Marina Orlova (Russian: Марина Орлова)

Born 10 December 1980
Marina Orlova (Russian: Марина Орлова) is a Russian philologist, etymologist, and author who has become an Internet celebrity, hosting one of the most popular channels on YouTube, HotForWords, and a corresponding website. She also hosts a bi-weekly radio show on Maxim Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Marina Orlova, known to millions of fans around the world as a sexy master of language, HotForWords, is a 28 year old Internet “sensation”. Hailing from Moscow, Marina has two degrees in philology which is the study of linguistics and origins of words. Back in Russia Marina taught English and World Literature to high-schoolers. She came to the United States six years ago to improve her English skills and prepare for her Ph.D., but she ended up staying in the U.S. simply because of the warmer weather.

The theme of Orlova's YouTube videos, which begin with the tagline "Intelligence is Sexy", and of her website, is tracing the origins of English words. Some of her entries focus on common everyday words such as irony and OK, while others address lengthy and rarely used tongue-twisters such as floccinaucinihilipilification and antidisestablishmentarianism. Some entries also address idioms, including "let the cat out of the bag", "dressed to the nines" and "three sheets to the wind" or new words like the verb "to google". As a Moscow Times editorial observes, Orlova's success is not solely attributed to her pedagogical value:

Marina exploits her blonde-bombshell looks to the maximum: She appears in her two-minute clips scantily clad, pouting and making doe eyes. This is surely the main factor in her success. However, while the number of scantily clad girls on the Internet is limitless, not all of them put so much intellectual effort into their success.

The channel became active in 2007, and Orlova has since been voted "World's #1 Sexiest Geek" in Wired Magazine's "Sexy Geek of the Year Contest" contest. G4 TV has similarly listed Orlova among its "Hot Women of the Net" on several occasions, and Cosmopolitan Magazine has identified her as the "most subscribed to YouTube guru". Orlova has appeared on a number of Fox shows including on The O'Reilly Factor, and was profiled on "The Medium", an Internet feature of The New York Times Magazine. In June of 2008, Orlova and radio personality Danny Bonaduce signed endorsement deals with "coComment". As a G4TV profile of Orlova indicates, she received two degrees in philology from the Nizhny Novgorod State University in 2002 and taught English and world literature to high school students in Moscow before moving to the United States to pursue further education.

How did you start Hot for Words and what motivates you to continue?

Since I have two degrees in philology which is the study of the origins of language and the origins of words, I figured that it would be best to do something career-wise that I knew something about and that I had a passion for. I was a teacher briefly in Russia teaching a class of about 20 kids, but when I came to the United States and was introduced to YouTube, I thought, wow, wouldn’t it be great if I taught online to perhaps thousands of people.. plus I wasn’t aware of anybody else doing what I was doing.. so that made it even more exciting for me!

When I got my first thousand views I was thrilled.. and that motivated me to keep making videos.. then I got a couple hundred thousand views which was more views than people in my hometown in Russia and that made me even more excited! Today I am at 210 MILLION views and those numbers are just staggering! I get between a half a million to a million video views every single day and those views translate into thousands of comments and emails every day as well. It’s the sheer magnitude of the number of views each day and the number of comments and emails that I get, that really inspires me to keep making videos day in and day out!

How do you define cool?

Cool, obviously means, slightly cold, but as far back as the year 1000 AD or so, it also meant to cool yourself down emotionally, not to be emotional and that’s the meaning Chaucer and Shakespeare also adopted with the word. To me, being cool means being relaxed, keeping your emotions intact during tough times. Because a person who is cool during a tough situation looks great and people aspire to be cool like that person, cool has also taken on the meaning of not only someone who looks and acts great, but things as well.

What is the key to innovation?

Innovation comes from the Latin meaning “to renew or change.” So I believe the key is to create something new or go about something in a totally new of different manner. When people around you tell you that they think your idea is stupid, that’s almost a sign that you absolutely NEED to do it! I had NOBODY around me thinking what I was doing was a good idea, and now all those naysayers are hitting me up for advice on launching their own things that are based on what I do.

What are your ambitions for Hot for Words?

I have a book that came out on August 15th through Harper Collins called “Hot for Words,” I have an awesome iPhone game coming out that is completely NOT what you would expect and I am creating a game show for online based on my show. But my future is to keep making the videos online that I am making. All of Hollywood and the world is shifting to the Internet, TV is shifting here as well. And since I am already here, it means that things can only grow for me in the future.

What are your most important hobbies?

Since etymology was my hobby and I made it into my career, I find that most of my time is spent doing SOMETHING related to my career! It’s the best of both worlds! Take your interest or hobby and turn it into your career and will find yourself “playing” all the time and getting paid for it!!!

