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Maria Valeryevna Paseka (Russian: Мария Валерьевна Пасека; born 19 July 1995) is a Russian artistic gymnast and member of the Russia women's national gymnastics team. During her decade-long career, she has primarily been successful as a vault specialist. On this apparatus, she is a two-time Olympic medalist (silver in 2016, bronze in 2012), a two-time world champion (2015, 2017), a two-time European champion (2015, 2019), the 2015 Universiade champion, and a two-time Russian national champion (2013, 2019). As a member of the Russian teams at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, Paseka won two silver medals in the team competition.

Key Information

Junior career

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2010

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At the end of April, Paseka competed at the European Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom. She contributed an all around score of 55.850 toward the Russian team's first-place finish. In the vault final, she won the silver medal with a score of 14.275.[1]

Senior career

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2011

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In August, Paseka competed at the Russian Cup in Yekaterinburg, Russia. She placed third on vault scoring 13.713 and fifth on floor scoring 13.125.[2][3] Russian coach Valentina Rodionenko said, "In Yekaterinburg, she did not perform vault very well, but she has very difficult and high-level gymnastics."[4]

In September, Paseka competed at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup event in Ghent, Belgium. She placed sixth on vault scoring 13.837 and fifth on floor scoring 13.175.[5]

Later in September, Paseka competed at the Dinamo International in Penza, Russia. She placed second on vault scoring 13.935 and third on floor scoring 14.034.[6]

2012

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In March, Paseka competed at the Russian National Championships in Penza, Russia. She contributed scores of 14.867 on vault, 10.767 on uneven bars, and 13.533 on floor toward the Moscow team's first-place finish.[7] In event finals, she placed third on vault scoring 14.120 and seventh on uneven bars scoring 11.440.[8]

In May, Paseka competed at the European Championships in Brussels, Belgium. She contributed a vault score of 14.833 towards the Russian team's second-place finish.[9]

In June, Paseka competed at the Russian Cup in Penza, Russia. She contributed scores of 15.800 on vault and 14.134 on floor toward the Moscow team's first-place finish.[10] In event finals, she placed seventh on vault scoring 11.925 and seventh on uneven bars scoring 13.175.[11]

London Olympics

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At the end of July, Paseka competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. In the team final, she contributed a vault score of 15.300 toward the Russian team's second-place finish. In the vault final, she won the bronze medal with a score of 15.050.[12]

2013

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In March, Paseka competed at the Russian Championships in Penza, Russia. She contributed scores of 15.750 on vault and 12.650 on uneven bars toward the Moscow team's second-place finish.[13] In event finals, she placed first on vault scoring 13.475 and eighth on uneven bars scoring 11.725.[14]

In April, Paseka competed at the European Championships in Moscow, Russia. She won the bronze medal in the uneven bars final with a score of 14.400.[15] She qualified for the vault final in second place with a score of 14.733.[16] However, in the final she fell on both her vaults and finished in 7th place with a score of 13.499.[15]

In July, Paseka competed at the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan (with teammates Aliya Mustafina, Ksenia Afanasyeva, Tatiana Nabieva and Anna Dementyeva). She contributed a score of 15.100 on vault towards the Russian team's first-place finish, and in doing so, qualified first to vault finals. She won bronze in the vault final with a score of 14.950.

2015

[edit]
Paseka with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2015

Originally Paseka was not chosen to compete in the 2015 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships held in Montpellier, France. However, due to the injuries of Alla Sosnitskaya, Paseka was decided to be the last minute replacement for her. Paseka arrived in Montpellier after the podium training, so she started the competition without it. Nevertheless, she qualified with 14.416, the fourth highest score, into the vault final, competing a Cheng vault with a difficulty score of 6.4 as her first vault and an Amanar with a 6.3 difficulty score as her second vault. She also gained a score which would have allowed her to enter the uneven bars final (14.233); however, she gave up her place due to the two per country rule. In the vault final held on 18 April, Paseka won the gold medal with a score 15.250. This was her first European vault medal. With the victory, she defeated the defending 2-time European vault champion Giulia Steingruber.

