13 Facts About Alina Kozich

Alina Kozich is a Ukrainian former artistic gymnast.

Alina Kozich was a member of the Ukrainian team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Alina Kozich first came to prominence at the age of 13, when she won the all-around competition at the 2001 European Youth Olympics in Murcia, Spain.

Alina Kozich's success continued with a gold medal on the uneven bars and a 4th-place finish in the all-around at the 2002 Junior European Championships in Patras, Greece.

Alina Kozich was the first Ukrainian to take this title since Lilia Podkopayeva in 1996, and joined a list of older compatriots such as Tatiana Gutsu and Ludmilla Tourischeva.

Frequently, the European all-around champion in an Olympic year goes on to take the Olympic all-around title, so expectations for Alina Kozich were high heading into Athens.

At the Olympics, Alina Kozich helped the Ukrainian team finish fourth, their best-ever Olympic result.

However, in the all-around final, Alina Kozich had major problems on the balance beam, with a big balance check on one of her simplest elements and then falling on her dismount, and placed 11th.

Alina Kozich did not make any individual finals at the 2005 World Championships in Melbourne or the 2006 European Championships in Greece, but she won a silver medal on floor at the 2005 Glasgow Grand Prix and helped the Ukrainian team to a fifth-place finish at the 2006 European Championships.

Alina Kozich helped the Ukrainian team finish fifth in the team final.

Alina Kozich won several medals at World Cup events in 2007 and solidified her comeback with bronze medals in the all-around and on floor at the European Championships in Amsterdam, with Vanessa Ferrari of Italy taking both titles.

Alina Kozich made her second Olympic team in 2008 and competed on all four events in qualifications, trying to make the all-around final.

Alina Kozich became the official choreographer of the Japanese women's gymnastics team and was present as a coach at the 2010 World Championships in Rotterdam.