To see this all laid out and directly explained to Mukhina in a recorded conversation is a very significant piece footage to have. With under a year left until the 1980 Summer Olympics, the pressure mounted on the Soviet team coaches and doctors to get the previous all-around champion back on her feet. She was quickly recognized as an athlete to watch for at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. On July 3, 1980, Mukhina was practicing the part of her routine containing the Thomas salto. What followed was months, turned years, of cover-ups. Sending love to you @Simone_Biles -Team UNITED States of America . The mantra appeared clear: injury was weakness or unwillingness, Mukhina had to break through the pain to achieve greatness. Entertainment. Mukhina Badly Hurt In Gym Fall - The Washington Post She does not get enough credit for how rapid and unexpected her rise was. Main:Elena Mukhina | Gymnastics Wiki | Fandom Gymnastics is a cruel sport at times albeit a gorgeous one that your whole heart will love.I will start off by saying that I didn't even know which song to use because there are hardly ANY that honor her. It didnt make sense that Mukhina would be the one who would prevail, and it certainly didnt make sense that this is how it would be in 1977 and 1978. She was orphaned at the age of 5 and was raised by her grandmother - Anna Ivanovna. She was also inducted into the CSKA Hall of Fame. After an unsuccessful fatal injury, the gymnast was forever confined to bed. Required fields are marked *. But Shaposhnikova, Davydova, Nellie Kim, and Filatova are all members of the Hall of Fame. The Elena Mukhina Tapes - An Old School Gymnastics Blog Elena Mukhina - Wikiwand Elena Mukhina and Nelli Kim win the gold medal In The Strasbourg World Championship. Perhaps the most significant part of the footage comes when Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci is invoked in the discussion. First, she was discovered by an athletic scout in her school, and then she later joined the CSKA Moscow . ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) _ Dmitri Bilozerchev and Elena Mukhina both suffered disasterous falls after becoming world gymnastics champions. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. For all we know the Mukhinas response to a different comment could have been used instead. Mukhina spoke up and tried to convince her coach of how dangerous the element was. You can share this story on social media: Subscribe to RT newsletter to get news highlights of the day right in your mailbox, Elena Mukhina soared to incredible heights before her tragic accident. In the quiet corner of a Moscow cemetery, a black slab of marble stands surrounded by the December snow. I think back to that snowy day in late December of 1974 where a coach and a gymnast crossed paths for the first time. Log In. The balance of power appeared to be shifting. The rushed recovery from that injury, combined with pressure to master a dangerous and difficult tumbling . The following year Mukhina achieved the trademark win of her career by winning the All-Around title at the 1978 World Championships. Unlike Simone Biles, Mukhina is the tragic example of what happens when you're not allowed to say no. In trying to complete the salto, the gymnast landed on her chin and effectively snapped her spine. His younger brother, Viktor, had won Olympic gold in Munich in 1972, but Mukhina was to be the first female gymnast he would endeavor to forge into a world-beater. Share with us. Find your friends on Facebook. She would eventually get inducted into the CSKA Hall of Fame. Hers was a life blessed with triumph but befallen by tragedy; a cautionary tale of a career cut brutally short by a life-changing injury. Despite beating Mukhina to gold on the beam, Comaneci settled for a solitary title and two silvers at the event. In between the 1977 European Championships and the 1978 World Championships, the Soviets released a documentary by the name of You Are in Gymnastics. Surveillance video sheds light on 'cartel . USA Gymnastics released a statement confirming she had withdrawn with a "medical issue". Stick-thin, Mukhina was initially viewed as being behind her contemporaries at her new CSKA training home. These events overshadow what were two other hallmarks of Mukhina's career. After voicing her concern that she would break her neck attempting the move, the coach dismissed her. Korbut flip - Wikipedia It is hard to say if the memory of Elena Mukhina stifled Mikhail Klimenkos career, but it did appear to be more of a limitation for him than other coaches who had associations with infamous injuries such as Al Fong. You always learn how to be safe, but then you start thinking: Will you be able to prevent an accident if you do something badly? However, in Tuesday's Olympic women's gymnastics team final, thousands of people watched on as Biles lost her bearings in the middle of a vault, grimacing as she shakily landed on her feet. A Bet on Wellbeing: How History Has Justified Simone Biles' Decision. Mikhall KLIMENKO was once National juniors' champion of the USSR, but turned to the profession of coach quite early due to an injury and once took care of the gravely injured wheelchair-bound Elena Mukhina.The brother of the sixfold European Champion Victor Klimenko, who lives in Germany now, was known as one of the most . When doctors removed her cast against her wishes and had her try walking on the leg, she said that she knew she was walking \"crookedly\" and that something was not right. On July 3, 1980, two weeks before the Moscow Olympics, Elena Mukhina was practicing the pass containing the Thomas salto when she under-rotated, and crash-landed on her chin, snapping her spine and leaving her quadriplegic. The world-beating Soviet gymnast