At the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Paseka competed vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise for the Russian team both in qualifications and in the final, all of which she performed cleanly. Due to mistakes by her teammates on the uneven bars and balance beam, Russia narrowly missed the podium, finishing in fourth place. However, Paseka qualified for the vault finals and also earned a score which would have allowed her to compete in the uneven bars final but lost her place because of two per country rule, with Daria Spiridonova and Viktoria Komova placing above her in qualifications. In the vault final, Paseka won the gold medal, defeating the reigning world champion on vault, Hong Un-jong, who won silver. She competed a Cheng and an Amanar, as did Hong.

Paseka at the 2015 European Championships

2016

[edit]

Rio de Janeiro Olympics

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At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Paseka won two silver medals: one for vault and one with the Russian team. During the team finals, she competed only on vault, successfully landing an Amanar to get the highest score for Russia on vault. In the vault finals, she did two clean vaults to clinch the silver. For her first vault she performed a Cheng, landing out of bounds, but a stuck landing boosted her score. For her second vault she performed an Amanar, taking just a step back. She was the first female gymnast since Ludmilla Tourischeva to medal on vault in two consecutive Olympic Games.

2017

[edit]

Paseka did not compete at the beginning of the year so she could recover from back pains she had experienced during the Olympics. Despite having not competed at nationals or World Cup events, she was still selected to compete at the European Championships due to her prowess on vault. At the European Championships, Paseka fell short of the podium, finishing fourth on vault.

In August, Paseka was selected to represent Russia at the World Championships along with 2016 Olympic teammate Angelina Melnikova, Elena Eremina, and Anastasia Ilyankova. In qualifications, Paseka only performed on vault, where she showed a cleanly executed Cheng and a stunning Amanar despite difficulties in training. She qualified to the vault final in first place with an average score of 14.933 and then won the gold medal with a score of 14.850 in the final. She was the second Russian gymnast to win two world vault titles, and the first to do so consecutively.

In December, Paseka underwent back surgery to put one of her vertebrae back into place.[17]

2018

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Paseka spent the year recovering and rehabilitating her back. In December she was officially medically cleared to resume training and competing.[18]

2019

[edit]

Paseka made her comeback at the 2019 Russian Artistic Gymnastics Championships where she placed first on vault after competing an Amanar and a Lopez.[19] As a result, she was named to the team to compete at the 2019 European Championships in Szczecin alongside Angelina Simakova, Angelina Melnikova, and Anastasia Ilyankova.[20] Paseka later competed at the Baku World Cup. She qualified to the vault final in sixth place after her Lopéz was downgraded to a Podkopayeva.[21] In the final Paseka attempted her Cheng but fell and finished in fifth place.[22] At the Doha World Cup Paseka qualified to the vault final in first place after successfully competing her Cheng and Amanar.[23] In the vault final Paseka won silver, 0.117 points behind American Jade Carey. Her Amanar was the highest scoring vault of the competition (15.100).[24][25]

At the European Championships Paseka qualified to the vault final in fifth place after crashing her Cheng. During the final she won gold, beating 2017 European vault champion Coline Devillard.[26] In June she competed at the Korea Cup where she placed fourth on vault after downgrading her Cheng to a Lopez and falling on her Amanar.[27] In August Paseka competed at the Russian Cup on both vault and uneven bars. During qualifications she scored 12.100 on uneven bars but did not advance to the finals but she did qualify to vault final. During event finals she placed fifth on vault behind Lilia Akhaimova, Melnikova, Eleonora Afanasyeva, and Viktoria Trykina after a subpar performance.[28]

In September Paseka was named to the team to compete at the 2019 World Championships, replacing an injured Angelina Simakova.[29] She was later named as the alternate.[30] In November Paseka competed at the Cottbus World Cup where she placed sixth on vault after stepping out of bounds on her Amanar and falling while performing her Cheng.

