Polina Shchennikova
| Polina Shchennikova | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Polina Aleksandrovna Shchennikova |
| Nicknames | Pushkie, Po |
| Born | January 7, 1998 |
| Gymnastics career | |
| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics |
Country represented |  United States (2012–13[1]) |
College team | Michigan Wolverines |
Training location | Arvada, Colorado, U.S. |
| Club | 5280 |
| Choreographer | Dominic Zito |
| Retired | 2016 |
Polina Aleksandrovna Shchennikova (Russian: Полина Александровна Шенникова; born January 7, 1998) is a Russian-American former artistic gymnast and current coach. She was a member of the U.S. national team from 2012 to 2013.
Early life
Shchennikova was born in Moscow but moved to the United States when she was one year old.[2] Both her parents competed as gymnasts for the Soviet national team. She has two sisters, Alyona and Kristina, both of whom are also gymnasts.[3]
Gymnastics career
Shchennikova made her debut at the junior elite level in 2010 and placed 39th in the all-around at the 2010 U.S. Classic.[4] She finished third in the all-around at the 2011 American Classic and qualified for the 2011 U.S. Championships.[5] There, she finished 19th in the all-around.[6]
Shchennikova tied with Alex McMurtry for second place in the all-around at the 2012 Nastia Liukin Cup, where she had the top uneven bars score of the competition.[7] She also won the uneven bars at the 2012 American Classic.[8] She then won a silver medal on the uneven bars at the U.S. Classic, behind Katelyn Ohashi.[9] At the 2012 U.S. Championships, she placed tenth in the all-around and fourth on the uneven bars. She was added to the junior U.S. national team after a November 2012 training camp.[10]
At the 2013 U.S. Classic, Shchennikova won a bronze medal on the uneven bars and placed eighth in the all-around.[11] She also won the uneven bars bronze medal at the 2013 U.S. Championships and was named to the junior U.S. national team for a second year.[12] She became age-eligible for senior elite competitions in 2014 but missed the season due to a stress fracture in her back.[13] She returned to the U.S. national team training camps at the end of the year.[14]
Shchennikova returned to competition in 2015 but only competed on the uneven bars and the balance beam at the 2015 U.S. Classic. She finished 11th on the uneven bars and 16th on the balance beam.[15] She was not able to finish the competition at the 2015 U.S. Championships due to a back injury.[16] She stopped competing at the elite level and had surgery to repair a torn labrum in May 2016.[13] She joined the Michigan Wolverines gymnastics team in 2017 and competed on the vault, uneven bars, and balance beam throughout her first two seasons.[3][13] She retired from gymnastics after her sophomore year at Michigan due to back injuries.[17][18]
Coaching career
After retiring from gymnastics, Shchennikova became the student assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines gymnastics team.[3][17] She then spent one season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Air Force Falcons.[19] In 2025, she acquired ownership of her parents' gym, PAK Gymnastics, in Lehi, Utah.[20]
References
- ↑ "USA Gymnastics | Women's Past Junior National Teams". Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Shchennikova Interns at FIFA World Cup in Russia". Michigan Wolverines. July 23, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Polina Shchennikova - Women's Gymnastics". University of Michigan. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ↑ "2010 Cover Girl Classic Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. July 24, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "American Classic Results and Updates Results". FloGymnastics. FloSports. June 30, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "2011 Visa Championships - Women Day 2 Meet Results - Juniors" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. August 20, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Jones captures the 2012 Nastia Liukin Cup". USA Gymnastics. March 3, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Winners Named at American Classic". USA Gymnastics. May 7, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Raisman and Biles Win Titles at the Secret U.S. Classic". USA Gymnastics. May 27, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ Phillips, Anne (November 19, 2012). "Shchennikova added to the U.S. Women's Junior National Team". FloGymnastics. FloSports. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "2013 Secret U.S. Classic Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. July 27, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Key wins junior all-around title at P&G Championships". USA Gymnastics. August 17, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Green, Lauren (May 26, 2017). "Former U.S. Elites Desch, Shchennikova, Vega Make A Splash As NCAA Freshmen". FloGymnastics. FloSports. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (October 23, 2014). "The October U.S. National Team Camp". The Gymternet. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "2015 Secret U.S. Classic Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. July 25, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "2015 U.S. Championships". The Gymternet. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- 1 2 Snyder, Abby (December 2, 2018). "After being forced to medically retire, Shchennikova helps Wolverines in coaching role". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Roy, Shchennikova Become Mental Health Advocates Through Own Struggles". Michigan Wolverines. January 9, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Polina Shchennikova". Air Force Falcons. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Polina Shchennikova of Lehi". Voyage Utah. September 3, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2026.