Born: 1982 (Simferopol, Ukraine)
Biography:
Yana Oleksandrivna Klochkova, born on 7 August 1982 in the city of Simferopol, is a Ukrainian swimmer who has left an indelible mark on the sport. From an early age, Klochkova showed great promise in swimming, and her talents were nurtured by her coaches, Honored Trainer of Ukraine, Nina Kozhukh, and Honored Trainer of the USSR, Alexander Kozhukh. She first joined the sports society Dynamo and later became a member of the Major of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
Klochkova’s swimming career reached its pinnacle at the Olympic Games, where she represented Ukraine with remarkable success. With five Olympic medals to her name, four of which are gold, she stands as the most awarded Olympian from her country. Her gold medals were earned in the 200-meter individual medley and the 400-meter individual medley at both the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. In addition, she secured a silver medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Beyond her Olympic triumphs, Klochkova has also dominated the world and European championships. She has clinched ten world championship titles and nineteen European championship titles in swimming. Furthermore, she has set an impressive record of fifty Ukrainian records in various events, including 100, 200, and 400-meter distances with integrated swimming, freestyle events, backstroke, butterfly, and relay swimming. Notably, at the Olympic Games in Sydney, she set a world record in the 400-meter medley swimming and a European record in the 200-meter medley swimming.
Klochkova’s retirement from swimming came in January 2008, at the age of 26. Recognizing her incredible contributions to the sport, a grand farewell event was organized in her honor on 24 March 2009. Held at the Olympic swimming pool Aquarena in Kharkiv on Klochkovskaya street, the event saw officials, including Mayor Mikhail Dobkin and Head of the Ukrainian Swimming Federation Oleg Dyomin, express their admiration for the swimmer. The ceremony concluded with Klochkova being presented with an aquarium containing a live goldfish, a symbolic nod to her nickname, the goldfish in Ukraine.
Following her retirement, Klochkova continued to contribute to the Olympic movement by taking on the role of the head of the Kyiv branch of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine in 2011. However, lacking support for her initiatives from the executive committee, she resigned from her position in 2012.
Yana Klochkova’s influence extends beyond her achievements in swimming. As a Merited Master of Sports since 1998 and a Hero of Ukraine since 2004, she has been an inspiration to aspiring athletes in her country. Her dedication, persistence, and excellence have undoubtedly left a lasting impact on women’s sports history.
Awards:
– Olympic Medals:
– Gold: 2000 Summer Olympics – 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley
– Gold: 2004 Summer Olympics – 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley
– Silver: 2000 Summer Olympics – 800m freestyle
– World Championships:
– Ten titles in various swimming events
– European Championships:
– Nineteen titles in various swimming events
– Ukrainian Records:
– Fifty records in different swimming disciplines