2020

[edit]

In February Paseka competed at the Melbourne World Cup where she placed eighth after falling on her Amanar and having her López downgraded.[31] In March she competed at the Baku World Cup but placed eleventh during qualification and did not qualify for the event final.[32] However event finals were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Azerbaijan.[33] Paseka later revealed that she injured her ankle in Baku and would therefore take a break from gymnastics and return after the 2020 Olympics.[34]

Competitive history

[edit]
Paseka and the Russian team with their Olympic silver medals after the women's team final on 9 August 2016
Competitive history of Maria Paseka
Year Event Team AA VT UB BB FX
2010
Junior European Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2011 Russian Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5
Ghent World Cup 6 5
2012 National Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 7
SUI vs. GBR vs. RUS 1st place, gold medalist(s)
European Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Russian Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 6
Olympic Games 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2013 National Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 8
European Championships 7 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Universiade 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Russian Cup 4 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2014 National Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Russian Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5
Massilia Cup (Master Massilia) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5
Voronin Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2015 National Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
European Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Universiade 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Rusudan Sikharulidze tournament 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Russian Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
World Championships 4 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Toyota International Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2016 National Championships 4
Russian Cup 4 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Olympic Games 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2017
European Championships 4
Universiade 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
World Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2019 National Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Baku World Cup 5
Doha World Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
European Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Korea Cup 4
Russian Cup 5
World Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s)[a]
Cottbus World Cup 6
2020 Melbourne World Cup 8
  1. ^ Paseka was the Team RUS alternate.

International scores

[edit]
Year Competition Location Apparatus Rank-Final Score-Final Rank-Qualifying Score-Qualifying
2012 European Championships Brussels Team 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 175.536 2 172.562
Vault 9 14.149
Olympic Games London Team 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 178.530 2 180.429
Vault 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 15.050 3 15.049
Uneven Bars 79 0.000
2013 European Championships Moscow Vault 7 13.499 2 14.733
Uneven Bars 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 14.400 6 14.100
2015 European Championships Montpellier Vault 1st place, gold medalist(s) 15.250 4 14.416
Uneven Bars 5 14.233
World Championships Glasgow Team 4 171.964 2 231.437
Vault 1st place, gold medalist(s) 15.666 2 15.583
Uneven Bars 6 14.800
Floor Exercise 42 13.666
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro Team 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 176.688 3 174.620
Vault 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 15.253 4 15.049
2017 European Championships Cluj-Napoca 4 14.283 2 14.412
World Championships Montreal 1st place, gold medalist(s) 14.850 1 14.933
2019 European Championships Szczecin 1st place, gold medalist(s) 14.516 5 14.133

See also

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References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Maria Paseka

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Maria Valeryevna Paseka is a retired Russian artistic gymnast who represented the women's national team from 2011 to 2019, best known for her exceptional performances on vault where she secured multiple Olympic, , and titles. Born on July 19, 1995, in , , Paseka began training in at the age of six at the MGFSO Dinamo youth sports school in , later joining the Central Sports Army Club and Sambo 70 Olympia while being coached by Marina Ulyankina and Valery Ulyankin. Paseka's international career gained prominence at the junior level, but she rose to elite status in 2012 when she debuted at the senior European Championships, contributing to Russia's and earning an individual on vault. At the in , she helped secure a in the event and claimed on vault, marking her as one of Russia's key apparatus specialists. She faced setbacks from injuries, including heel surgeries in 2011 and back surgery in 2017, yet maintained consistency on vault throughout her career. At the in Rio de Janeiro, Paseka again earned silver in the team competition and achieved her highest individual honor with a silver medal on vault, finishing behind American . Beyond the Olympics, she dominated vault at the World Championships, winning in 2015 and 2017, and at the European Championships, capturing in 2015 and 2019. Paseka took a maternity break in 2020 but briefly returned to training in 2021 before retiring from competition. In recognition of her contributions, she received the and the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" from the Russian government, along with the title of Honoured Master of Sport. Post-retirement, Paseka transitioned into coaching, spending about a year from 2022 to 2023 with the Chinese women's national gymnastics team alongside fellow Russian Tatiana Nabieva before returning to . She currently coaches at iGym in . She holds degrees in from Moscow City University and Smolensk State Academy of Physical Culture and Sports, and resides in with her husband, .