Birthday: 12/10/1980
Nickname: HotForWords
Birthname: Marina Orlova
Hometown: Russia
Assets: everything
Sign: Sagittarius
Height: 5'8
Job: Philologist
Hobbies: youtube
Ethnicity: White
Country of Origin: Russian Federation

Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova

Born on June 7, 1981
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova (Russian: Anna_kournikova.ogg Анна Сергеевна Ку́рникова, Anna Sergeevna Kurnikova) is a semi-retired Russian professional tennis player and model. Her celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis players worldwide. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name one of the most common search strings on the Internet search engine Google.

Has anyone ever looked better in a tennis outfit (we are so grateful for those short white skirts)? Not likely -- Anna Kournikova is sculpted like a goddess. The tennis court was her stage, where she simultaneously (and successfully) flirted with and stunned thousands of admirers. This Russian pinup had the power of filling up arenas when she was scheduled to play. How many women can be credited with the same feat?

Men's magazines like FHM always have included her among the hottest women, and she was named Sexiest Woman in the World in FHM's 100 Sexiest Girls poll in 2002. Her sex appeal has also managed to sell calendars, and the Sports Illustrated issue with Anna Kournikova on the cover was one of the highest-selling issues the magazine has ever published. So it looks like Anna Kournikova's sexiness is unanimous: it doesn't get much hotter than her.

Awards
Appeared on July 5, 2004, Forbes Magazine Celebrity 100 list at No. 82 (along with S. Williams at No. 63, V. Williams at No. 77, Henin-Hardenne at No. 81 and Clijsters at No. 84)

Ranked No. 6 on 2003 Top 10 Most-Marketable Female Athletes, as published by Sports Business Daily (determined by a poll of 60 marketers, sponsorship consultants and members of media): No. 1 S. Williams, No. 2 Annika Sorenstam (golf), No. 3 Mia Hamm (soccer); No. 4 V. Williams, No. 5 Lisa Leslie (basketball)

Most popular sports figure of 2000 and 2001, according to Web site searches by Lycos users

Named FHM Magazine's 2002 Sexiest Woman in the World

Featured in the 2004 40th Anniversary Edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

In 1986, Anna became a member of the prestigious Spartak Tennis Club, coached by Larissa Preobrazhenskaya. In 1989, at the tender age of eight, Anna began appearing in junior tournaments, and by the following year, was attracting attention from tennis scouts across the world. Anna signed a management deal at age ten and went to Bradenton, Florida to train at Nick Bollettieri's celebrated tennis academy.

Following her arrival in the United States, Anna exploded onto the tennis scene, making her the internationally recognized tennis star she is today. At the age of 14, she went on to win the European Championships and the Italian Open Junior tournament. Anna also beat out the competition to win the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl, becoming the youngest player ever to win the 18 and under division at that tournament. By the end of the year, Anna was crowned the ITF Junior World Champion U-18 and Junior European Champion U-18.

In 1994, Anna Kournikova received a wild card into ITF tournament in Moscow qualifications, but lost to the third seed Sabine Appelmans.

Kournikova debuted in professional tennis at age 14 in the Fed Cup for Russia, the youngest player ever to participate and win. In 1995, she turned pro, and won two ITF titles, in Midland, Michigan and Rockford, Illinois. At age 15, she made her grand slam debut, when she reached the fourth round of the 1996 U.S. Open, only to be stopped by then-top ranked player, Steffi Graf, eventual champion. After this tournament, her ranking jumped from No. 144 to debut in Top 100 at No. 69.

Kournikova was a member of the Russian delegation to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1996, she was named WTA Newcomer of the Year, and she was ranked No. 57 in the end of the season.

In 2000, Anna Kournikova broke into the top 10, reaching No. 8 in singles. She was also ranked #4 in doubles at the end of the season.

In singles she reached the finals of the Kremlin Cup, where she lost to Martina Hingis. She also reached eight semifinals and seven quarter finals. She was again more successful in doubles. She played the finals of the mixed doubles at the US Open, partnering with Max Mirnyi.

With Julie Halard-Decugis, she won the tournament in Gold Coast, Australia. Partnering with Barbara Schett, she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. With Natasha Zvereva, she lost in the finals at Indian Wells. They also won at Hamburg. She lost in the finals at San Diego, partnering with Lindsay Davenport. With Martina Hingis, she won at Zürich, the Kremlin Cup, and at Philadelphia and the WTA Championships.

