A lovely post by the Couch Gymnast reminds me of the continuing need to balance often simplistic media representations of our sport. Brigid quotes from three recent posts at the Russian Gymnastics Federation site, interviews with Tanya Nabieva, Anna Dementieva and Svetlana Khorkina, and in particular highlights the clear warmth of coach-gymnast relationships. I would add that in her interview Khorkina almost speaks more about Pilkin ('Grandpa') than she does of herself. Nabieva also pays tribute to her coaches Vera and Alexander Kiryashov in this month's International Gymnast.
The idea of the coach-gymnast relationship as tender, loving, and almost parental echoes the theme of many sources often ignored by the mainstream media. Bitter recriminations surround certain coaches, particularly in Romania and the USA, but gymnastics has provided as many quietly positive role models. For example, people seem to love speculating about Arkayev's autocratic behaviour in the final years of his tenure as Russian head coach, forgetting the warmth of his relationships with many of the top Russian and Soviet gymnasts since 1972 (see my earlier post here).
We must not forget that gymnastics is a hard sport and there are exceptions everywhere. 1978 World Champion Elena Mukhina (1960-2006), injured in a tragic accident early in 1980 from which she never recovered, openly blamed her coach, Mikhail Klimenko (1942-2007). The interviews she gave to Western TV producers (for the 1992 documentary series 'More than just a game') are well known, and in Russia an interview appearing in current affairs magazine 'Ogonyuk' was influential - English language translation available here. Mukhina's account is at least partially supported by a French language interview with Vladislav Rastorotsky (coach to Tourischeva, Shaposhnikova, Shishova, Yurchenko), who confirms that Mukhina, training alone one afternoon whilst other members of the team went on a visit to a local museum, was pressing rather too hard in her unlikely efforts to make the Olympic team, and working with an injury.
I wonder, though, if any of us outsiders can ever really know 'the truth'? So much depends on the expectations, psyche and personality of the gymnasts concerned, and the level of media interest they are accorded. Moceanu and Boguinskaia trained alongside each other with Bela Karolyi in the mid 1990s, but the account is dominated by Moceanu's high profile media campaigns. Perhaps coaching colleagues and peers could provide some insight, but they are often tainted with political motives. Maria Filatova's coaches Galina and Innokenty Mametyev were once criticized for their harshness, yet Filatova herself never denounced them and indeed returned to their fold later in life when she wished to establish herself in a coaching career. Observers with no or little experience of training sports at the highest level can't always understand or contextualise the demands and pressures. You would often need a degree in sports ethics to judge the rights and wrongs.
Khorkina and Nabieva's accounts echo so many sources documenting the tenderness of coaches. The wisdom and tenderness of Pilkin, Kiryashov and Arkayev are certainly not unique. "People must be treated not only according to the rules but also according to their soul" was a favourite saying of coach Rastorotsky. His coaching style and technique can be read about here, and here. If you want to know about the working relationship between Knysh and Korbut, watch the Soviet TV documentary which you'll find links to below, in the video documentary list. I don't think it matters too much if you can't speak Russian. There are more sources, but I'll limit this post for now, and save them for later.
You can also read the books by Arkayev (2004) and Zaglada (2010).
