Alla Misnik collecting her prize as 1981 Moscow News all around champion. Courtesy RIA Novosti I was yesterday reminded of the genius of Alla Misnik, who won three medals at the Madrid European Championships in 1981 (bronze all around, silver uneven bars, silver floor exercise, qualifying to all four event finals). Misnik had travelled to Madrid with team mate Natalia Ilienko, who here managed a meagre silver medal on beam, but went on to win gold in team and floor exercise at the Moscow World Championships that autumn. The same year Misnik had won the Moscow News tournament and, later, the USSR Cup, but sadly never competed at a World Championships. Misnik was born in Kharkov, Ukraine on the 27th August 1967. She was coached by Valentin Shumovsky, (whose team of young gymnasts also included 1978 Junior European beam and floor exercise champion, Natalia Karamushka). Zaglada (2010) writes of Shumovsky's care in training Misnik to the peak of her...
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.