In 2003, Anna Kournikova collected first grand slam match victory in two years at Australian Open. She defeated Henrieta Nagyová in the 1st round, and then lost to Justine Henin-Hardenne in the 2nd round. She withdrew from Tokyo due to sprained back suffered at Australian Open and did not return to Tour until Miami. Kournikova retired in the 1st round of Charleston due to left adductor strain.

She reached the semifinals at ITF tournament in Sea Island, before withdrawing from match versus Maria Sharapova due to adductor injury. She lost in the 1st round of ITF tournament in Charlottesville. She did not compete for rest of season due to continuing back injury

Kournikova's two Grand Slam doubles titles came in 1999 and 2002, both at the Australian Open in the Women's Doubles event with partner Martina Hingis, with whom she played frequently starting in 1999. Kournikova proved a successful doubles player on the professional circuit, winning 16 tournament doubles titles, including two Australian Opens and being a finalist in mixed doubles at the U.S. Open and at Wimbledon, and reaching the No.1 ranking in doubles in the Women's Tennis Association tour rankings. Her pro career doubles record was 200–71. However, her singles career plateaued after 1999. For the most part, she managed to retain her ranking between 10 and 15 (her career high singles ranking was No.8), but her expected finals breakthrough failed to occur; she only reached four finals out of 130 singles tournaments, never in a Grand Slam event, and never won one.

Playing style

• As a player, Kournikova was noted for her footspeed and aggressive baseline play, and excellent angles and dropshots; however, her relatively flat, high-risk groundstrokes tended to produce frequent errors, and her serve was sometimes unreliable in singles.
• Kournikova holds her racket in her right hand but uses both hands when she plays backhand shots. She is a good player at the net. She can hit forceful groundstrokes and also drop shots.
• Her playing style fits the profile for a doubles player, and is complemented by her height. She has been compared to such doubles specialists as Pam Shriver and Peter Fleming.

Anna Kournikova Quotes

“I think it's really important for me not to forget where I came from.”

"There are a lot of pretty girls. I am a tennis player first of all, that is why I am here, and if wasn`t producing results no one would notice me. "

"When I play, I feel like in a theatre, why should I look ugly then, because I`m a tennis-player? "

"You don`t think people would go on about my looks if I was No. 500 in the world instead of No.12, do you? Anyway, as I keep telling everyone, you can`t blame me for looking like this on purpose. "

"I`ve just done a commercial in the U.S. in which I talk about stocks, shares and bonds. Everyone is amazed. They ask me: `You really know about that stuff or did you just learn it for the commercial?` I tell them I wouldn`t do it unless I understood and had an interest. "

"I have a lot of boyfriends, I want you to write that. Every country I visit, I have a different boyfriend. And I kiss them all. "

"Do I consider myself sexy? It all depends on the way I`m feeling. When I`m happy inside, that`s when I feel most sexy. "

"A court is like a scene, people want to see attractive people."

"I'm like a menu at an expensive restaurant -- you can look at me, but you can't afford me."
- Anna Kournikova

Career Highlights

SINGLES
Winner: 1996 - ITF/Midland-USA, ITF/Rockford-USA.
Finalist (4): 2002 - Shanghai;
2000 - Moscow;
1999 - Hilton Head;
1998 - Miami.

DOUBLES
Winner (16): 2002 - Australian Open (w/Hingis),
Shanghai (w/J.Lee);
2001 - Sydney (w/Schett),
Moscow (w/Hingis);
2000 - Season-Ending Championships,
Filderstadt,
Zurich,
Philadelphia (all w/Hingis),
Gold Coast (w/Halard-Decugis),
Hamburg (w/Zvereva);
1999 - Australian Open,
Season-Ending Championships,
Indian Wells,
Rome,
Eastbourne (all w/Hingis);
1998 - Tokyo [Princess Cup] (w/Seles).

MIXED DOUBLES
Finalist (2): 2000 - US Open (w/Mirnyi);
1999 - Wimbledon (w/Bjorkman).

ADDITIONAL
Russian Fed Cup Team 1996-97,
2000. Russian Olympic Team 1996.

Birthday: 6/7/1981
Nickname: Murzik (“My Little Pet” in Russian)
Birthname: Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova
Hookups: Enrique Iglesias, Sergei Federov
Hometown: Moscow, Russia
Assets: fitness, flexibility, tan Russianness
Vices: Hockey Players
Sign: Gemini
Height: 5'8
Job: Tennis Player, Model
Hobbies: Tennis
Ethnicity: White
Country of Origin: Russian Federation
Weight : 56 kg (120 lb)
Turned pro : October 1995
Plays : Right; Two-handed backhand
Career prize money : US$3,584,662
Official website :
http://www.kournikova.com/

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (Russian: Александра Константиновна Костенюк )

Born on April 23, 1984 in Perm, Volga Federal District
Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (Russian: Александра Константиновна Костенюк ) is a Russian chess Grandmaster and the current Women's World Chess Champion.