Early life

Background and family

Maria Valeryevna Paseka was born on July 19, 1995, in , . She is the daughter of Valery Paseka and Anna Kleshcheva, her mother having supported her athletic pursuits from an early age by managing such as delivery during periods. Paseka's early childhood interests included physical play, and at the age of six, her passion for was ignited independently after watching a television program featuring a girl performing on a at the Dinamo club. Insisting on participation, she threw a until her mother enrolled her at the MGFSO Dinamo youth sports school in , where she transitioned from to for its greater variety of apparatus and perceived safety. For her education, Paseka attended a specialized in , adapting to frequent changes—three school transfers in total—to accommodate her evolving club commitments while maintaining academic progress, with her mother facilitating homework exchanges. She later pursued higher education, earning a degree in from Moscow City University, followed by studies at the Smolensk State Academy of Physical Education, Sport and Tourism. Her entry into competitive occurred at the MGFSO Dinamo club.

Introduction to gymnastics

Maria Paseka began her career at the age of six in 2001, enrolling at the MGFSO Dinamo school in , . Her initial interest was sparked by watching a program featuring a girl performing on a at the Dinamo club, which highlighted the sport's dynamic movements and appealed to her sense of grace and challenge. Soon after starting, she transitioned from to , drawn by the variety of apparatus and the opportunity to develop multiple muscle groups, which allowed for a more comprehensive athletic foundation. Under the early guidance of coaches Nadezhda Galtsova and Vyacheslav Selifanov at the Dinamo school, she honed basic elements across apparatus, setting the stage for more advanced development. Her family provided strong support for her pursuit of the , encouraging her dedication despite the demands of training. From onward, Paseka maintained a long-term affiliation with the Round Lake national training center near , where she integrated into the Russian national team's preparatory environment as she approached junior-level competitions. This period marked her shift toward elite training protocols, focusing on consistency and power while continuing to leverage her strengths in power-oriented events.

Gymnastics career

Junior career

Maria Paseka's junior career spanned a limited period but marked her rapid emergence as a vault specialist within Russian gymnastics. Beginning her training at age six at the MGFSO Dinamo youth sports school in Moscow, she chose artistic gymnastics for its diverse elements and perceived safety compared to other disciplines. Her primary international competition came at the 2010 European Junior Championships in Birmingham, , where she helped secure Russia's in the team event alongside teammates , Violetta Malikova, Anastasia Grishina, and Anastasia Sidorova. In the vault final, Paseka claimed silver with an average score of 14.275, performing a 5.8 difficulty vault (14.500) and a 5.3 difficulty vault (14.050). Throughout her junior phase, Paseka competed predominantly on vault and exercise, demonstrating strong execution and power without sustaining major injuries. Her standout performances in 2010 underscored her vault prowess, leading to her prompt inclusion on the senior national in 2011.

2011–2012

Paseka made her senior international debut at the in , competing on vault and exercise during the team qualification round to help secure Russia's spot in the team final. She recorded a vault score of 14.516, placing seventh individually in that apparatus, while contributing to Russia's qualification total of 231.062 points across all events, which ranked second overall and advanced the to the final where they ultimately placed second. In 2012, Paseka competed at the European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Brașov, Romania, where she aided Russia in earning the team silver medal behind Romania. On vault, she qualified for the event final with a score of 14.833 but did not advance further in the competition. Paseka's breakthrough came at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where she specialized in vault as part of the Russian team. In the team all-around final, she performed only on vault, scoring 15.300 despite a step out of bounds, helping Russia secure the silver medal with a total of 176.414 points behind the United States. In the individual vault final, she executed an Amanar (difficulty 6.500, execution 9.033) for 15.533 and a Lopez (difficulty 5.300, execution 9.266) for 14.566, earning the bronze medal with an average score of 15.050. This early senior phase highlighted Paseka's emergence as a vault specialist, building on her junior-level successes in the apparatus; however, her focus on vault development limited her routine, restricting her contributions on that event during major competitions like the Olympics.

