Young Olga in her white leotard and orange hair bows, at her first international competition in Wembley, 1980 I had only been in the Olympiski Stadium, Moscow, for a few moments when it happened: I found myself surrounded by a little army of tiny children, excitedly chattering away in Russian, a language I don't speak. I strained my ears and heard the names : Aliya, Nastia, Ksenia; I was swept along by this blizzard of pigtails, giggles and pretty eyes; and suddenly I lost myself, and started looking for Olga Mostepanova amongst them. She might have been there, but (now in her forties) it is more likely that she was hard at work in her own gym, helping a young gymnast learn how to do a walkover on beam. Mostepanova was always like that, even as a child: her gymnastics appeared like a beautiful daydream, but the reality was infinitely more prosaic. The exquisite plasticity that made her a Champion, the beautiful line for which she is famous, were the product ...
Anna Pavlova?
ReplyDeleteShe's Anna Pavlova, it's the pose that she did in the 2008 floor routine
ReplyDeletefirst things in mind was Alyona Polyan but then thought Just over Nabieva could make a joke like that
ReplyDeleteIts suits her : )
Those legs are so Pavlova's.
ReplyDeleteThis is Pavlova. She wore that leotard in Beijing in the AA final. Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--y64fZiBZM at 1:16 she does that pose.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!
ReplyDelete