Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Further exploration has uncovered these three Soviet produced films on the gymnastics competitions at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Men's competition, part 1 There is a running commentary of the exercises featuring Alexander Detiatin, Nikolai Andrianov, Alexander Tkachev, Roland Brueckner, Michael Nikolay, the legendary Zoltan Magyar on the pommels, Danut Grecu, Stojan Delchev (double salto forward with half turn dismount off rings). Men's competition, part 2 Features an early Cuban effort at a handspring double front vault and a slow motion technical analysis of Nikolai Andrianov's Tsukahara vault, Tkachev's winning parallel bars routine including a slow motion section on the piked forward somersault with straddle, Tkachev's 10 scoring high bar routine (beautiful) including slow motion analysis of the Tkachev release element, Kovacs, Delchev, Arroya's one armed work. Dismount elements by Andrianov, Detiatin. Delchev's gold medal winning routine. ...

I should be writing some important work this afternoon but instead find myself drifting off to the Olympics ... past, as well as present.  I am a little disappointed not to be able to see the Russians fight for gold at my home Olympics at last ... but never mind.  Let's remember some of the greatest Olympians ever, and hope for the golden tradition to be continued in 2012. 1952 - Marina Gorokhovskaya on uneven bars (she took silver on this apparatus, but was the all around champion) You may well love the interesting techniques she uses here. Look for the enthusiastic audience participation too! Watch it on Youtube . 1956, 1960 and 1964 - Larissa Latynina on floor She's so languid. In 1956, it was the Latynina and Keleti show, with Latynina winning the all around and sharing the gold on floor with her Hungarian rival. In 1960 Latynina held onto both the all around and floor golds, keeping the gold in 1964 but being beaten to the all around title by the glamorous Ve...