2013–2015

Following her experience at the 2012 Olympics, Maria Paseka continued to build her senior career with a focus on vault specialization while expanding her capabilities on other apparatus. In March 2013, at the Russian Championships in , she secured the gold medal on vault, posting a winning score of 15.750 and contributing to Moscow's team efforts. Later that year, Paseka competed at the European Championships in , where she qualified to the final unexpectedly after placing fifth in qualifications with a score of 14.233. In the final, she earned the on with a routine scored at 14.400, featuring a 5.8 difficulty and strong execution, behind gold medalist and silver medalist Jonna Adlerteg. She also reached the vault final but placed seventh with an average of 13.499. At the in , Paseka helped win the team gold medal and claimed individual on vault, executing an Amanar and a laid-out Podkopayeva for an average score of 14.700. In 2014, Paseka's season was limited by minor injuries, including back pain that sidelined her for much of the year, allowing her to prioritize recovery and skill refinement rather than extensive competition. She made selective appearances, such as at the Russian Cup, where she placed second on vault with 14.325, but withdrew from several international events to focus on rehabilitation. Paseka returned strongly in 2015, first at the European Championships in Montpellier, where she won the vault gold medal with an average score of 15.250, performing a Cheng (6.4 difficulty, 15.100 execution) and an Amanar (6.3 difficulty, 15.400 execution) to edge out Giulia Steingruber by 0.101 points. At the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, she captured the vault gold with a score of 15.400. Her season peaked at the World Championships in Glasgow, where she defended her vault prowess to win gold with an average of 15.666, again competing a Cheng (15.633) and an Amanar (15.700), surpassing defending champion Hong Un-jong and Simone Biles in a surprising upset that highlighted her technical precision and landing stability.

2016–2017

At the in Rio de Janeiro, Maria Paseka competed as part of the , helping secure a in the team all-around final with a combined score of 176.688 points. In the team final, she specialized on vault, delivering a strong Amanar (15.700) that contributed significantly to Russia's performance. Her vault efforts built on the high-difficulty skills, including the Cheng and Amanar, that had defined her success in prior years. In the individual vault final, Paseka earned silver with an average score of 15.253 across her two vaults: the Cheng (6.4 difficulty) and the Amanar (6.3 difficulty). This marked her second Olympic vault medal, behind gold medalist of the (15.966) and ahead of bronze medalist Giulia Steingruber of (15.216). Paseka's consistent execution on these demanding elements underscored her status as a vault specialist, with her performance reflecting refined technique from her 2015 world title routine. Following the Olympics, Paseka took a brief rest before resuming training to prepare for the World Championships, focusing primarily on maintaining her vault dominance. At the FIG Artistic World Championships in , she defended her 2015 vault title, winning gold with an average score of 14.850 from her Cheng and Amanar vaults. This victory, ahead of silver medalist of the (14.633) and bronze medalist Steingruber (14.500), represented Paseka's final major international competition before an extended hiatus. Throughout the period, her occasional floor routines in team events complemented her vault expertise, though vault remained her primary apparatus of excellence.

2018–2022

Following her 2017 surgery, Paseka spent much of 2018 recovering and did not compete in any major international events, instead concentrating on domestic preparations for the Russian national championships. In 2019, Paseka made a strong comeback at the Russian Championships, where she won the gold medal on vault with a score of 14.583. She followed this with another vault gold at the 2019 European Championships in , Poland, scoring 14.516 in the final and contributing to Russia's team silver. Later that year, she earned a silver medal on vault at the World Cup, finishing with 14.766 behind of the . Paseka's 2020 season was disrupted by an ankle injury sustained at the in March, where she placed 11th in vault qualification (13.183) and did not advance to the final. Despite this, she competed at the in , placing eighth on vault with an average of 13.233. Paseka announced a break from competition to focus on recovery and starting a family, as she gave birth later that year. The year saw no competitive outings for Paseka, as she remained in reserve status for the Russian national team while taking a personal break that included considerations about starting a family. In , Paseka briefly returned to training in early spring but ultimately decided against a full comeback. In July, she announced her retirement from competitive via , citing ongoing health challenges and a desire to embrace new life stages.

