"Formally Elena is not an Olympic Champion. Action Images, Mukhina had emerged as a world-beating force but faced increasing pressure. The epitome of daring, strength and . NTV, Nadia Comaneci was queen at the 1976 Olympics. It was enough to declare Mikhail Klimenko a coach with repeat success and from that point forward, he could never be dismissed as an untalented coach who had simply gotten lucky with Mukhina. On July 3, 1980, Elena attempted the salto just two weeks before the Olympics. A memorial service was held in her honor five days later, and she was buried at the Troekourov Cemetery on the southwestern outskirts of Moscow. Mukhina crash-landed, snapping her spine. From the debate over what constitutes emotional/mental abuse, to the sport trying to break its culture of silence. Elena Mukhina. 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. Information began to emerge slowly. It wasnt until Simone Biles that WAG had another gymnast who rapidly appeared from out of nowhere in the same fashion as Mukhina. Mukhina took an interest in figure skating and gymnastics at a very early age. Under the ever-demanding eye of Klimenko, Mukhina became all-round silver medalist at the Soviet championships in 1977, the same year she won three titles at the European championships in Prague along with one silver and one bronze, as well two World Cup titles. "She is too sensitive. However, Mukhina had not fully healed from her leg injury while she worked on perfecting this stunt. RIA Novosti, EU must shift to wartime economy industry commissioner, Biden praises Scholz for diversifying away from Russian energy, EU offers Russian banks alternatives to SWIFT media. !Check out my other channel! Mukhina herself eventually succumbed to complications from her condition on December 22, 2006. As the current star of the Soviet program at the time, Mukhina received top billing and a majority of the camera time. Reinforcing the idea on Mukhina that she is a burden to him. "Physically, I feel good, I'm in shape," she told the US Today Show. The expectation was huge. As a person, he wasnt just trying to preserve his coaching career, but his social status in which his coaching career depended on. Ekaterina Gordeeva was born on 28 May 1971 and she is currently 51 years old. As recently as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Mukhinas was a name which appearedas Americas Simone Biles battled her own mental and physical demons. Some reports said doctors feared she was paralyzed, while others said she has use of her arms and legs and is able to speak. The other was twice her age who had professional training that could be used as a tool for manipulation. I realized that the commandments do not think badly, do not act badly, do not envy are not just words. She made history when she unveiled her signature moves: a full-twisting layout Korbut Flip on the bars, a tucked double back salto dismount on the beam (a dismount thats still being used today); and a full-twisting double back somersault in her floor routine, a move that was dubbed the Muchina. Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina was a Soviet gymnast who won the all-around title at the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg, France. After the incident, Mukhina told Ogoniok about how fans wrote to her asking when she would compete again. Her stupid coach should have listened to her. With lingering weakness in her leg and continuing exhaustion from the strenuous weight loss workouts, Mukhina had difficulty getting back up to speed on what was to be the new end move of her floor routine tumbling passes, the Thomas salto. Poignant footage from the documentary Unfree fall shows an all-together lighter, more playful Mukhina when she was removed from the gaze of her master. The slightest lapse - whether it be physical or mental - can be life changing, sometimes even fatal. "Several times I saw my fall in a dream, Mukhina would later say. Perhaps this is fate. La trgica historia de la gimnasta que venci a Comaneci. Mukhina performed the move, falling on her chin and crushing her cervical vertebrae. Her battle was now an entirely different one: to find some quality of life to accompany her immobility. After analyzing all the information available, I believe Mukhina is completely correct to pin a majority of the blame on the Soviet WAG program as a whole. The Thomas salto is a 1 backflip with 1 twists ending a forward roll. They were selected for high-level sports because talent scouts noticed they reveled in pushing their body to the limits, strived for the highest goals imaginable, and wanted the thrill of performing the most dangerous acrobatic skills in the world. The moment she fell to the floor, Mukhina described her first thought as, "Thank God, I won't be going to the Olympics.". Elena Mukhina is largely remembered for two things. The day Mukhina was injured, Soviet national team coaches working with her had violated half a dozen safety guidelines. They hadnt just tolerated Klimenkos practices, but had become so satisfied with his results that other high profile Soviet gymnasts had been encouraged to switch gyms and join his training group. She does not get enough credit for how rapid and unexpected her rise was. 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. However, unlike the popular narrative - Strug performed that vault under pressure from her coach, injuring her ankle further. You can find it on BFI player if you are interested. Mukhina was keen on keeping up with world events, including in gymnastics, also learning to use her hands again to write. But do not break down and go on living in spite of everything, understanding all her tragedy . Despite beating Mukhina to gold on the beam, Comaneci settled for a solitary title and two silvers at the event. One further detail that is critical to understanding the Mukhina-Klimenko coaching relationship is that they had risen up the Soviet ranks together. As Mukhina would later recall, her hand shot up without hesitation. 