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ILCHENKO, Larisa Dmitrievna
Long distance swimmer
Six-time World Champion - Women's 5km Open Water (2004-2007), Women's 10km Open Water (2006, 2007)
Olympic Champion - Women's 10km Open Water, Beijing 2008
 Larisa Ilchenko (Лариса Дмитриевна Ильченко) was born on November 18. 1988 in Volgograd, Volgograd Region, Russia.
Ilchenko began swimming at the age of four, and then entered a sports academy in Volgograd. Her first trainer was Alexander Ivanov; her current trainer is Vladimir Zakharov.
In 2002 Ilchenko received the athletic rank of "Master of Sport", in 2004 - "Master of Sport, International Class". In 2006 he was awarded the rank "Honorable Master of Sport".
Ilchenko is a graduate of the Olympian Reserves' College, and is currently a student at a physical education academy. She lives and trains in her home town of Volgograd.
Competitions
In 2004 Ilchenko won the 4 x 200m freestyle relay, as well as the open water race at the Russian Championships.
Ilchenko was world champion in open water races from 2004 to 2008.
In 2006 Ilchenko became European champion in open water swimming, won at the World Cup in Swimming, became Russian champion, and won the World Championships in open water races, in both 5km and 10km disciplines.
At the 2007 World Aquatic Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Ilchenko won gold in both the 5km and 10km women's open water races.
She won bronze at the World Cup in that year, took 1st place in the 4 x 200m relay and in the 5km open water race at the Russian championships.
Ilchenko won two gold medals at the 2008 World Open Water Championships in Seville, Spain.
Beijing 2008
On August 20, 2008 Ilchenko became Olympic Champion, after earning a gold medal in a dramatic 10km open water race. Ilchenko employed her race tactics of sitting just off the feet of the leaders and moving past them in the final stages to win in a time of 1 hour 59 minutes 27.7 seconds, just 1.5 seconds ahead of Britain's Keri-Anne Payne. This is the first Olympiad for the open water race event.
It proved to be a historic day for the Games, as the first amputee to compete at the Olympic Games, Natalie du Toit of South Africa, who lost her left leg below the knee in a scooter accident in 2001, competed in the oper water swim, finishing in 16th place.
Sources
RIA Novosti, Profile of Larisa Ilchenko (In Russian)
Beijing 2008 Official Website, "Ilchenko wins gold in final flurry", August 20, 2008
Last updated August 20, 2008
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