The Most Famous
GYMNASTS from Ukraine
Top 10
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Ukrainian Gymnasts of all time. This list of famous Ukrainian Gymnasts is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Ukrainian Gymnasts.
1. Larisa Latynina (b. 1934)
With an HPI of 71.45, Larisa Latynina is the most famous Ukrainian Gymnast. Her biography has been translated into 64 different languages on wikipedia.
Larisa Semyonovna Latynina (Russian: Лариса Семёновна Латынина, née Diriy, Дирий; born 27 December 1934) is a Russian former artistic gymnast. Between 1956 and 1964 she won 14 individual Olympic medals and four team medals for the Soviet Union. She holds the record for the most Olympic gold medals by a female gymnast with nine. Her total of 18 Olympic medals was a record for 48 years. She held the record for individual event medals for over 52 years, winning 14. She is credited with helping to establish the Soviet Union as a dominant force in gymnastics.
2. Viktor Chukarin (1921 - 1984)
With an HPI of 59.45, Viktor Chukarin is the 2nd most famous Ukrainian Gymnast. His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.
Viktor Ivanovich Chukarin (Russian: Виктор Иванович Чукарин, Ukrainian: Віктор Іванович Чукарін; 9 November 1921 – 25 August 1984) was a Ukrainian gymnast who competed for the Soviet Union. He won eleven medals including seven gold medals at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics (including the individual all-around title on both occasions) and was the all-around world champion in 1954. He was the most successful athlete at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
3. Tatiana Gutsu (b. 1976)
With an HPI of 49.91, Tatiana Gutsu is the 3rd most famous Ukrainian Gymnast. Her biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Tatiana Gutsu, rarely Tetiana Hutsu, (Ukrainian: Тетяна Костянтинівна Ґуцу, Romanian: Tatiana Guțu; born 5 September 1976, in Odesa, Ukrainian SSR) is a Ukrainian former artistic gymnast from the Soviet Union and the winner of the all-around title in the 1992 Summer Olympics. She was renowned for performing some of the most difficult routines in the sport. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2022.
4. Anna Bessonova (b. 1984)
With an HPI of 48.22, Anna Bessonova is the 4th most famous Ukrainian Gymnast. Her biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Hanna Volodymyrivna Bezsonova (Ukrainian: Ганна Володимирівна Безсонова/Hanna Volodymyrivna Bezsonova; born 29 July 1984) is a Ukrainian former individual rhythmic gymnast. She is one of the most decorated rhythmic gymnast of her generation. She is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist (2004 and 2008); a five-time medalist in the all-around competition of the World Championships: gold in 2007, silver in 2003 and 2005, bronze in 2001 and 2009; a four-time medalist in the all-around competition of the European Championships: silver in 2004 and 2008, bronze in 2002 and 2006; and a four-time medalist in the all-around competition of the Grand Prix Final: gold in 2003, silver in 2002 and 2005, bronze in 2004.
5. Tatiana Lysenko (b. 1975)
With an HPI of 45.33, Tatiana Lysenko is the 5th most famous Ukrainian Gymnast. Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Tatiana Felixivna Lysenko (Ukrainian: Тетяна Фелiксiвна Лисенко; born June 23, 1975) is a Soviet and Ukrainian former gymnast, who had her senior competitive career from 1990 to 1994. Lysenko was a member of the Soviet Union team during the early 1990s, a period when its pool of talent was deep (the USSR never lost the women's team competition in the Olympic Games). She is the 1992 Olympic champion on balance beam.
6. Hrihoriy Misyutin (b. 1970)
With an HPI of 43.77, Hrihoriy Misyutin is the 6th most famous Ukrainian Gymnast. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Hryhoriy Anatoliyovych Misyutin (Ukrainian: Григорій Анатолійович Місютін; born 29 December 1970) is a Ukrainian artistic gymnast, formerly representing the Soviet Union and the Unified Team. At the 1992 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal in the team event and four individual silver medals. He is the 1991 World all-around, rings, and team champion. He is also the 1992 World horizontal bar champion, the 1993 World floor exercise champion, and the 1995 World vault champion. He helped Ukraine win the team bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
7. Olena Vitrychenko (b. 1976)
With an HPI of 43.26, Olena Vitrychenko is the 7th most famous Ukrainian Gymnast. Her biography has been translated into 14 different languages.
