Amina Zaripova (her friends call her Mimino) was born on 10 August 1976 in Tchirtchik, Uzbekistan. She started with RSG in 1986 at the age of 9, and she was then selected by the National Russian coach Irina Viner to train in the National Center in Moscow, leaving her family for Rhythmic Gymnastics. She began a very hard life,training 42 hours per week. Anyway, she has lots of interests: she liked love stories, classic Russian authors, Stephen King; she listens to classic music and Russian songs.She has also another hobby: rollerskating, together with her teammate Natalia Lipovskaya.In 1992, at the World Championships in Alicante, Amina began to be noticed for her unbelievable flexibility. Then, her popularity got growing and growing,until in 1995 she won 2 apparatus finals in the World Championships in Wien, and she was 4th all-around.It was the top of her career. She weighted 46 kg, and she was 1.73 m tall: very,very thin! At the Olympic Games in 1996, she scored 5th. although probably she could have reached something more in my opinion. Now, she is more mature.She rarely makes mistakes and she is very different from the other gymnasts. Nobody can equal her ELEGANCE, her style in performing dance elements inside rhythmic gymnastics routines! Sometimes she has been criticized for her displaying of flexibility, she was told to be like a circus artist, but I don't agree with them. I think we can say that of Kabaeva, but not of Amina, because she was the first to introduce flexibility elements and they were finalized to show her grace and her originality.
On the 21-22nd March 1997 she scored 6th at the Russian National Championships, and 3rd with the hoop. In June1997 she partecipated to Universiadi in Sicilia, Italy, where she arrived third, although she scored 10.00 in the hoop routine, overwhelmed by Vitrichenko (1°) and Ogryzko (2°) who, by the way, now has retired. In the World Championships in Berlin(22-26/10/97) she didn't compete at the individual finals, because participation was limited to two gymnasts per country per final: so for Russia competed Batyrchina and Lipkovskaya, who have retired, too. :o( She was very sad, as told me Alexander Kochann who talked with her in Berlin when they were chatting, because she didn't have the possibility to partecipate to all the competitions. Here's Alex's comments:
"She cried as we talked and she finished 4th in the qualify but wasn't allowed to compete next day,because only the 2 best of each country were allowed to start.So I helped Amina not to be too depressed - and she helped me on Sunday since I was down there"
But, however, also thanx to her, Russia got the gold medal! :) She was training less in that period, also because after the Olympics she had an injury that obliged her not to train or three months. Here's a quote from the International Gymnasts Magazine: "Unfulfilled yet not discouraged by her slide from the medal podium, Zaripova limped out of the spotlight after the Olympic Games to undergo surgery for a torn left Achilles' tendon".

But during 1998 she started to train hard again! In facts, at the S. Francisco Rhythmic Invitational'98 (February 28 & March 01,1998) she performed dramatic new routines on all the events and so she swept the silvers (the gold was given to Vitrichenko). About the Deryugina Cup (March 13-15, 1998) ... here's what the reportage of Cetate World of Gymnastics says: "Sixth was veteran Amina Zaripova, shapelier than before, she has lost nothing of her amazing flexibility and displayed four great classical routines".
In the International Competition in Bochum she arrived 3rd with the hoop and the ribbon...click to see the other results. While she was competing here, she met Alexander Kochann who told her about my pages. She said she had already seen them and she was enthusiastic! She was very happy, so the "mind-cooler-Amina-girl" decided to write me something: click here to see her autographed message. I think everybody can guess how I am feeling now: my idol is finally grateful to me!!
Then at the European Championships in Porto 1998 she was 8th with clubs. Click here to see the results from the Alexander Kochann's Site )

Then, she had a period of indecision. She officially retired from Rhythmic Gymnastics on 25th September 1998 (you can find out more here ) but then she decided she couldn't give up rg, because she loved it too much. You can read an article about this, published on the International Gymnast, with her Interview . So, she started training again, ecouraged by her coach Irina Viner. And the results wouldn't have come out late. She scored 4th at the LA Lights Invitational 1999 and she won the International Competition in Schmiden. Now, she has retired from rhythmic gymnastics, probably because she felt challenged by the new gymnasts, like Kabaeva. According to "Gym Stars" Amina travelled to the Osaka Worlds with the Greece delegation,and she was the national coach in 1999.
At the Grand Prix of Moscow 2000 a great gift has been offered to the crowd : Amina Zaripova has lighten the grand Prix show. At age 25, she is still performing great doing exhibitions and she works to the Irina Viner's side as a coach.
Anyway, like Irene Germini said when she retired, "It's better to leave when your flight is still superb, and while you know you are yet looked upon by your opponents with a feeling of awe and admiration that is called respect. We don't need to be remembered as those who were only able to nurse with difficulty an imitation of themselves when they were at their best. And so, I feel this is enough. I leave while I still hear the applause"