Back in the 1980s, Russian gymnasts dominated the gymnastics scene in the World. The former Russian gymnast Svetlana Khorkina is still considered one of the most successful gymnasts of all time.
The story of Aliya Mustafina seems like that of a reborn flower. Mustafina has beat the record of Svetlana Khorkina, the record that had been there since 1996.
Also, Russia had a 12-year drought of Olympic gold. The last time Russia brought home gold was when Khorkina had won in 2000.
Aliya brought home not only the Olympic gold that Russians were patiently waiting for but four Olympic medals, becoming the most decorated Olympian in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The seven Olympic medal winner Aliya Mustafina and her achievements in her short-lived career show how dominant this Russian lady was in the gymnastic world.
With 12 World Championships, 7 Olympic Medals, 12 European Championships, Aliya Mustafina has earned the reputation as one of the best gymnasts not only in Russia but in the entire world.
So, today, let’s dive into the life of Aliya Mustafina and uncover how she became one of the best gymnasts in the world.
Quick Facts
| Name | Aliya Mustafina |
| Full Name | Aliya Farkhatovna Mustafina |
| Nickname | Queen |
| Birth Date | 30 September 1994 |
| Age | 27 years old |
| Birth Place | Yegoryevsk, Russia |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Star Sign | Libra |
| Father | Farhat Mustafina |
| Mother | Yelena Mustafina |
| Siblings | 1; Nailya Mustafina |
| Height | 1.62 m (5’4″) |
| Weight | 48 kg (106 lb) |
| Eye Color | Hazel |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Body Measurements | 31-24-33 inches |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Former Spouse | Alexey Zaitsev |
| Children | Alisa Mustafina-Zaytseva (Alice) |
| High School | N/A |
| University | N/A |
| Educational Qualification | N/A |
| Profession | Artistic Gymnast |
| Debut | 2007 |
| Retirement | June 8, 2021 |
| Club | CSKA Moscow |
| Coaches |
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| Olympic Medals | 2 Gold, 2 Silver & 3 Bronze |
| Net Worth | $1 Million |
| Social Media | |
| Merch | Rare Poster Print, Gymnastic Mat |
| Last Update | August, 2022 |
Early Years of Aliya Mustafina
Queen, also known as Aliya Mustafina, was born on September 30, 1994, in the Moscow, Russia, suburb of Yegoryevsk. She was the first child to be born to Yelena and Farhat Mustafina (Mother).
The gymnast also has the athlete gene because his father was an Olympian. In the Greco-Roman wrestling event at the 1976 Summer Olympics, he won a bronze medal.
Her mother teaches physics, nevertheless. Additionally, Aliya has a sister named Nailya who used to compete for the Russian junior national gymnastics team.
Gymnast Aliya Mustafina’s Career
When Mustafina was just six years old, she began performing gymnastics. But after competing in and winning the International Gymnix in Montreal in 2007, she made a breakthrough.
She finished second at the Japan Junior International in Yokohama and the Stella Zakharova Cup in Kyiv that same year.
The Russian-born competitor participated in the senior division of the Russian National Championships in 2009 and won the all-around competition. She finished third on the floor, second on the balance beam, and first on the uneven bars, apart from that.
Despite beginning her senior-level gymnast career in 2010, Mustafina was unable to compete at the Russian National Championships because of an injury.
However, Mustafina received the recognition and attention she deserved in that year, and she began competing internationally in several gymnast competitions.
worldwide competitions
In her career as a gymnast, Aliya Mustafina has amassed a total of 12 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship titles.
As the top qualifier to the final round of the 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship, the young gymnast made history. She broke the record after Svetlana Khorkina in 1996, becoming the first female gymnast to do so.
The Russian-born competitor took home five of the six medals available. She won three silvers (vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise) in addition to two golds (team and all-around).
Additionally, in the 2013 World Championship for Balance Beam, “Queen” took home another gold medal. In the same year, she also took home two bronze medals.
Aliya earned three bronze medals for team, balancing beam, and floor exercise in the subsequent season, which she afterwards dubbed the “bronze season.”
In 2018, Aliya earned a silver medal for the team at the world championships in Doha. This was her final appearance at a global championships, since she withdrew from competition the following year.
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Olympics in London in 2012: Four Medals
Due to a knee injury, Mustafina’s participation in the 2012 London Olympics was in doubt. But Aliya competed in the Olympics and returned to Russia with four medals—one gold, one silver, and two bronze.
The most decorated Russian Olympian was Aliya, who wore a variety of brightly lit medals around her neck. The Olympian won bronze medals for both floor exercise and all-around.
She lost her chance to win the all-around when she went off the balance beam. To many people’s shock, she finished third and had the same score as Aly Raisman.
There was only one Olympic bronze medal awarded despite the tie. In order to determine the third champion, the gymnast’s two lowest apparatus scores were discarded.