References
Arkayev, L and Suchilin, N (2004) How to Create Champions Germany: Meyer & Meyer
Crumlish, J (2011) 'Tatiana Nabiyeva: Russian Intensity' International Gymnast, June, pp 38-39
Hubbard, A (1979) 'Natalya: the Russians' new golden girl' Now, September 14-20 1979, available online at http://www.gymn-forum.net/Articles/Misc-Shaposhnikova.html
Krasnykh, V (2011) 'Going all out: the incomparable Svetlana Khorkina' Gymnastika (01) 7 pp 56-63, English language translation available online at http://www.sportgymrus.ru/press/5451/6235/default.aspx
Perokladina, K (2011) 'Tatyana Nabieva: Epitome of Expression' Gymnastika (01) 7 pp 46-48, English language translation available at http://www.sportgymrus.ru/press/5451/6237/default.aspx
Polonskaya, O (date unavailable) 'Yelena Mukhina: Grown Up Games' Ogonyuk, English language translation (courtesy of Beth Squires) available at http://webspace.webring.com/people/su/um_1035/mukhina-int.html
Queen Elizabeth (2011) 'Leonid Arkayev' Rewriting Russian Gymnastics, 27 May 2011
Tokarev, S (1985) 'A Real Coaching Talent' Soviet Life, October 1985, available online at http://www.gymn-forum.net/Articles/SL-Rast.html
Yermonlina, O (2011) 'I'm no cry baby' (undated) Moscow News, English language translation available online at http://www.sportgymrus.ru/press/5451/6212/default.aspx
Zaglada, V (2010) One Coach's Journey from East to West: how the fall of the Iron Curtain changed the world of gymnastics Bloomington IN: Authorhouse
The idea of the coach-gymnast relationship as tender, loving, and almost parental echoes the theme of many sources often ignored by the mainstream media. Bitter recriminations surround certain coaches, particularly in Romania and the USA, but gymnastics has provided as many quietly positive role models. For example, people seem to love speculating about Arkayev's autocratic behaviour in the final years of his tenure as Russian head coach, forgetting the warmth of his relationships with many of the top Russian and Soviet gymnasts since 1972 (see my earlier post here).
We must not forget that gymnastics is a hard sport and there are exceptions everywhere. 1978 World Champion Elena Mukhina (1960-2006), injured in a tragic accident early in 1980 from which she never recovered, openly blamed her coach, Mikhail Klimenko (1942-2007). The interviews she gave to Western TV producers (for the 1992 documentary series 'More than just a game') are well known, and in Russia an interview appearing in current affairs magazine 'Ogonyuk' was influential - English language translation available here. Mukhina's account is at least partially supported by a French language interview with Vladislav Rastorotsky (coach to Tourischeva, Shaposhnikova, Shishova, Yurchenko), who confirms that Mukhina, training alone one afternoon whilst other members of the team went on a visit to a local museum, was pressing rather too hard in her unlikely efforts to make the Olympic team, and working with an injury.
I wonder, though, if any of us outsiders can ever really know 'the truth'? So much depends on the expectations, psyche and personality of the gymnasts concerned, and the level of media interest they are accorded. Moceanu and Boguinskaia trained alongside each other with Bela Karolyi in the mid 1990s, but the account is dominated by Moceanu's high profile media campaigns. Perhaps coaching colleagues and peers could provide some insight, but they are often tainted with political motives. Maria Filatova's coaches Galina and Innokenty Mametyev were once criticized for their harshness, yet Filatova herself never denounced them and indeed returned to their fold later in life when she wished to establish herself in a coaching career. Observers with no or little experience of training sports at the highest level can't always understand or contextualise the demands and pressures. You would often need a degree in sports ethics to judge the rights and wrongs.
Khorkina and Nabieva's accounts echo so many sources documenting the tenderness of coaches. The wisdom and tenderness of Pilkin, Kiryashov and Arkayev are certainly not unique. "People must be treated not only according to the rules but also according to their soul" was a favourite saying of coach Rastorotsky. His coaching style and technique can be read about here, and here. If you want to know about the working relationship between Knysh and Korbut, watch the Soviet TV documentary which you'll find links to below, in the video documentary list. I don't think it matters too much if you can't speak Russian. There are more sources, but I'll limit this post for now, and save them for later.
You can also read the books by Arkayev (2004) and Zaglada (2010).
