1988 Olympic all around champion Elena Shushunova and silver medallist Daniela Silivas on the podium in Seoul In truth it was the last big showdown of women's Olympic artistic gymnastics. For those of us watching at home in London on our TV screens, in the wee small hours (2 or 3 am by memory) of Friday September 23rd, a gymnastics drama unfurled. The main actors in the play - talented Romanian, Daniela Silivas, and her fierce Soviet rival, Elena Shushunova. Bit parts were played by the defending World Champion, Aurelia Dobre, only recently recovered from a serious knee injury, and the up and coming Godess of gymnastics, Svetlana Boguinskaia. At the Rotterdam World Championships barely a year before, all four gymnasts had seen an overturning of gymnastics' status quo as the deep and exciting Romanian team defeated the expected champions, the Soviet Union. Despite Romania's dominance there, Silivas had been wounded as she fell short of gold in the all arou...
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. I read, I argue, and I have opinions. Be warned.