Alina Maksymenko

2.2.1. Early senior years (2007-2008)

Maksymenko made her debut at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in 2007, held in Patras, Greece. She competed as part of the Ukrainian senior group, which included Olena Dmytrash, Polina Kondaurova, Viera Perederiy, Oksana Petulko, and Vita Zubchenko. The group finished 8th in the Group All-around competition. In 2008, Maksymenko continued her participation as a member of the Ukrainian Group at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, where they once again finished eighth in the group all-around finals. That same year, at the 2008 World Cup Final in Benidorm, she secured two bronze medals: one in the 3 hoops/4 clubs category and another in the 5 ropes event.

2.2.2. Individual career breakthrough (2009-2011)

In 2009, Maksymenko transitioned to competing as an individual gymnast. She participated in the 2009 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Ise, Mie, Japan, where she placed 16th in the all-around final. Later that year, at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, she achieved notable placements, finishing 5th in Hoop, 6th in Ribbon, 7th in Rope, and 8th in Ball. At the 2009 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships in Baku, she earned a team bronze medal.

Her individual success continued at the 2010 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Moscow, Russia, where she secured a 5th-place finish in the all-around final. Notably, she was one of only two gymnasts at the event to qualify for all individual apparatus finals, placing 4th in Rope, 5th in Hoop, 6th in Ball, and 8th in Ribbon. The 2011 season was particularly strong for Maksymenko; she won three gold medals and one silver medal at the Deriugina World Cup.

At the 2011 Summer Universiade held in Shenzhen, she claimed a silver medal in the hoop final with a score of 28.100, and a bronze medal in the clubs final. Maksymenko also played a crucial role in helping Ukraine secure the team bronze medal at the 2011 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Montpellier, France. Her strong performance, finishing 5th in the All-around final, ensured her qualification for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Furthermore, at the 2011 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships in Minsk, she contributed to a team bronze and also won an individual bronze medal in Clubs.

2.2.3. Olympic participation and peak performance (2012)

The 2012 season began with Maksymenko competing at the LA Lights in Los Angeles, where she faced challenges with her new routines and finished behind fellow Ukrainian gymnast Ganna Rizatdinova in the all-around. She later competed at the 2012 Deriugina Cup, earning a silver medal in the all-around behind Russian gymnast Daria Dmitrieva. The highlight of her year was her participation in the individual all-around event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She successfully qualified for the finals and achieved a significant career milestone by finishing 6th overall.

2.2.4. Final season and retirement (2013)

Maksymenko's final competitive season in 2013 was marked by numerous strong performances. She won a silver medal in the all-around at the 2013 LA Lights, again behind her teammate Ganna Rizatdinova. At the 2013 Holon Grand Prix, she finished 12th in the all-around but secured a gold medal in the clubs final. Her first World Cup competition of the season in Lisbon, Portugal, saw her finish 5th in the all-around. She continued to collect medals, winning silver in the all-around and bronze in clubs at the 2013 Irina Deleanu Cup, and another bronze medal in the hoop final at the Pesaro World Cup. An aggravated injury led her to withdraw from the Sofia World Cup.

At the 2013 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships in Vienna, Austria, Maksymenko, alongside teammates Ganna Rizatdinova and Viktoria Mazur, earned a team silver medal. She also won silver in the All-around at the International Trophy "Ciutat de Barcelona", finishing behind Russian gymnast Alexandra Merkulova. At the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, she placed 4th in the all-around, again behind Rizatdinova. She won a silver medal in clubs, tied with Rizatdinova, and a bronze medal in hoop, also tied with Rizatdinova. Maksymenko, Rizatdinova, and Mazur were featured in an editorial in the August 2013 edition of Vogue Ukraine. She also competed at the 2013 World Games in Cali, where she secured bronze medals in both ball and clubs. Maksymenko concluded her career at the 2013 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Kyiv, Ukraine, where she won a bronze medal in the Clubs final and finished 7th in the All-around. Following the end of the 2013 season, she retired from competitive gymnastics and accepted an invitation from her former coaches at the Deriugins School to begin a career in coaching.