References
Arkayev, L and Suchilin, N (2004) How to Create Champions Germany: Meyer & Meyer
Crumlish, J (2011) 'Tatiana Nabiyeva: Russian Intensity' International Gymnast, June, pp 38-39
Hubbard, A (1979) 'Natalya: the Russians' new golden girl' Now, September 14-20 1979, available online at http://www.gymn-forum.net/Articles/Misc-Shaposhnikova.html
Krasnykh, V (2011) 'Going all out: the incomparable Svetlana Khorkina' Gymnastika (01) 7 pp 56-63, English language translation available online at http://www.sportgymrus.ru/press/5451/6235/default.aspx
Perokladina, K (2011) 'Tatyana Nabieva: Epitome of Expression' Gymnastika (01) 7 pp 46-48, English language translation available at http://www.sportgymrus.ru/press/5451/6237/default.aspx
Polonskaya, O (date unavailable) 'Yelena Mukhina: Grown Up Games' Ogonyuk, English language translation (courtesy of Beth Squires) available at http://webspace.webring.com/people/su/um_1035/mukhina-int.html
Queen Elizabeth (2011) 'Leonid Arkayev' Rewriting Russian Gymnastics, 27 May 2011
Tokarev, S (1985) 'A Real Coaching Talent' Soviet Life, October 1985, available online at http://www.gymn-forum.net/Articles/SL-Rast.html
Yermonlina, O (2011) 'I'm no cry baby' (undated) Moscow News, English language translation available online at http://www.sportgymrus.ru/press/5451/6212/default.aspx
Zaglada, V (2010) One Coach's Journey from East to West: how the fall of the Iron Curtain changed the world of gymnastics Bloomington IN: Authorhouse
Just a question, do you dismiss first hand accounts by the gymnasts themselves as gossip and innuendo if they don't conform to your image of your idols? It's easy to discount the tales of someone like Chelle Stack and her mother, who had dreams of stardom but didn't reach them, or Bilozertchev, who blamed the downfall of his career solely on Arkaev (forgetting that he played no small part in his self-destruction), or a famewhore like Moceanu. But when people such as Emelia Eberle, Szabo, Vladimir Artyomov, or even Nemov, all who have achieved great success and, in the case of Eberle, Szabo, and Artyomov, certainly aren't shameless self-promoters, you do have to wonder if what Bilozertchev or Chelle Stack or Moceanu is saying doesn't have a ring of truth to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really clear what you are saing. Have you really read the materials in full?
ReplyDeleteAs I say in my posts, how you treat these stories is a matter of balance and context. I don't dispute or dismiss reliable primary sources but you do have to take things in the round.
If you could comment including links or refs to primary sources that might help to contribute to a balanced discussion. Not so much the Karolyi/US/Rom/Belu stories which have been well documented.
Judging by your posts on the IG forum as well as this blog, you seem you seem to dismiss Nemov as a reliable observer of Arkaev's behavior toward the end of his career because he points out things Arkaev allowed to happen that really shouldn't have happened. You then praise Zaglada for not getting into gossip and innuendo by choosing not to bash Arkaev.
ReplyDeleteYou then cite the criticisms of Filatova's coaches as being politically motivated yet you fail to take into account that the Soviet documentaries you cite as proof of the loving and paternal Russian coaches might also be sanitized, Brezhnev era propaganda. Or that even your most trusted sources such as IG or the Russian papers might have their own agendas and biases. Many Russian athletes who now live abroad refuse to give interviews to Russian papers because they know that the writers will twist their quotes around. And I know many gymnasts have said one thing to the press but will say another thing to people in private. One gymnast in interviews praised her coaches but in private described her coaches as being Satan's minions. Why would they do that? Politics, perhaps because the coaches are so powerful that they are afraid that their own coaching careers will be ruined if they speak out. Or perhaps out of reluctance to bash people to complete strangers.
You also seem to dismiss Klimenko as an exception but there are who had sour relations with their charges. Yurchenko, Tourischeva, and Shaposhnikova for example have cut off contact with Rastorotsky, Gutsu was estranged from her former coaches. And don't forget that Korbut feels the need to accuse Knysh of sexually abusing her. And of course, Bilozertchev and Artyomov aren't exactly fans of Arkaev (see what I believe is the June 2010 issue of IG where they look back at the 1987 Rotterdam worlds and March 1992 IG as well as any interview with Bilozertchev over the years).
And finally, did it ever occur to you that much of the "gossip" that people quote on the forums comes from so-called "primary" sources.
Thanks for your anonymous contribution. Unfortunately I can't comment as there is no reasoned argument presented. Your assumptions are thinly veiled in emotive language and rhetoric and take the stance of there being absolute right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteYou don't even acknowledge your own bias or sources. This makes what might otherwise be an interesting discussion empty and pointless.