Deriugins School
The Deriugina School, also known as the Deriugins' School is a rhythmic gymnastics club in Kiev, Ukraine. It is run by the mother and daughter team of Albina Deriugina, who is the head coach, and Irina Deriugina, who acts as the assistant coach.
Every year since 1992 the club plays host to the biggest rhythmic gymnastics competition in Ukraine, The Deriugina Cup (Кубок Дерюгіної).
History of The School
In the 1970s Deriugina Gymnasts comprised the majority of the Soviet Team with the Deriugina gymnasts becoming not only Soviet but European and World champions. During this era the most notable individual gymnast was, Irina Deriugina - the 1977 & 1979 World champion. The school was also very strong in the groups discipline during this period with European and World titles for the group, consisting of Viktoria Serykh, Olga Plokhova, Ludmila Yevtushenko, Olga Shchegoleva, Zhanna Vasyura & Irina Deriugina.
Ten years after the school's initial success it had a few more champions to give. Aleksandra Timoshenko become the Bronze medal winner at the 1988 Olympics and the Champion at 1992 Olympics, and became the role model for the über-waif rhythmic gymnast look. Along with Timoshenko, the school produced Oksana Skaldina who went on to claim the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics, with Timoshenko taking the gold.
Throughout the 1990s The Deriugina school produced numerous champions and gymnasts of interest. Gymnasts such as Ekaterina Serebrianskaya and Elena Vitrichenko dominated the mid 90s. The school had a big emergence of talent in the late 90s and early 00s led by the daughter of Viktoria Serykh, Anna Bessonova.
Notable alumni
- Irina Deriugina - 1977 All around World Champion, 1979 All around World Champion.
- Aleksandra Timoshenko - 1992 All around Olympic Champion, 1988 All around European Champion (shared with Adriana Dunavska & Elizabeth Koleva), 1989 All around World Champion, 1990 All around European Champion.
- Oksana Skaldina - 1991 All around World Champion.
- Ekaterina Serebrianskaya - 1995 European Cup Final Champion, 1995 All around World Champion (with Maria Petrova), 1996 All around European Champion, 1996 All around Olympic Champion.
- Elena Vitrichenko - 1997 All around European Champion, 1997 All around World Champion.
- Tamara Yerofeeva - 2001 All around World Champion.
- Natalia Godunko - 2005 European Champion in ribbon and 2006 World Cup Final Champion in rope.
- Anna Bessonova - 2007 All around World Champion.
- Ganna Rizatdninova - 2013 World Championship, Gold medal in hoop.
- Alina Maksymenko - 2013 World Championship 3rd in final clubs .