If not for that beam mishap, Mustafina would have prevailed. She consequently received the Olympic Bronze medal and was named the third winner.
The same was true for another bronze medal. Despite being tied with Italy’s Vanessa Ferrari, the 5’4″ gymnast won the bronze medal because of a score that was 0.3 points better.
Mustafina made a significant contribution to the team final with a score of 60.266. The Russian squad finished in second place because to superb teamwork and coordination. obtaining the Olympic Silver Medal as a result.
At the uneven bars, Mustafina ultimately captured the Olympic gold. With an execution score of 9.133 out of 10 and a difficulty score of 7, she set a new record in the grand finale.
In the Olympic final, only the Russian gymnast broke the 16-point barrier. Queen broke the record and brought an end to Russia’s 12-year Olympic gold drought.
Rio Olympics 2016
Mustafina surely represented Russia at the 2016 Olympics in Rio after her outstanding performances at the Olympics in 2012.
Aliya brought home three medals this time as well: one gold, one silver, and one bronze. Overall, Mustafina took home the bronze medal. She finished with a score of 58.66, two points behind American Aly Raisman and Simon Biles.
She established a record by being just the ninth gymnast in Olympic history to accomplish the feat twice. Repeating their Olympic success from 2012, the Russian team finished second and took home the silver medal in the team competition behind the United States.
Mustafina also successfully defended her 2012 title by taking home gold in the solo uneven bars. She made history as the first female gymnast after Svetlana Khorkina by winning two Olympic gold medals for the same competition.
Retirement
On June 8, 2021, Aliya Mustafina ceased competing as a gymnast. Due to her ailments, the Russian-born competitor has recently been forced to withdraw.
However, Aliya intended to participate in her final Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 before retiring, but the Covid epidemic prevented her from realizing her ambition.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were delayed because to the Covid epidemic, and a new date for the Olympics was uncertain. Aliya retired a month before the 2021 Summer Olympics.
Aliya, who resigned from gymnastics at the age of 26 with two Olympic gold medals and 12 World Championship titles, does not have many regrets, though.
Career as a Coach
Due to a string of injuries that prevented her from competing, Aliya Mustafina retired early despite having reached the pinnacle of her career.
Despite having retired as an athlete, the two-time Olympic gymnast continues to support gymnasts by serving as a coach. The Junior National Team’s interim head coach has been named as Aliya. Because she lacks the coaching experience to be named head coach, she is now employed in an acting capacity.
Personal Life of Aliya Mustafina
On November 3, 2016, Aliya Mustafina and Alexey Zaitsev exchanged vows. In the fall of 2015, the pair began dating after meeting at a hospital.
Alice is the couple’s other daughter. In order to care for her daughter, Aliya had to take a season off from her gymnastics career.
The couple’s marriage lasted only 1.5 years before they chose to be divorced, thus their story wasn’t happy. Aliya is currently a single mother parenting her daughter.
Aliya said that there wasn’t a specific cause for the divorce, only that she had picked the wrong partner. Queen asked her admirers politely not to inquire about her divorce because she didn’t want to discuss it.
Aliya further noted that she was still appreciative of her ex-husband for giving Alice the lovely gift Not to mention, both the mother and daughter are content with their own company and the gymnast expresses how much she adores Alice.
Value of Aliya Mustafina
Aliya Mustafina is thought to have a net worth of about $1 million. Her career as a gymnast has contributed to her wealth.
Aliya has triumphed in numerous national and international gymnastics competitions. She has a considerable increase in net worth as a result of her numerous Olympic medals.
Every gold, silver, and bronze medal costs Russia $61,000, $38,000, and $26,000, respectively.
Let’s estimate Aliya Mustafina’s earnings from her Olympic performances.
Aliya finished the 2012 Olympics with one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. This indicates that she only received money from the 2012 Olympics, or about $151,000.
She earned a total of $125,000 from her three Olympic medals, one gold, one silver, and one bronze. She also receives considerable compensation from sponsorships and endorsements in addition to this.
Aliya Mustafina | Social Media
Aliya Mustafina is active in her social media, particularly Instagram. She uses Instagram to share her professional as well as personal life.
She frequently posts there pictures of her daughter, vacations, and her life as a gymnast coach.
You can follow her on Instagram to know more.
Instagram : 194K Followers
FAQs
Will Aliya Mustafina compete in 2021?
No, Aliya Mustafina won’t compete in 2021 as she has officially retired as a gymnast. She last competed in early 2019 and was out of the 2019 world championships.
Mustafina wanted to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics before retiring, but she quit before the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021.
Was Aliya Mustafina pregnant at the Olympics?
No, Aliya Mustafina wasn’t pregnant during the Olympics. The gymnast competed in the 2016 Olympics that was held in August of 2016.
However, She revealed that she was pregnant in January of 2017. She gave birth in June 2017.
Does Aliya Mustafina speak English?
Aliya Mustafina knows only a few English words. She speaks Russian most of the time and is not fluent in English.