Nastya (championat.com, 21 Aug 2016)

Athlete, Student

Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health, St. Petersburg, RUS

English, Russian

MGFSO [Moscow, RUS]

Irina Viner-Usmanova [national], RUS

Her father Ilya Bliznyuk was a football goalkeeper and played for the Ukrainian national team. (gazeta.ru, 09 Sep 2014)

2009 (infosport.ru, 19 Jul 2013)

She began the sport at Burtasy Sports School in Penza, Russian Federation. (arhi21-wordpress.tw1.ru, 2016)

She followed her mother into the sport. "I saw my mother's medals and [Russian rhythmic gymnast] Alina Kabaeva's performance on TV and I wanted to learn the same. At first, my mother was against it. She said that I had to study, and took me to some very prestigious lyceum that specialised in languages. But it was all in vain, I immediately said, 'I don't want to study - I want to do gymnastics'. In the end, I achieved my goal - my mother signed me up for a group, but not for the strongest coach. She thought I would indulge myself, get tired of everything and calm down. A year later, she saw that I could really do a lot, and my skills were not bad, and she passed me on to another coach, a stronger one." (matchtv.ru, 28 Sep 2016)

By winning silver in the group all-around competition at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, she became the first rhythmic gymnast to win three medals at the Olympic Games. She previously won gold medals in the same event at both the 2012 and 2016 Games. (gymnastics.sport, 08 Aug 2021; SportsDeskOnline, 07 Oct 2021)

To compete at the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. (penza.aif.ru, 31 Aug 2021)

In recognition of the silver medal she won at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, she received the Order for Merits to the Fatherland [first class] from the president of the Russian Federation. (kremlin.ru, 11 Aug 2021)

For her achievements at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, she received the Order of Friendship and the Order of Honour from the president of Russian Federation. (infosport.ru, 19 Jul 2013; kremlin.ru, 25 Aug 2016)

She holds the title of Honoured Master of Sport in the Russian Federation. (minsport.gov.ru, 24 Dec 2020)

General
HIATUS
She took a break from the sport after competing at the 2013 World Championships in Kiev, Ukraine. In 2014 she suffered an infection and spent about six weeks in recovery. After returning to health, she took up a coaching role with a Russian reserve team. She began training again in 2015 and returned to competition at the 2016 Grand Prix event in Moscow, Russian Federation. (tass.ru, 29 Oct 2014; rsport.ru, 24 Feb 2015; vfrg.ru, 23 Feb 2016)