Svetlana Khorkina - Personal Information

Personal Information

Svetlana Khorkina was born on January 19, 1979 to Vasiliy & Lyubov Khorkin. She has a younger sister, Yulia, who was also a gymnast. Khorkina said, "As a child, I was very picky with my food. My mother hoped, that if she puts me into gymnastics, I would start eating breakfast without frowning, after having spent a lot of energy in the gym. This is how, by simple nutritional reasons, I started my gymnastics career at the age of four. I consider myself as an elder in Gymnastics, but I am far from the idea of giving up the challenge. To be representative of my country means responsibility. Judging by media, people around the world form their opinion about your country. Well, in this respect I try to be like Russia- big (like my size) and beautiful (some people say I am!)"

At 5’5”, most people thought that Khorkina too tall to be an artistic gymnast but her coach, Boris Pilkin, saw her potential. He created alternative training methods and skills to fit her taller body. Khorkina has more skills named after her in the Code of Points than any other gymnast. After his death in 2010, Khorkina said, "It's terrible. It's an untimely loss of this decent and good man. He will remain forever in my memory and my heart, my friend in battle. He did a lot for Russian sport, and for me personally. If not for Boris, I don't know what my life and sports career would have been like."

Khorkina was known for her dramatic and opinionated personality, often being called a diva. She said, “I wouldn't have been called a diva or a queen if I wasn't creative. My costume and make-up were always important to me. When people come to see gymnastics they want a performance, not just a sport. I have a talent. I have accomplished so much in sport it will take dozens of years before anyone else achieves as much.”

After retiring from gymnastics, Khorkina was named the vice-president of the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation. In 2008, she was a commentator for the Beijing Olympics’ gymnastics competition for the Russian TV station NTV+ and released her autobiography entitled, “Somersaults in High Heels” published by Olma-Press. She is also an ambassador for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Khorkina has been a member of the political party of United Russia since 2003. She was elected as a deputy for the Russian State Duma in 2007 and served until 2011.

On July 21, 2005, Khorkina gave birth to a son, Svyatoslav Khorkin at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, United States but refused to name the father of the child. In April 2011, Khorkina married Oleg Konchev. He is a former general in Russia’s Federal Security Service and is twenty-three years her senior.