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Alina Kabayeva, Russia   Destination:   Imre Foeldi/AP 2000 Sydney Olympics rhythmic gymnastics competition Traveling from: Moscow, Russia Personal: Age: 17 Height: 5'3"   Kabayeva's coach, Irina Viner, predicted three years ago that her relatively unknown student would be an Olympic champion in 2000. Two years ago Kabayeva topped the reigning Olympic champion, Yekaterina Serebrianskaya, at the European Championships, bursting on to the international scene. Then she won four of five gold medals at the 1998 Goodwill Games, including the all-around competition. Last year she defended her European title and won her first world championship. Achievements: 1999 World Championships: 1st, all-around, clubs and ribbon; 2nd, hoop and rope 1999 European Championships: 1st, all-around and hoop; 2nd, ribbon; 3rd, rope 1999 French International: 1st, all-around 1998 Goodwill Games: 1st, all-around, hoops, club and ribbon; 2nd, rope 1998 Grand Prix Final: 1st, all-around, rope, hoop and clubs 1998 European Championships: 1st, all-around 1998 World Youth Games: 1st, all-around 1997 AEON Cup (Jr.): 1st, all-around 1997 National Championships: 4th, all-around 1997 Moscow International (Jr.): 1st, all-around 1997 Jr. L.A. Lights: 1st, all-around 1996 Jr. L.A. Lights: 1st, all-around 1996 AEON Cup (Jr.): 1st, all-around 1987 Pan American Games, champion Currently: Kabayeva is known for her remarkable flexibility, which she says she was simply born with. She began rhythmic gymnastics at the age of five in Uzbekistan. After being introduced to Viner by her mother, she was invited to attend the Olympic Preparatory School in Moscow, where Viner became her fulltime coach. Kabayeva has dominated the sport so much lately that Russian teammate Yana Batyrshina, the reigning Olympic silver medalist, retired last year, saying there was no point in her continuing since no one would top Kabayeva in 2000.

 

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