2. Read the title of the text, try to guess and say what it is about. Read and translate the text.

Irina Chaschina

There are many outstanding sportsmen all over the world. I have got a favourite sportswoman: it is Irina Chaschina, the famous Russian gymnast. Irina Chacshina was born on the 24^th of April in 1982 in the Russian city of Omsk. She began her sport career at the age of 6 under supervision of Arais Elena Nikolaevna in Omsk. Her grandfather, a great sport-lover, first brought her to training. Only a day before Irina watched gymnastics world championship which made a deep impression on her. She realized at once that she wants to take this kind of sport up. Her grandfather supported this decision, besides, sport was a very good idea for a plump young girl. Irina’s mother, a teacher of musical school, wanted her daughter to devote herself to music. Moreover, the parents wished Irina to learn to swim. So, that was her crazy lifestyle: music – swimming pool – gymnasium.

In the 7^th form she had to choose and it was gymnastics that Irina began to go in for. It is rather interesting, that in the beginning Irina was offered to do sport gymnastics but the girl rejected this idea and declared that she would gladly take up calisthenics. That time Irina was far from being slim and flexible. In other words, she was not in a sports form but she trained hard and gradually got success.

Four years later the famous merited coach of Russia – Vera Efremovna Shtelbaums began to train Irina. The girl gained her first victory at the championship in Omsk, when she was 8 years old. At 12 she joined the combined team of Russia and began to train in Moscow from time to time. Being a junior Irina took the first place at a very prestigious tournament – the Unity of Independent States Spartakiada and won twice the championship among girls. Then she won bronze at the championship of Russia and took the third place at the championship of Europe. Since august 1999 Irina trained under supervision of Irina Aleksandrovna Winer and became the world champion in Osaka.

The season of 2001 became the most successful for Irina. She won the multi-discipline event at the 7^th world games in Japan, won gold medals at the championship of Europe in the exercises with a hoop and a skipping-rope. She also took the first place at the international tournament in France, won gold at the world championship in Spain in the exercises with a hoop and silver in all other kinds of exercises. Irina believes her best compositions the exercises with a hoop and maces. “They are the most difficult, that’s why they are interesting!”, - says Irina.

Irina’s fans often mark her seriousness and the fact that she hardly ever smiles while performing. In fact Irina is a very kind and responsive person. “In my usual life I like to laugh when it is really very funny, especially if interesting people surround me”, - she says.

Everybody knows that the geography of gymnastics tournaments is quite vast. Irina Chaschina has visited a lot of countries but she likes Japan best of all, though its way of life seems a bit complicated and unusual to her. Irina reads a lot, adores going to the cinema. She always dreams of having a dog but her strict regimen doesn’t allow her to do it yet. To those who just do their first steps in gymnastics Irina advises not only to train the body but also the brains. “In calisthenics you should have intellect”, - she says.

There was one unpleasant thing that happened to Irina and one more famous Russian gymnast – Alina Kabaeva. Being the leaders of the world calisthenics in 2001 they were caught taking a strong diuretic. As a result they were both disqualified for two years, so they had no right to take part in competitions. The second year of disqualification was conditional, so, the sportswomen were allowed to participate in official tournaments but they were constantly under the strictest control.

Irina Chaschina is considered to be a great sportswoman. Some people even call her the queen of calisthenics. Her performances are always interesting to watch as they are full of elegance, grace and boundless talent.