ||
Vera Leonidovna Biryukova (Russian: Вера Леонидовна Бирюкова; born 11 April 1998 in Omsk, Omsk Oblast, Russia) is a Russian group rhythmic gymnast. She is member of the 2016 Olympics Group all-around champion.
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Career
Biryukova was born in Omsk (also home to two-time Olympic champion Evgenia Kanaeva, 2004 Olympic silver medalist Irina Tchachina, Soviet World champion Galima Shugurova, 1987 World Champion Tatiana Druchinina and 2012 London Olympics Group all-around champion Ksenia Dudkina). She began gymnastics at five years old under the encouragement of her mother, her first coach was Natalia Glemba, she studied at the Omsk schools number 61 and 125 where she began training with Elena Arais and her mother Vera Shtelbaums.
Biryukova was briefly included as part of Russia's group however she was later relegated to the reserve team. It wasn't until in 2016 that she had her big breakthrough, Biryukova returned as member of the Russian national group after replacing Ksenia Poliakova, she began competing with the Russian group at the 2016 World Cup series in Kazan and Baku.
On August 19–21, Biryukova was member of the golden winning Russian group (together with Anastasia Maksimova, Maria Tolkacheva, Anastasia Bliznyuk, Anastasiia Tatareva) that won gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.