Elena Alekseevna Karpukhina is a retired rhythmic gymnast who competed for the Soviet Union.
11 Facts About Elena Karpukhina
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Elena Karpukhina is the 1967 World All-around champion and 1971 World All-around silver medalist.
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Elena Karpukhina spent the first two years of her childhood living in prison with her mother, who was pardoned in 1953.
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Elena Karpukhina took up ballet at nine years of age and started rhythmic gymnastics training in 1962.
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Elena Karpukhina was coached by Tamara Vartanova and Maria Lisitzian who coached other Soviet stars such as Ludmila Savinkova and Tatiana Kravtchenko.
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Elena Karpukhina won the 1967 World Championships in All-around at 16 years of age and became the second soviet RG to win the All-around, she won the silver medal in hoop and rope.
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Elena Karpukhina returned at the 1971 World Championships and won the silver medal in All-around behind Bulgarian star Maria Gigova, she won silver in ribbon and bronze in rope.
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At her very last competition, the Moscow RG Cup, Elena Karpukhina was pregnant with her daughter Nadezda.
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Elena Karpukhina became a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in 1998.
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Elena Karpukhina later ran as a candidate in the Moscow City Duma.
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April 12,2011 Elena Karpukhina transferred all her medals to the Butyrka museum.