Olena Ihorivna Vitrychenko (Ukrainian: Олена Ігорівна Вітриченко, Russian: Елена Игоревна Витриченко; born 25 November 1976), also known as Elena or Yelena Vitrichenko, is a Ukrainian former rhythmic gymnast who primarily competed as an individual. She is the 1996 Olympics bronze medalist, the 1997 World all-around champion, and the 1997 European all-around champion. She now coaches in the United States.
8. Anastasia Bliznyuk (b. 1994)
With an HPI of 42.05, Anastasia Bliznyuk is the 8th most famous Ukrainian Gymnast. Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Anastasia Ilyinichna Bliznyuk (Russian: Анастасия Ильинична Близнюк, IPA: [ɐnəstɐˈsʲijə blʲɪˈzʲnʲuk]; born 28 June 1994) is a Russian rhythmic gymnast and coach. She is a two-time Group All-around champion at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, silver medalist at the 2020 Olympics, world champion at the 2017 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, bronze medalist at the 2013 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, and three-time European champion at the 2012, 2016 and 2018 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships. She is the third group rhythmic gymnast to win two gold medals in the Olympic Games after the late Natalia Lavrova and Yelena Posevina, and the only rhythmic gymnast to win three medals in the Olympic Games.
9. Oleksandr Beresch (1977 - 2004)
With an HPI of 41.75, Oleksandr Beresch is the 9th most famous Ukrainian Gymnast. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Oleksandr Beresch (Ukrainian: Олександр Береш; 12 October 1977, Pervomaisk – 29 February 2004, Kyiv) was a gymnast from Ukraine and Olympic medallist at the 2000 Sydney Games. Coached by former Soviet World Champion Igor Korobchinsky, Beresch began competing internationally for Ukraine in 1997, winning a bronze medal on the high bar at his first World Championships. Over the next several years he became the preeminent male gymnast on the Ukrainian team, medalling at the World Cup several times. Beresch's breakout year was 2000; in this year he was the European all-around and high bar champion, as well as the bronze all-around medalist at the 2000 Olympics. His contributions to the Ukrainian team helped them win their first team medal, a silver, in Sydney. He continued to turn in strong performances after the Olympics, winning three medals at the 2001 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and winning the high bar gold at the 2000 World finals in Paris.
10. Oleg Vernyayev (b. 1993)
With an HPI of 40.85, Oleg Vernyayev is the 10th most famous Ukrainian Gymnast. Her biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Oleg Yuriyovych Verniaiev (Ukrainian: Олег Юрійович Верняєв; born 29 September 1993) is a Ukrainian artistic gymnast. He is the 2016 Olympic parallel bars champion and individual all-around silver medalist. Verniaiev is also the 2014 World parallel bars champion, the 2015 European individual all-around champion and the 2017 European individual all-around champion. He is a three-time Olympian, having represented Ukraine at the 2012, 2016, and 2024 Olympic Games. He missed the 2020 Olympic Games due to a doping ban resulting from having tested positive for the banned substance meldonium in an out-of-competition test in August 2020.
People
Pantheon has 25 people classified as Ukrainian gymnasts born between 1921 and 2003. Of these 25, 23 (92.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Ukrainian gymnasts include Larisa Latynina, Tatiana Gutsu, and Anna Bessonova. The most famous deceased Ukrainian gymnasts include Viktor Chukarin, and Oleksandr Beresch. As of April 2024, 3 new Ukrainian gymnasts have been added to Pantheon including Olena Vitrychenko, Oleksandr Beresch, and Yuri Nikitin.
Living Ukrainian Gymnasts
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Larisa Latynina
1934 - Present
HPI: 71.45
Tatiana Gutsu
1976 - Present
HPI: 49.91
Anna Bessonova
1984 - Present
HPI: 48.22
Tatiana Lysenko
1975 - Present
HPI: 45.33
Hrihoriy Misyutin
1970 - Present
HPI: 43.77
Olena Vitrychenko
1976 - Present
HPI: 43.26
Anastasia Bliznyuk
1994 - Present
HPI: 42.05
Oleg Vernyayev
1993 - Present
HPI: 40.85
Valeriy Honcharov
1977 - Present
HPI: 40.22
Yuri Nikitin
1978 - Present
HPI: 40.20
Igor Radivilov
1992 - Present
HPI: 39.23
Artem Dolgopyat
1997 - Present
HPI: 38.69
Deceased Ukrainian Gymnasts
Go to all RankingsNewly Added Ukrainian Gymnasts (2025)
Go to all RankingsOlena Vitrychenko
1976 - Present
HPI: 43.26
Oleksandr Beresch
1977 - 2004
HPI: 41.75
Yuri Nikitin
1978 - Present
HPI: 40.20
