Elena Grosheva
Yelena Nikolayevna Grosheva (Russian: Елена Николаевна Грошева; born April 12, 1979 in Yaroslavl, Russia) is a Russian gymnast.
At the age of 5 she took up gymnastics and showed a natural talent for the sport. Then in 1992, she was sent to Round Lake to train as part of the National Team. Her first big competition was the 1994 Junior European Championships and later the same year she went to the World Championships.
In 1996, Grosheva finished second All Around in the Russian Cup and became a member of the Olympic team. At the Olympic Games in Atlanta, the Russian team was in the lead after the compulsories, but in the finals she and her teammates had to compete against the noise from the American crowds and finished second behind the Americans. She placed into Vault Event Finals, but finished a disappointing 7th. Her Floor Exercise scores had placed her highest among the Russians for Event Finals, but she was replaced by teammate Dina Kochetkova.
After being hampered by injuries Grosheva retired from the sport and joined Cirque du Soleil. In June 2006 Grosheva married Canadian composer Steve Barakatt. Guests at the wedding included her former teammates Svetlana Khorkina and Ludmila Ezhova.[citation needed]
In March 2007, Grosheva was appointed UNICEF Canada Goodwill Ambassador.