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. Mukhina took a keen interest in children and young gymnasts both before and after her injury. What followed was months, turned years, of cover-ups. The Soviet Union downplayed the severity of Mukhina's injury, withheld information as to how she obtained her injuries and even went as far as to discredit her for inflicting the injury on herself. To see this all laid out and directly explained to Mukhina in a recorded conversation is a very significant piece footage to have. For Mikhail Klimenko, Mukhina was too important to his career for her to fail. Surveillance video sheds light on 'cartel . There will also be men's gymnastics videos in which we will showcase floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and high bar montages! Elena Mukhina: You Are In Gymnastics (1978) Share Watch on The documentary features a "pep talk" between Mukhina and her coach Mikhail Klimenko. Mukhinas reactions are not always being shown. These events overshadow what were two other hallmarks of Mukhina's career. For a series of clips that featured so much eeriness in regards to the rhetoric and the words being spoken, so is the cinematography. Elena was a former Soviet gymnast who won the All-around title at the 1978 World Championships at Strasbourg, France and was a four times European champion 1977 (Prague) and 1979 (Copenhagen). She likes music, poetry and to sit and think. Mukhina would always remember him with fondness, and together she rose to become Moscow champion. 30th July 2021. in. The Elena Mukhina tapes end with Mukhina being asked to react and her response is I dont know how to react. In this final exchange we see Mukhinas reserved/quiet nature. This article reminded me a lot of the recent NY times piece by Maggie Astor on this topic, thanks for highlighting the importance of mental health to maintain safety in high level sport. After an unsuccessful fatal injury, the gymnast was forever confined to bed. 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. Moreover, her family lovingly calls her Katia. In the end, after a long search, I returned to my initial options and narrowed the choices down to \" g, g \u0026 \" being the two being the main songs I'd choose from while the other two due to soothing melody in the cover versions of other languages. He refused to listen to her. I am frequently asked as to whether Klimenko is to blame for Mukhinas injury. This is probably the LONGEST video I will ever make. 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. These are real clips of a real person who in the end, really did get hurt, and the damage couldnt be undone. However, until now, it has almost been unheard of for any high-level gymnast to withdraw from competition for health reasons. Mukhina was reported to have fallen on first on bars (July 9th), then on the beam, (July 14th) and it wasn't until July 16th that the AP correctly reported she had been injured on floor. For all we know the Mukhinas response to a different comment could have been used instead. Nothing exists except work and pressure, which constantly increase, and sometimes it seems thatthat's it, you haven't got any more strength. Stella Zakharova compared him to infamous Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and called Klimenko a tyrant. Maria Filatova referred to Klimenko as a beast and when given the option to be coached by him said, I wouldnt go to Klimenko even at gunpoint. Both were members of the 1980 Soviet Olympic team and had trained alongside Mukhina. Elena Mukhina : biography June 1, 1960 - December 22, 2006 With lingering weakness in her leg and mounting exhaustion from the grueling weight loss workouts, Mukhina had great difficulty coming back up to speed on what was to be the new end element of one of her floor exercise tumbling passes, the Thomas salto. For Mukhina, just making it to the elite level was a staggering athletic accomplishment in itself. Gymnastics prodigy who tragically broke her neck while practicing a dangerous move, just two weeks before the Olympics, and shortly after her 20th birthday. and her World Championship performance is captured in the ABC Sports video Gymnastics' Greatest Stars. Your email address will not be published. So, for an athlete to know when something is increasing that risk, is significant. Elena Mukhina passed away in 2006, 11 months later Mikhail Klimenko passed away at the age of 65. This is one of the other important things to understand about Soviet athletics. She was 46 years old. It most likely was an attempt to hide/minimize Mukhinas negative demeanor. At 2:11 Klimenko outright dares Mukhina to leave him and train without a coach. This website uses cookies. She was discovered by Bela Karolyi in 1973, was featured in an American television program in 1976, and had been sent to the Olympics as an observer in 1980, all before making her 1984 Olympic debut at the age of 16. Born In 1960. The real world doesnt think like that.. If there're ANY problems whichever content make sure to message me and I'll be sure to check it out and take it down if that is what the owner desires. Mukhina took an interest in gymnastics and figure skating at an early age. Unlike the fluke accident suffered by Drew Donnellan, the paralysis of Mukhina was the subject of much conjecture. It remained an allowed skill for men until 2013. The injury left Elena Mukhina paraplegic and promptly ended her career. