Elena Piskun

Elena Piskun
Full nameYelena Mikhaylovna Piskun
Nickname(s)Lena
Country represented Belarus
Born (1978-02-02) 2 February 1978 (age 46)
Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
HometownBobruisk, Belarus
Height5 ft 0 in (1.52 m)
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior international elite
Head coach(es)Valery Kolodinsky
Medal record
Representing  Belarus
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1993 Birmingham Vault
Gold medal – first place 1996 San Juan Uneven Bars
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1994 Stockholm Vault
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Birmingham Balance Beam
European Team Championships
Gold medal – first place 1997 Paris Team

Elena (or Yelena) Mikhaylovna "Lena" Piskun (Belarusian: Алена Піскун; Russian: Елена Михайловна "Лена" Пискун [pʲɪˈskun]; born 2 February 1978)[1] is a Belarusian former artistic gymnast who won two World Championship gold medals in the 1990s and competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Personal life

Piskun was born in Minsk, Belarus, in 1978.[1] Her father worked in a tire factory, and her mother was a bookkeeper. She has a younger brother, Viktor.[2] She is 5 feet 0 inches (1.52 m) tall.[1] She currently lives in the United States.

Career

Piskun started gymnastics at the age of six and was coached by Valery Kolodinsky during her career. The gym in her hometown of Bobruisk was small, so she traveled to Minsk to train before major competitions.[2]

At the 1993 World Championships in Birmingham, England, Piskun won the gold medal on vault.[3] In April 1994, she competed at the Individual World Championships in Brisbane, Australia, and finished fifth on vault with a score of 9.725 and fifth on floor exercise with a score of 9.675. At the World Championship Team Finals in Dortmund, Germany, in November, Piskun helped the Belarus team to a sixth-place finish.[4] At the 1995 World Championships in Sabae, Japan, she was 10th in the all-around with a score of 38.53.[5]

Piskun finished third on balance beam and eighth on floor exercise at the 1996 European Championships.[2] In April, she competed at the World Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and won a gold medal on uneven bars with a score of 9.787.[6] At that year's Olympic Games in Atlanta, Piskun helped Belarus finish sixth in the team competition, and she was also 12th in the individual all-around with a score of 38.649.[1] At the 1997 World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, she finished 30th in the all-around with a score of 35.474.[7]

Piskun owns and coaches at Infinity Gymnastics in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Competition History

Year Event TF AA VT UB BB FX
1991 Cottbus International 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
1992 Chunichi Cup 5 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Tokyo Cup 6 4
Medico Cup 5
CIS Cup 15
1993 American Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
International Mixed Pairs 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Hungarian International 4
European Cup 14
French International 4 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
USA-BLR-UKR Meet 6
Soapberry World Challenge 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Swiss Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Gander Memorial 1st place, gold medalist(s)
World Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Chunichi Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
1994 DTB Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 4
American Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Birmingham Classic 6
World Championships 10 5 5
European Championships 5 12 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5 4 5
USA-BLR-CHN Tri-Meet 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Goodwill Games 8 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
International Mixed Pairs 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Swiss Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7
Team World Championships 6
1995 Cottbus Cup 7 8 4 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
DTB Cup 6 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
European Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 4 4 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 8
Hapoel Games 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Ostrava International 6
Varna Golden Sands International 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Gander Memorial 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
World Championships 8 10
Pre-Olympics 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
1996 Cottbus International 6 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5
DTB Cup 5 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Gander Memorial 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Swiss Cup 4 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4
World Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
European Championships 4 11 6 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 8
Australia Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Catania Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
French International 5 4
Grand Prix of Rome 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
ITA-BLR-ROM-RUS Meet 4
Olympic Games 6 12
1997 Cottbus International 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
BLR-CHN-SUI Tri Meet 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 11
European Gymnastics Masters 1st place, gold medalist(s)
World Championships 30

[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Lena Piskun". sports-reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Gutman, Dan (1998). Gymnastics. Penguin.
  3. ^ "Men's and Women's World Championships Results" Archived 2014-03-20 at the Wayback Machine. usagym.org. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  4. ^ "1994 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships". usagym.org. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  5. ^ "31st World Championships ‐ Artistic Gymnastics". usagym.org. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  6. ^ "1996 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships". usagym.org. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  7. ^ "33rd World Championships Artistic Gymnastics". usagym.org. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  8. ^ "Elena Piskun". 26 May 2020.
  9. ^ "Gymn Forum: Elena Piskun Biography".