Secrets of champions: what the most spectacular tattoos in Russian sport mean

Famous athletes who win world championships and Olympics are human beings just like you and me. They want to express themselves not only on the sports fields, but also in everyday life. And there’s no need to talk about female athletes: they always want to look their best.

One of the possible means of self-expression is spectacular tattoos. Not everyone dares to do them. But those champions who do take the risk, obviously did it for a reason, because the drawings on the body perfectly complement their images. We have collected seven of the most spectacular tattoos and revealed their secrets.

Anastasia Davydova’s butterflies

Five-time Olympic champion in synchronized swimming and general secretary of the Russian Olympic Committee Anastasia Davydova is the owner of one of the most elegant tattoos in world sport. A string of 17 butterflies of different colors, shapes and sizes crosses her entire back from her left shoulder to her right hip. Unfortunately, the photos, which show the pattern in full, are too frank. But one of the butterflies is visible in the photos from everyday life.

Anastasia got a tattoo in 2004. It looks very spectacular, especially in pictures for fashion magazines. However, at the competitions, the audience has almost never seen butterflies. The whole thing is that the girl at the time of performances covered the tattoo with foundation cream.

Jungle Svetlana Kryuchkova

It often happens that a person who has put one drawing on the skin, wants more and more tattoos. The story of volleyball player Svetlana Kryuchkova is proof of this.

In honor of her victory at the World Championship in 2006, the girl tattooed a colored panther on her right arm. And after a few years, the animal was in the real jungle. A single tattoo turned into a whole “sleeve”. Looks impressive!

Wings Svetlana Kuznetsova

Another fan of tattoos in Russian sports is the famous tennis player Svetlana Kuznetsova. On her skin with half a dozen different drawings and inscriptions, applied at different times. There is cupid on her chest, a star on her forearm, inscriptions “Pain does not kill me, I kill pain”, “Only God is our judge” on her hands. But the most mesmerizing, perhaps, are the wings on her back.

“A tattoo is a very personal thing. And everyone perceives it differently. I have different tattoos, and I don’t really like to discuss them. Each of them means something to me. I see them as a part of myself, a part of history. But don’t think that I read what is written on my wrist every time,” Svetlana admitted in an interview with Sport-Express.

Liaisan Utyasheva’s symbols

Russian gymnast Lyaisan Utyasheva also put several tattoos on the skin at once. And most of them are really mysterious. On the athlete’s neck there is an inscription Successful, that is “successful”. But there is a more interesting interpretation of this inscription. For a long time the mascot of the young athlete was Success perfume given to her, and so Liaisan always remembers them.

On the right arm of the athlete – a six-pointed star, on the left – a black panther. And on her stomach – an eye with wings – the athlete’s amulet, which she applied at the age of 16, secretly from her mother.

Rose and Olympic emblem of Yana Kudryavtseva

Gymnast Yana Kudryavtseva also did not resist the temptation to make a small tattoo. On the left wrist of the athlete two drawings at once.

On one side – a rose flower, on the other – the emblem of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where the girl won a silver medal.

Anastasia Savchenko’s tiger

Russian pole vaulter Anastasia Savchenko is known to track and field fans not only for her victory at the Universiade in Kazan, but also for her magnificent tattoo. There is a tiger on her back. But photographers have to try hard to capture it.

Anastasia Yankova’s dragon

Russian MMA fighter Anastasia Yankova is considered by many to be the most beautiful girl in the world of mixed martial arts. Surely fans are attracted by the numerous tattoos on the body of the athlete. And Nastia keeps on getting them!

Eight years ago there were only four drawings: Mohammed Ali’s quote “Flutter like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, a key, her favorite flower – lotus, as well as a dragon girl on her arm.

Over the following years, several more images appeared. The most powerful of which is a carp climbing up a waterfall. This is a symbol of devotion to the path chosen in life, hard work and dedication. Anastasia started to make this tattoo after her first defeat in the professional ring. From the last one – snakes on her back, which are the athlete’s favorite. Although there is a feeling that very soon the girl will show everyone something else.