Vera Shimanskaya was a member of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team that dominated for the years surrounding the 2000 Sydney Olympics and won a gold medal at European, World and Olympic level. After retiring in 2002 she returned to the headlines the following year when arrested on suspicion on defrauding casinos across Spain as part of a scam involving marked playing cards. She was later released without being charged on any crime.
She took up golf for the first time in 2005 and improved rapidly to a standard where she was able to enter the qualifying school for the Ladies European Tour in 2007 although without success. Despite a second unsuccessful attempt to gain a tour card in 2008 she made her debut on the European Tour at the 2009 German Open via a wildcard entry.
Russian Federation