Skills and routines

Vault techniques

Maria Paseka specialized in high-difficulty vaults throughout her career, with her repertoire centered on elements that emphasized power, rotation, and precise landings. Her primary vault was the Amanar, a Yurchenko entry consisting of a round-off, back handspring onto the springboard, and a layout somersault with 2.5 twists, valued at a 6.3 difficulty score under the 2013–2016 Code of Points. She debuted this element at the in , where it became a cornerstone of her competitive success, showcasing her ability to generate exceptional height and speed for the twists. Paseka's second signature vault was the Cheng, performed via a handspring front layout with 1.5 twists, carrying a 6.4 difficulty score in the same code period. She began incorporating it more consistently around , refining her technique through focused repetition to improve post-flight control and landing stability, particularly evident in her performances from to 2017. As a complementary option, she occasionally competed the Lopez, a handspring half-on entry followed by a layout half-off , valued at 5.6 difficulty, which allowed for a balanced two-vault qualification routine when needed. In qualifiers and less critical competitions, Paseka sometimes opted for the DTY (Yurchenko double twist), a safer 5.8 difficulty vault that prioritized execution over maximum challenge. Her execution style stood out for its powerful blocking off the vault table, which propelled her to impressive heights—often exceeding 2.5 meters—and enabled rapid rotation without excessive arching, resulting in average execution scores above 9.0 during her peak years around 2012–2016. This approach contributed to clean, stuck landings that minimized deductions for steps or hops. Paseka trained extensively at Russia's Round Lake National Training Centre, where she honed these skills through targeted drills emphasizing explosive leg drive and twist initiation.

Performances on other apparatus

Paseka competed on exercise mainly during team events, where her routines incorporated dynamic elements such as a whip-whip-back handspring to triple twist, a 2.5 twist connected to a full twist, and a double tuck dismount. Her performances on this apparatus yielded scores around 14.0 in the 2012–2016 period, including a qualification score of 13.666 at the 2015 World Championships in . On , Paseka occasionally served in a specialist capacity, highlighted by her at the 2013 European Championships in , where she scored 14.400 in the final after qualifying with 14.233. Her routine featured key skills including a Tkatchev and Pak salto, though the apparatus remained a secondary focus relative to her vault expertise. She also qualified sixth with 14.800 at the 2015 World Championships and fifth with 14.233 at the 2015 European Championships. Paseka's appearances on were limited, primarily to aid team qualification, with routines consisting of basic acro series but no individual medals achieved on the apparatus. Throughout her career, Paseka's vault specialization meant her contributions on , , and beam largely bolstered Russian team totals rather than pursuing individual honors on those events.

Competitive history

Major international medals

Maria Paseka, a prominent Russian artistic gymnast specializing in vault, achieved significant success in major international competitions, earning multiple medals primarily on vault and in team events. Her accomplishments include four Olympic medals across two Games, two golds on vault, and several European titles, underscoring her dominance in the apparatus. At the , Paseka secured silver medals in the team all-around at both the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, contributing key vault routines to Russia's performances. She also won an individual bronze on vault in 2012 and upgraded to silver on the same apparatus in Rio 2016, where her execution of high-difficulty elements like the Amanar helped secure the podium finish. Paseka's highlights came in vault, where she claimed gold at the 2015 Championships with an average score reflecting her precise technique on the Cheng and Amanar vaults, and defended her title successfully at the 2017 Montreal Championships. In European Championships, Paseka debuted at the senior level in 2012 in Birmingham, earning vault bronze and contributing to the team silver, marking her breakthrough on the continental stage. She later claimed vault gold at the 2015 Montpellier edition and repeated the feat in 2019 in with a strong Cheng-Amanar combination despite execution challenges. As a junior, she contributed to Russia's team gold and claimed individual silver on vault at the 2010 Birmingham Junior European Championships. Among other notable international results, Paseka won team gold and vault bronze at the in .