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The wonderful athlete, who pushed Nadia and popularized full-in on Floor and double back off beam, was paralysed in a training disaster before the 1980 Olympics. Klimenko knew to do this because his educational background was in psychology. Gymnastics. Change). Elena Mukhina recibi en la Orden Olmpica de Plata en 1981, un ao despus de su lesin. Crucially, Mukhina possessed a remarkable persistence and a talent for carrying out Klimenkos instructions to the letter. This is the final resting place of Elena Mukhina, one of the most remarkable athletes ever to grace her sport; an artist who pushed the limits of the human body in a way few have ever done. The Soviet Union downplayed the severity of Mukhinas injury, withheld information as tohow she obtained her injuries and even went as far as to discredit her for inflicting the injury on herself. Autonomous Nonprofit Organization TV-Novosti, 20052023. In a painful twist of irony, when tragedy did strike it was not under the gaze of Klimenko. Internacional. Klimenko may have been one of the most extreme examples of a Soviet coach utilizing psychology, but he was far from the only one. Post continues below. The fans had been trained to believe in athletes heroism athletes with fractures return to the soccer field and those with concussions return to the ice rink, she said. Two years ago, at 17, she captured the world spotlight by defeating Romanian Nadia Comaneci, the heroine of the 1976 Olympics, for the world title in Strasburg. Elena Mukhina died of apparent complications from quadriplegia on December 22, 2006 (2006-12-22) (aged 46). . Mukhina died in 2006, at the age of46, from complications of quadriplegia. Mukhinas breakout success while being older than most of her competitors is one of WAGs greatest anomalies. Rivals in the arena, Comaneci and Mukhina were united in the debilitating pressures they had faced to reach the top. Mukhina was permanently paralyzed, and died at only 46: Claims made in the post were reflected in a GymWikia entry about Mukhina's life, career, and death, indicating she died in 2006 of "apparent complications from quadriplegia." Entertainment. "I saw how they carried me out of the hall. Soon after Mukhina's paralytic injury, Klimenko emigrated to Italy, where he lived with his children until his death from cancer on November 14, 2007, his 65th birthday. I thought after my last very long article and all the information in it that I gave you guys to digest I would post something shorter this time. Mukhina took a keen interest in children and young gymnasts both before and after her injury. The clips can be found in the above YouTube video. If not in time for 1980, then certainly those who were on a track for 1984. Alberto Capra. Mukhina was training at the Minski Palace of Sport when the injury occurred, her coach was not present. She died at 46 in 2006 en.wikipedia.org 33K 1.3K 1.3K comments Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. She was 20 years old. The extreme political dynamics of the era that Mukhinas athletic career were defined by, and her rapidly rising up the ranks so fast, that it should have been impossible. With less than a year until the 1980 Summer Olympics to be held in Moscow, the pressure was on the Soviet team coaches and doctors to get the previous All Around champion Mukhina back on her feet and ready for the games. The Thomas salto is now banned for both men and women. While Biles received widespread praise for admitting her mental health issues and opening up a conversation in a sport that is strewn with a history of life-altering or life-ending injuries, others were quick to dismiss Biles' explanation. It would ultimately result in her premature death at the age of 46. Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below. As a tribute, sports magazine Sovetsky Sport dedicated the cover of its Christmas 2006 issue to her. Elena Mukhina dead at 46 The 1978 World Champion died Dec. 22nd. Gemini Gymnast #5. The team would have won without her. Psychology has positive values when deployed on children, especially in the realm of education. ELENA MUKHINA 1978 WORLD'S ALL-AROUND-ALL 4 ROUTINES! And they dont take offense at fate.". Jun 7, 2020 - A catastrophic injury cost Mukhina the use of her limbs. In the lead-up to the Olympics, Elena had broken her leg but despite this, her coach insisted that she continue . Mukhina, a 20-year-old Soviet gymnast, was encouraged to train on a broken leg in the lead up to the 1980 Olympics. My coach came the next day and said that I wasn't conscientious and that I could train in a cast.". In 1977, Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina modified the flip by adding a full twist. When Olympians take a year off, they typically resume high level training with two years to spare until the next Olympics because thats how long it takes to relearn their old skills, perfect Olympic-level routines, condition their body, and acquire muscle memory. Some said she would be lucky to live days, let alone weeks. RT / Liam Tyler, Mukhina threw herself into gymnastics. 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. While it does feel as if there were misrepresentations being made, many of these exchanges do seem mostly genuine. It is the type of foreshadowing moment that feels more appropriate for a fictional story. Mukhina defined that classic proverb because she was just that good. She earned the money being a professional Gymnast. Her stupid coach should have listened to her. She was taken unconscious to a hospital. Further Reading:After Her Injury a Soviet Coverup Hurt Elena Mukhina Even MoreHow Fan Mail Bothered Elena MukhinaElena Mukhinas Trip to AmericaShortly After Her Paralysis Elena Mukhina Wrote a LetterWould Elena Mukhina Have Made the Olympic Team if Not For Her Paralyzing Injury?
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