Amina Zaripova

Amina Vasilovna Zaripova (Амина Василовна Зарипова; Әминә Васил кызы Зарипова, born 10 August 1976) is a retired Russian individual rhythmic gymnast who now works as an elite rhythmic gymnastics coach.

At the 1991 European Junior Championships, Zaripova won her first set of medals—gold for the team event and bronze for the all-round and clubs.

After the death of Oxana Kostina, Zaripova became the leader of the Russian national composition.

Zaripova along with Julia Rosliakova and Inessa Gizikova won bronze in the team at the 1993 World Championships, she also won bronze in the all-around.

She is the 1994 World All-around silver medalist, 1993 World All-around bronze medalist and a two time (1996, 1994) European All-around bronze medalist.

The following year, she placed second at Corbeil-Essonnes International and third at the 1994 European Championships, earning four medals in the apparatus finals with gold for ball, clubs and bronze for hoop, ribbon.

She also won three titles at the 1994 Goodwill Games, the (all-round, hoop, ball), as well as a silver medal (clubs) and a bronze medal (ribbon).

At her next World event, Zaripova placed second in All-round at the 1994 World Championships, where she also came in third with clubs and second with ribbon.

She was leading going into the final apparatus of the All Around, but a mistake in her final routine cost her the All Around gold which went to the 93, 94, and 95 world AA champion Maria Petrova.

The following years, she was overshadowed by rising Russians stars Yanina Batyrchina and Natalia Lipkovskaya.

At the 1995 World Championships, Batyrchina won the bronze medal while Zaripova finished fourth.

She finished fourth at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Amina Zaripova is of Tatar descent.

She is married to Alexei Kortnev, lead singer of Neschastny Sluchai, with whom she has two sons, Arseniy and Afanasiy, and two daughters, Aksiniya and Agafiya.

Zaripova studied ballet until the age of ten when she caught the eye of then-Uzbek head coach Irina Viner.

When Viner relocated to Moscow to become the Russian head coach, Zaripova followed.

early in her career, she was called the second Zaripova who shares the same last name of Viner's first international gymnast Venera Zaripova.

Zaripova finished 4th in the All-around at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, narrowly losing to both Ukraine's Olena Vitrychenko and her teammate Yanina Batyrchina who controversially held on for silver after she made a mistake in her final routine.

She finished less than a tenth of a point behind both the silver and bronze medalists.

At the end of 1996, Zaripova underwent surgery to repair a torn left Achilles' tendon.

She briefly returned to competition in 1997 as part of the Russian team that won the bronze at the 1998 European Championships.

Zaripova's final event was the Schmiden International where she won gold medal for her ball exercise and silver for hoop.

She then retired from competition.

Zaripova was invited by the Greek Gymnastics Federation to coach their team.

She helped prepare the team for the 1999 World Championships, but ended up returning to Russia shortly afterwards.

In addition to publishing her own rhythmic gymnastics magazine, she works as a coach in Moscow.

Notable trainees include: