Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Vladimir competes at the 1980 Olympics 1976 Olympics (silver medal in the team) and 1980 Olympics champion (gold in the team) Vladimir Markelov, comes from Ozersk in the South Urals. For a long time, Director of the children's club at CSKA Moscow (Elena Shevchenko, Dina Kochetkova, Dmitri Bilozerchev). His coach was Ivan Morozov, who Vladimir remembers fondly : 'he told us there were no frightening skills, just difficult ones.' They went on to learn the new elements step by step. Vladimir created his own originality on high bar which is still performed today by men and women - you can see it in the video. And read an interview (in Russian) including a memory of the security arrangements at the Montreal Games - armed guards accompanied all the athletes' coaches. (Don't forget that in Munich, Israeli athletes were murdered in a terrorist attack on the Games. :-((. ) http://ozvest.ru/srochno-v-nomer/17705-vladimir-markelov-zhizn-sostoit-iz-sluchajnostej-olimpijskij-che...

It's not a great quality video, but compelling viewing all the same.  It makes me shiver to think that this took place more than 25 years ago. Watch it on Youtube . 1986/87 marked a curiously quiet period for USSR women's gymnastics, culminating in the loss of the world title to the Romanians at the 1987 World Championships in Rotterdam. The 'top names' we see performing here include Olga Bicherova (1981 World Champion; 1981 and 1983 European Champion), Elena Shevchenko (1988 Olympic team champion), Elena Gurova (1987 World team silver medallist) and Alevtina Priakhina (1987 European silver medallist and reserve to the USSR team at the 1987 World Championships). Moscow was a real force in Soviet gymnastics in those days, and our current World Champions would be hard pressed to match some of the difficulty you see the girls training here. I am curious to know the name of the dark haired girl training double doubles with Priakhina. Besides the obvious big nam...

A fascinating interview is available to view here : http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/418471 Includes some relatively detailed discussions surrounding the apparently sudden departure of Dina Kamalova (Aliya's coach during her years as a junior competitor) to America, the role of CSKA head Galina Stepanova in helping link Aliya to her new coach, Alexander Alexandrov. Fargat Mustafin also discusses Aliya and her sister Nailya.