Anna Bessonova, a Ukrainian former individual rhythmic gymnast, has left an indelible mark on the world of gymnastics. With an impressive list of achievements, including an Olympic Bronze medal and the title of 2007 World All-around Champion, Anna’s talent and dedication have propelled her to the top of her sport. Born into a family with a strong sporting background, Anna’s passion for gymnastics was nurtured from a young age by her mother, a former rhythmic gymnast and two-time World champion. Under the guidance of renowned coaches Albina Deriugina and Irina Deriugina, Anna’s natural abilities flourished, and she quickly gained recognition for her exceptional skills. Despite her youth, Anna’s remarkable performances caught the attention of the gymnastics world, and she became the youngest participant in the Ukrainian team during the 2001 World Championships. As her career progressed, Anna continued to shine, reaching her peak at the 2002 World Cup Final in Stuttgart, where she claimed first place in multiple events. Anna Bessonova’s journey is a testament to her unwavering determination and extraordinary talent, solidifying her status as one of the greatest rhythmic gymnasts of her time.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Ganna Volodymyrivna Bessonova
- Age: 39 Years, 39 Year Old Females
- Family:
- Father: Vladimir Bessonov
- Mother: Viktoria
- Siblings: Oleksandr Bessonov
- Gymnasts
- Ukrainian Women
- Height: 5’9″ (175 cm), 5’9″ Females
- City: Kyiv, Ukraine
Childhood & Early Life
Anna Bessonova was born as Hanna Volodymyrivna Bessonova on 29 July, 1984, in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, into a sporting family. Her father Vladimir Bessonov is a former Dynamo Kiev football player while her mother Viktoria, is a former two-time World champion group rhythmic gymnast. She has one brother, Alexander.
She was naturally inclined towards sports from a young age and her mother introduced her to rhythmic gymnastics when she was a little girl. She began receiving her formal training at the age of five. Her mother had great ambitions for her and also wanted Anna to learn ballet. However, the girl was more interested in gymnastics and her mother supported her.
Anna Bessonova attended Deriugins School in Kiev where she received coaching from Albina Deriugina and her daughter Irina Deriugina.
Career
She participated in the 2001 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, where she was the youngest member in the Ukrainian team. Her performance in the championship was so good that in spite of her young age, the specialists immediately recognized her as a future champion of the sport.
Originally she was placed fifth in the 2001 World Championships. Later on, Alina Kabaeva and her teammate Irina Tchachina who originally won gold and silver medal in All-around respectively tested positive to a banned diuretic (furosemide) and were thus stripped of their medals. This necessitated the results to be revamped, and Anna Bessonova was awarded the bronze medal.
In 2002, she participated as a member of the Ukrainian Group which won the gold medal in five Ribbons in New Orleans. The year saw her in great form and she dominated the final in the World Cup in Stuttgart in November, clinching the first place on the hoop, the rope and the clubs.
In 2003, she became a leader of the Ukrainian national team. She won the hoop event final beating Alina Kabaeva and the clubs final where she beat Irina Tchachina for the gold in the World Championships in Budapest. She also finished with a Silver medal in the all-around title, closely losing out to Alina.
She won three gold medals in the European Championship in 2003– in hoop, clubs and ribbon event finals. She also won three gold medals in the 2003 Grand Prix tournament in Innsbruck: hoop, ribbon and all-around.
She made her Olympic debut in 2004 and went on to win the bronze all-around medal. She also won the all-around silver medal at the 2004 European Championships.
She gave a stellar performance in the 2005 World Championships, winning silver medals in six categories including all-around, rope, ball, clubs and ribbon finals. The same year, she won the gold in rope in the World Games and also clinched four gold medals at the 2005 Universiade in Izmir.
The year 2007 was a very productive one for her. She participated in a number of competitive events and emerged victorious in many. She won all the gold medals in 2007 Summer Universiade beating Sessina and Kapranova, and also the silver medal behind Evgenia Kanaeva at the Corbeil-Essonnes World Cup.
She continued to be in top form in 2008 too and won all-around golds at the LA Lights, Deriugina Cup (Kiev World Cup) and Miss Valentine Competitions. She went on to clinch 15 medals at the World Cup the same year and won the all-around bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The year 2009 too proved to be a great one for her and she was placed first in the all-around at the Kiev World Cup and Deriugina Cup events. She followed it up with bronze medals in both the World and European Championships. She officially retired from the sport in 2010 after the Deriugina Cup in Kiev.
Awards & Achievements
Anna Bessonova is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist. She won bronze medal in all-around in 2004 and 2008 Olympics. She won the all-around gold medal in the 2007 World Championships.
Personal Life & Legacy
Anna Bessonova loves to read in her leisure time. She is a caring and considerate person who likes spending time with her friends. Now retired from gymnastics, she has embarked on a new career as a coach at the Deryugin School. She also participates in international events and conducts classes all over the world.