Reporting and analysing Russian gymnastics since 2010. Includes original and exclusive interviews with leading coaches and gymnasts, and historical issues dating back to the Soviet Union. The first blog to report extensively on the sport using Russian language sources.
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Fishing the internet for black and white pictures of gymnasts, I came across the following images at the RIA Novosti Media Gallery.
1981 World Champion Olga Bicherova is very photogenic, and I love these candid shots. Soviet champions were often highly praised for their diligence and sense of duty, not just in sports but in everyday life. Collecting stamps, replying to fan mail and working hard in the classroom all personified the work ethic and high standards which exemplified the perfect Soviet citizen.
Olga Bicherova replying to a Japanese fan's letter, shortly after winning the 1981 World Championships. Courtesy of RIA Novosti
Olga Bicherova in practice with choreographer Galina Savarina, in 1982
Olga Bicherova and her stamp collection, 1981
Olga Bicherova, the model schoolgirl, 1981
Tiny Olga Bicherova with coach Boris Orlov in 1978
This brief Soviet television documentary emphasises the personal qualities that made her such a great example for youth.
Olga Bicherova was a gymnast of great charisma, charm and competitive strength. She is remembered in particular for her tantalizing floor performances, aggressive vaulting and confident beam routines.
You can find here the floor routine with which Olga won the 1981 World all around title.
And her later, 1983, floor routine, for me a favourite for its personality, expression and the way she flirts with the judges.
There is some doubt over Olga's birthdate: born October 26th, did she turn 14, or 15 (as required to compete in an FIG competition) in 1981? Even now, some thirty-one years later, there is confusion; for example, age details on some of the Novosti pictures from 1978 and 1979 are confusing. But with such a time distance, it is easy enough to get someone's age wrong. Surely, at such a tender age Bicherova would not have been able to change her own credentials. What remains certain is that Bicherova was one of the best gymnasts in the world during a time when talent and competition were deeper than ever.
In a 2000 International Gymnast interview, Olga's former coach Boris Orlov admitted she was too young to compete that year, but didn't say exactly how old she was. Sorry I can't recall which issue - it's some time between January and May.
You announced that you "unofficially" retired from athletics. How do you rate it? What achievements are you most proud of? To what extent did you realize your full potential? Were there any career moves you regret? I haven't yet mentally accepted the fact that my career is over. I understand that my chances are slim due to the personal sanctions imposed on me and my personal schedule. I work three jobs, and sometimes I don't have time to train, let alone take care of my personal needs. I have a lot of responsibility for projects and the team. I'll likely make my official retirement announcement next year, but I still want to compete somewhere, to "shake off the old days." I regret that my professional career ended so early and abruptly. I still have, as we say in sports, "something left in me." In many ways, I could have pushed a little harder, been more disciplined in my training, found a new approach... For example, the Youth Olympic Games ...
Via VK.com. Google translate A big interview with Aliya Mustafina was published on MATCH!. We provide a small excerpt below, and the full version is available on the website at the link below ❓ Aliya, you are now the head coach of the junior artistic gymnastics team. What does your typical day look like? 💜 My current life is similar to what it was when I was competing. In the morning, I have breakfast and go to work by 9:00, we train for four hours, have lunch, rest and train for another three hours. During the training camp, the athletes live at the base. They live and train on the same territory. ❓ Do you manage the gymnasts' personal trainers or do you evenly distribute the responsibilities? 💜 We work in contact with the personal trainers, I listen to their opinions. For example, if the trainer believes that their athlete needs to be given a little rest or do fewer repetitions of a particular exercise, we do so. ❓ Describe the current generation of children. Do they nee...
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 ...
In a 2000 International Gymnast interview, Olga's former coach Boris Orlov admitted she was too young to compete that year, but didn't say exactly how old she was. Sorry I can't recall which issue - it's some time between January and May.
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