Sad news - the great Soviet champion Yuri Korolev has died, aged 60. Korolev was a great coach, very loved by his gymnasts and hugely respected in Russia. Korolev was World AA champion in both 1981 and 1985, and took the silver AA in 1987. He amassed a total of 14 gold medals across three World Championships and 3 Europeans. The sadness of Korolev’s career was that he never competed at an Olympics - the Soviet boycott of 1984 denied him LA, and he snapped his Achilles tendon just before the 1988 Games. …Yuri was one of a dynasty of champion gymnasts who came from the beautiful city of Vladimir in Russia. He trained at the same club as Nikolai Andrianov and Vladimir Artemov, Yuri Ryazunov and Kirill Prokopyev. Nikolai Kuksenkov also chose to train there during his time on the Russian national team. Russia’s bar coach, Sergei Andrianov reported the sad news.
Yuri was blond and handsome and very modest. We will miss him and our prayers are with his loved ones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGr85BA-iEU
UPDATE, 22.00
Local TV has confirmed the circumstances of Yuri Korolev’s untimely death. The former champion and coach was living and working in his home town, Vladimir. Last night he had a heart attack and was rushed into hospital where he stayed overnight. He sadly died earlier today.
Fellow coach, Vitaly Ivanchuk, has confirmed that there will be a memorial for Yuri on the 3rd May. Rest in Peace, dear Yuri,
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