Nina Zhivanevskaya

Nina Zhivanevskaya

Nina Aleksandrovna Zhivanevskaya (Russian: Нина Александровна Живаневская, born 24 June 1977) is a 5-time Olympic backstroke swimmer from Russia, who has swum for Spain since 1999, following her marriage to a Spaniard (and moving to Spain).

She swam at the 1992 Olympics for the Unified Team, Russia at the 1996 Olympics, and Spain at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. At the 1992 Games, she won a bronze medal in the 4×100 m medley relay, and was the youngest member of the Unified Team swimming squad (18 men and 11 women), with 15 years and 35 days.

She won the bronze medal in the 100 m backstroke a year later at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Zhivanevskaya took part in the 2008 Olympic Games, reaching the semi-finals in the 100 m backstroke. After this event, she announced she was retiring from the sport so that she could concentrate on her family.