Dina Kochetkova is perhaps best remembered for being an energetic and stylish performer who competed some of the most unique and difficult skills of her time. She appeared shy and timid off the podium but managed to leave her mark on the sport with her results and legendary moves. Today the "Kochetkova," a full-twisting flip flop, is still being performed on beam by some of the top athletes in the world.

     She began gymnastics at a very young age, just like all of her teammates, after she was discovered on the playground of her kindergarten class. She was later coached by Viktor and Irina Razumovsky at age eight until they moved to Japan. She was then under the watchful eye of head coach Leonid Arkayev. Dina first burst onto the international scene when she defeated then-World Champion Shannon Miller at the 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg - a huge upset! She went on to win the floor title later that year at her first Worlds. A talented all-around gymnast, Dina was constantly in contention for medals and almost always finished near the top of the standings - 2nd at 1994 Europeans, 3rd at 1994 Worlds, 8th at 1995 Worlds. In 1996 she won her second world title, this time on beam! She went on to make three event finals in the Olympic Games but walked away with just a team silver.

     After the Games, Dina had to undergo two separate knee surgeries that forced her into retirement. Today she still lives in Russia with her husband and has graduated from a university in St. Petersburg, the Lesgaft Institute.

Birthday: July 27, 1977
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Began Gymnastics: age five
Family: father is an engineer, mother is a nurse
Heroes: Elena Shushunova, Yuriy Korolyov, Olga Bicherova
The Kochetkova: full-twisting flip flop, a "D" in today's Code of Points
Best Results:
1994 Goodwill Games - 1st AA
1994 Europeans - 2nd AA, 3rd FX
1994 Worlds - 3rd AA, 3rd UB, 1st FX
1995 Worlds - 8th AA, 6th UB, 6th BB
1996 Worlds - 1st BB
1996 Europeans - 5th AA, 4th V, 8th UB, 7th BB, 3rd FX
1996 Olympics - 2nd Team, 6th AA, 5th UB, 4th BB, 5th FX

Photos © AP, Lani Schea Holmes,
Dory Dynna, Amanda Turner,
and GYMPHOTO

VT: front pike 1/2 UB: giant full + Tkatchev + Pak, Shaposhnikova + uprise + overshoot, double layout; BB: press handstand; flip flop full + flip flop + layout, switch leap + Rulfova, double tuck FX: double layout, front full + front layout, Rudi + flip flop, double tuck