Skip to main content

The power of the letter 'K' - beautiful and mysterious gymnasts of the past

The letter 'K' in the Russian Gymnastics Hall of Fame seems to include many intriguing gymnasts from the past.  Take a look.

Kuchinskaya, Korbut, Kim, Khorkina .... who's next?

A good excuse for a video fest, anyway, to celebrate the power of the 'K'.

Let's start with Natalia Kalinina's floor exercise from the event final of the 1990 Goodwill Games.  Notice Alexander Alexandrov in the background!



Nelli Kim, Floor exercise, event final, 1980 Olympics. She shows us what a ROUTINE really is!



Viktor Klimenko, 1970 World Championships - pommel horse



Vera Kolesnikova, 1985 Worlds Team Optionals, Floor exercise



Viktoria Komova, 2010 Youth Olympics qualification, floor exercise (yes, I'm cheating here; she isn't in the Hall of Fame yet but she should be included right next to her mother)



Olga Korbut, beam, 1972 Olympics (the saddest thing is, I can't find a complete video of her floor routine with good sound and video quality)



Igor Korobchinski, Floor final, 1989 World Championships



Yuri Korolev, 1983 University Games, floor exercise



Dina Kochetkova, 1994 World Championships, Floor event final - this was the first gold that the Russian women won at world level.



Nikolai Kryukov, Pommel Horse event final, 2003 world championships



Yevgenia Kuznetsova - 1998 Europeans, team final - beam (the same year she won the beam EF (in her home town, St Petersburg))



Yulia Kut, 1987 Chunichi Cup, floor exercise (so cute!)



Well, I think Yulia Kut's 1990 floor exercise (Olympic Cup) also merits inclusion here, just to show how she performed with more 'mature' choreography:



Natalia Kuchinskaya, 1968 Olympic Floor routine



I'm cheating here, as her name doesn't begin with a 'K' in Russian, but ...

Svetlana Khorkina, Floor, Team Finals, 2000 Olympics



Let's leave it there with the power of the mysterious letter 'K' -

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

We are satisfied - Aliya Mustafina

Photo credit: RGF An Allsport interview today with Aliya Mustafina : http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=83075 'I think that we are to be congratulated on this bronze medal, we are more satisfied than frustrated', said Aliya Mustafina. 'We were a new team, all the girls are young, and it's their first time in such a serious competition.  I think today we performed to the best of our ability.  Yes, we have had two falls today - on the uneven bars and balance beam.' 'The young girls failed  psychologically, but  the first time you compete on the senior podium - it's not very easy.  No  one is sad.  I  am very pleased with such a performance.  Everything  was fair enough, maybe not everywhere and in all things, but overall it was quite as expected, both our rivals, and the judging.' 'I began to experience more pain in the ankle - continued Aliya Mustafina. - To do the dismounts I had to muster all my strength and clench my teeth.  The coaches have d

Simone and the others - results and reflections

In the end, it was as predicted : Simone and the others, with Simone's teammate, Alexandra Raisman, providing the back up.  I do not need to point out that, by definition, the Americans are scoring significantly higher marks than the rest of the field.  Congratulations to them! Aliya Mustafina finished in third place.  The 2012 bronze medalist led the competition after vault and uneven bars, but had a very nervous outing on beam that might have taken a less experienced gymnast out of the medals.  A bravura performance on floor brought Aliya back though to confirm her third place all around.  From her senior debut in 2010 to today, Mustafina has continuously set high standards of grace.    It is the first time since 2000 that a gymnast (Amanar) has medalled in the all around at two consecutive Olympics, and  if Aliya can medal on Saturday's uneven bars final, she will once again be Russia's biggest medal winner of the women's gymnastics.  Russia's second gymnast, Sed

Russia defend team silver medal in Rio

It was an emotional performance and an emotional reaction at the end - but Russia is now second in the world in both MAG and WAG! The team did well, exploiting its strengths on bars and vault, and holding its own on beam.  Seda Tutkhalyan really showed her maturity and mettle with an almost perfect showing on beam and a solid, if not faultless, display on floor.  Maria Paseka did her best ever Amanar vault.  Aliya Mustafina ... was Mustafina.  Taking her fifth Olympic medal here, she scored over 60 in the AA.   The best work did come from the 2012 veterans, although Seda on beam and Daria on bars do have that special mark of Russian innovation and skill.  Angelina Melnikova looked perhaps a little overwhelmed at times - though I personally love her emotion - but this was only her first Olympics and I am certain she will be back for more.  Should she have had her personal coach on the floor with her?  It might have given her more assurance.  Is that hamstring still troubling her?  Why d

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more