Alena Popchanka

Alena Popchanka

Personal information
Full name	Alena Popchanka
Nationality	France (2005-on)  Belarus (pre-2005)
Born	July 28, 1979 (1979-07-28) (age 32) Gomel, Belarus
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Medal record Women's swimming World Championships - Long Course Competitor for  Belarus Gold 2003 Barcelona 200 m freestyle Competitor for  France Bronze 2007 Melbourne[1] 4×200 m freestyle European Championships (LC) Competitor for  Belarus Bronze 2002 Berlin 100 m freestyle Bronze 2002 Berlin 200 m freestyle Competitor for  France Gold 2008 Eindhoven 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2006 Budapest 100 m butterfly Bronze 2006 Budapest 4x100 m freestyle Bronze 2006 Budapest 4x200 m freestyle Bronze 2006 Budapest 4x100 m medley European Championships (SC) Competitor for  Belarus Gold 2002 Riesa 100 m freestyle Gold 2002 Riesa 200 m freestyle Silver 2002 Riesa 4x50 m freestyle Bronze 2003 Dublin 200 m freestyle Bronze 2003 Dublin 100 m butterfly Competitor for  France Gold 2006 Helsinki 200 m freestyle Silver 2005 Trieste 100 m butterfly Silver 2006 Helsinki 100 m freestyle Silver 2007 Debrecen 100 m butterfly Bronze 2005 Trieste 100 m freestyle Bronze 2007 Debrecen 4x50 m medley

Alena Popchanka (born July 28, 1979 in Gomel, Belarus)^[2] is a 4-time Olympic freestyle and butterfly swimmer originally from Belarus. She swam for Belarus at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. At the 2008 Olympics she swam for France; after her marriage to Frenchman Frédéric Vergnoux in early 2005.^[3]

Popchanka won the 200 m freestyle at the 2003 World Championships and won the 200 m freestyle again at the 2006 Short Course European Championships.

She married Vergnoux, her coach, in early 2005, and became a French citizen a few months following the marriage (June). In November 2005, Popchanka was cleared to swim internationally for France, following a 1-year sit-out from competition which was not waived by the Belorussian federation following her departure and last swim for Belarus at the 2004 Olympics.^[3] Because of this timing, Popchanka was unable to swim at the 2005 World Championships to defend her 200 m freestyle title from 2003.

Since November 2005, she has competed for France. Leading up to the 2008 Olympics, the couple lived in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Vergnoux coached from 2004-2008. Following the 2008 Olympics, Vergnoux and Popchanka moved back to France, after Vergnoux left his coaching job in Edinburgh for one in Paris.^[4]

Vergnoux is notable in his own right: during his time in Edinburgh, he was twice named British Coach of the Year.^[4] He also served on the British Olympic Team staff for the 2008 Olympics.

References