National and other achievements

Paseka secured gold medals on vault at the Russian Championships in 2013 and 2019, with scores of 13.475 and 14.583 respectively. She maintained consistent top-three finishes on the apparatus at the national level from 2011 through 2020, often competing for and contributing to team successes. At the FIG World Cup series, Paseka earned a silver medal on vault at the 2019 Doha event with an average score of 14.766, qualifying first in the apparatus final. She placed eighth in the vault final at the 2020 Melbourne World Cup, scoring 13.233 after a challenging performance on her Amanar. Paseka won gold on vault at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea, with a score of 14.750. She also contributed to Russia's team gold medals at the Universiade in 2013 in Kazan and 2015 in Gwangju. As a junior, Paseka helped secure the team gold for at the European Junior Championships in Birmingham. She was a mainstay on the Russian national team from to 2021, spanning over a decade of senior and junior selections.

Later career and legacy

Injuries and comebacks

Paseka suffered from chronic throughout 2017, which intensified during training and competitions, ultimately requiring medical intervention. She sought treatment in for the injury and underwent surgery in December 2017 to address a displaced , which halted her training and kept her out of all competitions in 2018. Following her recovery, Paseka made a successful return to competition in 2019, highlighted by her win on vault at the European Championships in , , where she outperformed competitors including Coline Devillard. In March 2020, during the in , , she sustained an ankle sprain on a vault landing, which severely limited her participation that season and led her to take an extended break from . After a hiatus in 2021, Paseka resumed training in 2022 with hopes of rejoining the national team, but she did not enter full competitions and ultimately did not return to international events. These injuries significantly shaped Paseka's career, compelling her to specialize exclusively on vault to manage physical strain on other apparatus, while undergoing multiple rehabilitation periods at Russia's national training centers like Round Lake. In interviews, she has openly discussed the mental toll of prolonged recovery and uncertainty, describing the emotional difficulty of repeated setbacks and the pressure to return at an elite level.

Retirement and coaching

Paseka effectively retired from competitive gymnastics around 2020 following persistent injuries and the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, transitioning into coaching thereafter. In August 2022, she began her coaching career, joining the Chinese national women's gymnastics team in October 2022 alongside fellow retired Russian gymnast Tatiana Nabieva for a one-year contract ending in August 2023, where she contributed to training young athletes aged 12 to 21 by introducing Russian training methodologies focused on efficient technique development rather than repetitive drills. The role involved overcoming initial skepticism from the team toward the young coaches but ultimately yielded progress, such as rapid mastery of complex elements like double twist backflips. Paseka and Nabieva faced delays in obtaining visas, which postponed their arrival, but she later praised the professional opportunity in 2023 interviews, highlighting the welcoming environment, strong work ethic of Chinese gymnasts, and personal growth despite cultural and communication barriers handled through translators. Following her return to Russia in 2023, Paseka has engaged in occasional media appearances and maintained an active presence on social media sharing fitness and stretching advice. She married in 2020, divorced later that year, and remarried in 2024, with no confirmed ongoing formal coaching roles at the national level as of 2024.

