1980 Olympic Champion Elena Davydova at a London display in 1978 This French TV transmission of the historic final at the Moscow Olympics is fascinating for the mix of fluff and routines it presents. Sadly, we see only two fragments of Nadia Comaneci's routines. I would be tempted to say that this was a Soviet feed edited for diplomatic purposes, but I remember the BBC live transmission as covering Comaneci in full. I sat there, glued to my television set as the judges fought out the final rankings. With Soviet Elena Davydova standing in first place, 1976 champion, the legendary Comaneci, needed a 9.95 on beam to take the gold. Unfortunately, she took a rather hefty wobble half way through her routine, ending with a mark of 9.85 and the silver medal. This was an astounding result for a gymnast who had been to hell and back since her former glorious victories in Montreal, but that did not stop Romanian judge Maria Simionescu from fighting and debating...
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.