Alexandra learned to play chess at the age of five after being taught by her father. She has a little sister named Oxana, who is a woman FIDE master level chess player.

Her chess career is full of notable achievements. In 2001, at the age of 17, she reached the final of the World Women's Chess Championship, but was defeated by Zhu Chen. Three years later, she became female European champion by winning the tournament in Dresden, Germany. She also won the 2005 Russian Women's Championship, held in Samara, Russia, finishing with a score of +7 =4 -0. In August 2006, she became the first Chess960 (Fischer random) women world champion after beating Germany's top female player Elisabeth Pähtz 5.5-2.5. She defended that title successfully in 2008 by beating Kateryna Lahno 2.5-1.5. However, her top success so far has been to win the Women's World Chess Championship 2008, beating in the final the young Chinese prodigy Hou Yifan, with a score of 2.5-1.5.

In November 2004, she was awarded the International Grandmaster title, becoming the tenth woman to receive the highest title of the World Chess Federation, FIDE (see Fédération Internationale des Échecs). Before that, she had also obtained the titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. She is 11th on the April 2009 FIDE women Elo rating list with a rating of 2516.

Kosteniuk's mottos have been "chess is cool" and "beauty and intelligence can go together". With these as a backdrop, Kosteniuk has been promoting chess in the capacity of a fashion model and ambassador of chess in order to spark interest in the game around the world.

She is also the host of a popular podcast "Chess is Cool" which informs listeners about Alexandra's life and current chess events.

You have undoubtedly an important role to play in promoting chess as an icon for a younger generation in Russia and all over the world. What role do you see yourself playing in the future?
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk:- Especially now that I have a little baby daughter, I see my role as teaching chess to kids, showing them that chess is a great game that can help them in their life, first at school, then succeeding in life.

In August 2006 you became the first Chess960 (Fischer Random) women world champion, could you tell us about your views on future for Fischer Random chess?
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk:- I absolutely love Fischer Random Chess (Chess960), it's a great invention of Bobby Fischer, it allows us to start playing chess from move 1 on. One thing I don't like about chess preparation of Grandmasters nowadays is the enormous amount of time one needs to devote to opening preparation. In Fischer Random you need to use your brains from the very beginning, the games become immediately interesting and unusual. Fischer Random favors the better player, the one with more imagination and better calculating skills. I am looking forward to defending my title in Mainz in August 2008.

Russian's have added chess as a subject in the Schools; do you think Chess can be used as a powerful educational tool?
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk:- Chess is a most useful tool it has been proven many times. It improves memory, stimulates logical thinking, and helps to show kids that the world is quite a competitive place, either you win, or your neighbor will. It is also great to show that the more you work at chess, the better you will become. That is valid for anything in life.

Most of the world champions came from Russia, What could be the reasons? What qualities make Russians dominate the chess world?
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk:- I think it's the fact that in the Soviet Union chess was so highly viewed, so many kids started to play chess, there were so many chess schools that selected the most gifted kids and gave them top trainers. Chess Grandmasters were heroes and so everybody dreamed of becoming one and worked a lot on chess, creating the famous Soviet Chess School. I think in general the whole world has very gifted people, it's partly a numbers game, and partly a good teaching system.

Apart from chess, you have snagged attention with your good looks, your glamorous photos on magazines, modeling with a new chess uniforms etc. Do you think glamour can help in popularizing chess world wide?
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk:- Glamour can help to attract people to chess. Many people think that chess is boring, and parents may not want their kid to be like they perceive like a boring chess player. So when they see an article that shows me being a "normal" girl, looking "normal", and having time to play chess, they think "Hey, I think if my daughter was like this girl it would not be so bad", and so that's good for the image of chess.

World Rank
World (all players): 704
World (active players): 637
Female (active players): 11

National Rank RUS
National (all players): 128
National (active players): 108
Female (active players): 2

Continent Rank Europe
Rank (all players): 560
Rank (active players): 513
Female (active players): 8

Full name Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (Александра Константиновна Костенюк)
Country Russia
Born April 23, 1984 (1984-04-23) (age 25)
Perm, Volga Federal District, Russia
Title Grandmaster
Women's World Champion 2008 - present
FIDE rating 2516
(No. 11 on the April 2009 FIDE rating list for women)
Peak rating 2540 (April 2006)
Official Website http://www.kosteniuk.com/