References

  1. https://www.gymnastics.sport/site/athletes/bio_detail.php?id=25819
  2. https://www.mykhel.com/maria-paseka-olympics-p867878/
  3. https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/maria-paseka
  4. http://rewritingrussiangymnastics.blogspot.com/2023/11/maria-paseka-in-china-her-experiences.html
  5. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C29dj2Vovh_/
  6. https://www.championat.com/olympic/news-1283236-mama-gimnastki-paseki-masha-proshla-trudnyj-put-chtoby-popast-na-olimpiadu.html
  7. http://rewritingrussiangymnastic.blogspot.com/2012/10/maria-paseka-superstyle-interview.html
  8. https://wagymnastics.fandom.com/wiki/Main:Maria_Paseka
  9. https://gymnasticsresults.com/archive/euro/2010/echwagjun
  10. https://static.usagym.org/PDFs/Results/worlds_artistic_results_2011.pdf
  11. https://thegymter.net/2012/05/13/2012-european-championships-results/
  12. https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2012/olympics/women
  13. https://www.flogymnastics.com/events/5005981-2012-london-olympics/results
  14. https://thegymter.net/2013/03/08/2013-russian-championships-results/
  15. https://thegymter.net/2013/04/21/2013-european-championships-results/
  16. https://gymnasticsresults.com/archive/euro/2013/wag/efqualifiers.pdf
  17. https://thegymter.net/2013/07/17/2013-summer-universiade-results/
  18. https://arabianpunchfront.blogspot.com/2014/07/gymnastics-injuries-june-2014.html
  19. https://thegymter.net/2015/04/15/2015-european-championships-results/
  20. https://en.people.cn/n/2015/0708/c90779-8917156.html
  21. https://thegymter.net/2015/10/25/2015-world-championships-results/
  22. https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/rio-2016/results/gymnastics-artistic
  23. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/gymnastics-biles-wins-womens-vault-gold-idUSKCN10P0P2/
  24. https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/rio-2016/results/gymnastics-artistic/vault-women
  25. https://usagym.org/history/artistic-worlds-results/
  26. https://www.flogymnastics.com/articles/6014749-recap-five-winners-crowned-on-event-finals-day-1-2017-world-championships
  27. https://thegymter.net/2017/01/02/deconstructing-the-new-code-of-points/
  28. https://www.flogymnastics.com/articles/5048389-analyzing-the-elites-vault-edition
  29. https://www.flogymnastics.com/articles/5046791-elite-vaulting-the-d-score-explained
  30. https://thegymter.net/2017/10/17/you-asked-the-gymternet-answered-184/
  31. https://thegymter.net/2016/07/29/the-four-year-fan-guide-vault/
  32. https://thecouchgymnast.com/2014/08/27/mustafina-dominates-1st-day/
  33. https://balancebeamsituation.com/elite-routine-database/maria-paseka/
  34. https://thecouchgymnast.com/2016/09/10/russia-conclusions-of-their-rio-performance/
  35. https://olympics.com/en/athletes/maria-paseka
  36. http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/55809
  37. https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/127003
  38. https://thegymter.net/2019/03/11/2019-russian-championships-results/
  39. https://thegymter.net/maria-paseka/
  40. https://tass.com/sports/806430
  41. https://www.flogymnastics.com/articles/5034542-2013-world-university-games-event-finals-recap-and-results
  42. http://tsarinamustafina.blogspot.com/2016/07/meet-team-maria-paseka.html
  43. https://eng.gymnovosti.com/paseka-i-missed-gymnastics-very-much/
  44. https://eng.gymnovosti.com/maria-paseka-will-have-a-back-surgery-in-germany/
  45. https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/maria-paseka-injury-gymnastics
  46. https://eng.gymnovosti.com/tag/maria-paseka/
  47. https://eng.gymnovosti.com/maria-paseka-will-take-a-break-from-gymnastics/
  48. https://eng.gymnovosti.com/russian-2022-national-team-announced/
  49. https://www.olympics.com/en/video/maria-paseka-talks-about-surprise-return/
  50. https://eng.gymnovosti.com/paseka-my-joints-are-aching-as-if-i-were-a-grandma/
  51. https://eng.gymnovosti.com/paseka-when-im-asked-about-retiring-i-want-to-cry/
  52. https://24smi.org/celebrity/341497-mariia-paseka.html
  53. https://www.mk.ru/sport/2020/04/06/gimnastka-mariya-paseka-priostanovila-kareru.html
  54. https://www.forbes.ru/sport/496606-kitajskaa-skola-kak-cempionka-iz-rossii-okazalas-v-sbornoj-kitaa-po-gimnastike
  55. https://www.sports.ru/gymnastics/1115626338-paseka-o-rabote-trenerom-v-kitae-ponachalu-nas-ne-vosprinimali-priexal.html
  56. https://tass.ru/sport/15970239
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