Irina Tchachina

Irina Tchachina
Full name	Irina Viktorovna Tchachina
Alternative name(s)	Irina Chashchina
Country represented	Russia
Born	(1982-04-24) 24 April 1982 (age 34) Omsk, Soviet Union
Height	166 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Discipline	Rhythmic gymnastics
Head coach(es)	Irina Viner
Assistant coach(es)	Vera Shtelbaums
Choreographer	Elena Arays
Eponymous skills	switch leap with changing legs; reverse illusion turns
Retired	2006
Medal record International gymnastics competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 1 0 World Championships 3 1 5 European Championships 6 3 2 European Team Championships 2 0 0 World Cup Final 2 1 0 Grand Prix Final 0 2 2 World Games 4 0 0 Summer Universiade 4 3 1 Total 21 11 10 Rhythmic Gymnastics Representing  Russia Olympic Games 2004 Athens All-Around World Championships 1999 Osaka Team 2003 Budapest Team 2005 Baku Team 2003 Budapest Clubs 2003 Budapest All-around 2003 Budapest Hoop 2005 Baku All-around 2005 Baku Rope 2005 Baku Clubs Disqualified 2001 Madrid All-around Disqualified 2001 Madrid Hoop Disqualified 2001 Madrid Rope Disqualified 2001 Madrid Ball Disqualified 2001 Madrid Clubs Disqualified 2001 Madrid Team European Championships 2000 Saragoza Team 2001 Geneva Rope 2004 Kiev Team 2005 Moscow Rope 2005 Moscow Clubs 2005 Moscow Team 2001 Geneva Hoop 2001 Geneva Ball 2001 Geneva Clubs 1998 Porto Team 2004 Kiev All-around European Team Championships 2001 Riesa Team 2003 Moscow Team World Cup Final 2004 Moscow Ball 2004 Moscow Clubs 2000 Glasgow Rope Grand Prix Final 2000 Deventer All-around 2005 Berlin Rope 2000 Deventer Ball 2000 Deventer Rope World Games 2001 Akita Rope 2001 Akita Hoop 2001 Akita Ball 2001 Akita Clubs Summer Universiade 2003 Daegu All-around 2003 Daegu Hoop 2003 Daegu Ball 2003 Daegu Clubs 2003 Daegu Ribbon 2005 Izmir All-around 2005 Izmir Ribbon 2005 Izmir Clubs Goodwill Games Disqualified 2001 Brisbane All-around Disqualified 2001 Brisbane Ball Disqualified 2001 Brisbane Clubs Disqualified 2001 Brisbane Rope Disqualified 2001 Brisbane Hoop

Irina Viktorovna Tchachina (also Chashchina or Tchashchina) (Russian: Ирина Викторовна Чащина; born 24 April 1982) is a retired Russian individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in all-around, a two-time (2003, 2005) World all-around bronze medalist, the 2004 European all-around bronze medalist and 2000 Grand Prix Final all-around silver medalist.

Tchachina was born to a Russian family as the eldest of three children. She has a younger brother and sister. In late 2011, Tchachina married Russian businessman Evgeny Arkhipov.

Tchachina was a technical gymnast, known for her expressive hands, high and big leaps, her switch leap with changing legs (almost similar to a Butterfly twist leap) was her signature leap. She has also executed reverse illusion turns.

Tchachina began training at the age of six in her hometown of Omsk (also the hometown of Galima Shugurova, Evgenia Kanaeva, Tatiana Druchinina, Ksenia Dudkina, Sofya Skomorokh). After she became impressed watching the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships on television, her grandfather, a devoted amateur sportsman, took her to a sports school. Her early days were filled with music lessons, swimming and rhythmic gymnastics. Faced with a choice at age 11, she chose gymnastics. She was coached by Vera Shtelbaums and her daughter Elena Arais since the age of five. Her favourite gymnasts are Olena Vitrychenko and Yanina Batyrchina.

Tchachina's first victory was at age eight at the Omskaya oblast championship. By age 12 she was a member of Russia's national team and routinely travelled to Moscow to take part in training camps. As a junior, she placed first at the CIS Spatakiada, and won the Russian women's championships twice in a row.

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