whose triumph turned to tragedy Before their partnership, both had witnessed unsuccessful careers, but found instant success as soon as they joined forces. The real world doesnt think like that.. "I saw how they carried me out of the hall. Mikhail Klimenko was a relatively young coach who was trying to prove himself, and was far too willing to push the limits and win by any means necessary. They ended up getting more than they bargained for, and the price for that was paid by Elena Mukhina. Gymnastics prodigy who tragically broke her neck while practicing a dangerous move, just two weeks before the Olympics, and shortly after her 20th birthday. None of this is to say I completely absolve Klimenko of blame, as I do consider his coaching tactics to be a significant factor leading to Mukhinas paralysis and even agree with Soviet officials on that particular point. The team would have won without her. She has been placed in a neck cast and will be immobilized for several weeks. She tied for the gold medal in the floor exercises and won silver in the balance beam and uneven bars. Because that will tear you apart.. Aged 18, Mukhina was imperious as she won gold in the all-around, team and floor events, as well as picking up silver medals in the uneven bars and balance beam. !Check out my other channel! The celebrity coaches Mikhail Klimenko was competing against often had dozens of young, aspiring gymnasts. After the injury, the Soviet Gymnastics Federation remained secretive about the events surrounding Mukhinas injury. Mikhail Klimenko maintained a viable coaching career in the aftermath of Mukhinas injury. Ekaterina Gordeeva was born on 28 May 1971 and she is currently 51 years old. Juegos Olmpicos: la gimnasta rusa qued paraltica haciendo el salto She soon realized that the Thomas salto was an extremely dangerous move because it depended on being able to get enough height and speed to make all the flips and mid-air twists and still land in-bounds with enough room to do the forward roll. Elena Mukhina. Flanked by two small pots of flowers, its gleaming face bears the image of girl, a perfect picture of poise and concentration. On my wanderings through YouTube one night I came across the story of Elena Mukhina (1960-2006), a gymnast unlucky enough to be born under the Soviet regime. One of the common themes in Soviet sports media is coaches frequently boasted about their ability to invoke psychology as a training tool. Her throw of 70.08 meters eclipsed by 12 centimeters the world record set by East German Ruth Fuchs at Split, Ugoslavia, this spring. It most likely was an attempt to hide/minimize Mukhinas negative demeanor. The clips can be found in the above YouTube video. For those who dont know who Elena Mukhina is, she is the most heartbreaking story to have come out of the Soviet gymnastics program. Would Elena Mukhina Have Made the Olympic Team if Not For Her Paralyzing Injury. Her stupid coach should have listened to her. Mostepanovas Romanian rival Ecaterina Szabo had a similar story. However, until now, it has almost been unheard of for any high-level gymnast to withdraw from competition for health reasons. Elena Mukhina - Aftermath - LiquiSearch Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Elena Mukhina is a great gymnast, world champion. It had to be rectified, and Mukhina emerged as one of the answers. Would Elena Mukhina Have Made the Olympic Team if Not For Her In 2021, she was posthumously inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . The day Mukhina was injured, Soviet national team coaches working with her had violated half a dozen safety guidelines. Mukhina, the embodiment of elegance and strength, sacrificed her life and health in attempt to win an Olympic medal for her country. Former gymnasts left paralyzed on Biles decision, twisties experience It remained an allowed skill for men until 2013. I was on the operating table right after lunch. (LogOut/ Now I finally have! "We have to protect our body and our mind It just sucks when you're fighting with your own head.". Mukhina would always remember him with fondness, and together she rose to become Moscow champion. The success of Nadia shellshocked the Soviet Union and orders came down from the top to find a gymnast who could break Nadias stranglehold on the sport. . Today. In general it's just historical video of one of the greatest gymnasts to ever be born. Alberto Capra. Elena MUKHINA died in Moscow! | GYMmedia.com In 1976 Nadia Comaneci dominated the Olympics when she was only 14 years old. The first group had all been formally named to the Olympic team. They suggested this was something that Biles should have done for her team - pushed through the pain. By her own admission, Mukhina called herself a coward and was determined to break that label. TM. I was so tired then, both physically and psychologically.". At 3:00 Mukhina and Klimenko have a conversation regarding personal goals. Chinese peace plan: Can Beijing find a way to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, despite open hostility from the US and NATO. For a wide variety of reasons, he had become overly invested in a single gymnast. When an athletic scout visited her school, she volunteered to try out for the gymnastics team. In many ways, the tragedy foreshadowed the sadness which would pursue Mukhina for the rest of her days. Because of the devastating injury, Elena Mukhina could not be added to the 1980 Soviet Union Olympic team roster. Added to this perfect storm of pressure was the complex element Klimenko had placed in her floor routine: the Thomas salto. On July 3, 1980, two weeks before the Moscow Olympics, Elena was practicing the Thomas salto tumbling move when she under-rotated and crash-landed on her chin, snapping her spine and leaving her quadriplegic.