Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina ( first name sometimes rendered "Yelena", last name sometimes rendered "Muchina"; June 1, 1960December 22, 2006), born in Moscow, Russian SFSR, was a former Soviet gymnast who won the All-Around title at the 1978 World Championships at Strasbourg, France. 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? One person who wasn't impressed by the headlines was controversial TV personality Piers Morgan, who called Biles' decision to withdraw a joke". He returned immediately when informed of the accident. 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. However, unlike the popular narrative - Strug performed that vault under pressure from her coach, injuring her ankle further. Klimenko knew to do this because his educational background was in psychology. 701 viewsOct 27, 2020 Elena Mukhina - Injury - LiquiSearch On their own, neither seemed capable of accomplishing the goals they so desperately wanted to achieve. For Mikhail Klimenko, Mukhina was too important to his career for her to fail. Perhaps this is fate. 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. Director of the Soviet womens gymnastics, Larisa Latynina, was blamed for the embarrassing defeat. Yelena Viktorovna Davydova (Russian: ; born 7 August 1961) is a Russian-Canadian gymnastics coach and judge who competed for the former Soviet Union.She was the women's artistic individual all-around champion at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In 1983, Bilozerchev became the . Remember, you don't have to agree with my opinions but I am still free to express them. Elena Mukhina - Interesting stories about famous people, biographies Elena Mukhina - Trivia, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays When the doctors removed the cast against her wishes and had her attempt to walk on the leg, she said she knew that was walking crookedly, and that something wasnt right. Elena Mukhina - YouTube She matched that achievement at the European Championships in Copenhagen, where she also added a silver medal in the floor exercise. Gymnastics Tragedy - The Story Of Elena Mukhina - YouTube Elena Mukhina Biography | HowOld.co Elena Mukhina had been an orphan since she was six years old. 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. 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. She was permanently paralyzed and died in 2006, at the age of 46, from. The four words engraved just to the right of the image are stark: Great gymnast, world champion. Some of those wishing to remember Mukhina will pay homage this week at her resting place on the 15th anniversary of her passing. She likes music, poetry and to sit and think. Elena Mukhina and Nelli Kim win the gold medal In The Strasbourg World Championship. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. They ended up getting more than they bargained for, and the price for that was paid by Elena Mukhina. Watch. It culminated in achieving the top ranking in the sport and having one of the most dominant All-Around performances in WAG history. The tiny, 20-year-old gymnast, whose erratic performances were blamed by coaches on her poetic and romantic nature, reportedly landed on her neck while practicing difficult acrobatic routines by herself. The Soviet Union awarded her the Order of Lenin in response to her injury, and the IOC President awarded her the Silver Medal of the Olympic Order in 1983. When she was five years old both her parents passed away and she would end up being raised by her grandmother, Anna Ivanovna. What a f moron. But that didn't stop her from handwriting a letter 18 months later. Such a sad story :(\r\rIn 1979, while training for the 1979 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Mukhina suffered a broken leg, which kept her out of the World Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, a competition in which the Soviet team suffered its first defeat at the hands of their archrivals from Romania, with only Nellie Kim and Stella Zakharova able to medal in apparatus and All Around disciplines. Simone Biles Stepping Away from the Olympics Is Exactly What - Shape The similarities end there for the two athletes from the Soviet Union. It didnt help that the next Olympics were slated to be held in Moscow and the Soviets did not want to see Nadia trounce the Soviet team at their Olympics. Yelena Mukhina Interview Ogonyok magazine Conducted by Oksana Polonskaya Translated by Beth Squires Behind me is an enormous gym bathed in white light, as in an operating room. The sad reality is that Mukhina's fate isn't unlike many others - women's gymnastics is scattered with strikingly similar stories. How Fan Mail Bothered Elena Mukhina - An Old School Gymnastics Blog The celebrity coaches Mikhail Klimenko was competing against often had dozens of young, aspiring gymnasts. Mukhina said she did not blame him, instead pointing to a system that drove athletes such as her relentlessly to the brink. 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. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Shortly After Her Paralysis Elena Mukhina Wrote a Letter She took home the gold, beating Olympic Champions Nadia Comaneci, and top-ranked Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim. After the incident, Mukhina told Ogoniok about how fans wrote to her asking when she would compete again. Nothing exists except work and pressure, which constantly increase, and sometimes it seems thatthat's it, you haven't got any more strength. And it certainly didnt help that before Nadia, the title for the most famous gymnast in the world was a Soviet athlete and they wanted that title back. Gymnastic Champions Take Different Paths Following Accidents Comaneci famously earned the first-ever perfect 10 score for her performance on the uneven bars. One example comes at 1:40 where there is a cut between the comment made by Klimenko and Mukhinas response. In 1982, Juan Samaranch, president of the IOC, awarded her the Silver Medal of Olympic Order. A girl who had just moments earlier been capable of the most graceful, powerfully seductive movements of the human body imaginable was essentially now immobile. Find your friends on Facebook. Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina was a rising star who was tipped for glory at the 1980 Olympic Games but pushed to extremes and facing mounting pressure, the 20-year-old suffered a life-altering fall. By the time of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, she was already making a name for herself but was not yet consistent enough to earn a place among the Soviet ranks. Somewhat darkly, Mukhinas first thoughts as she lay stricken on the ground were said to be relief that she would finally be given some respite. The exchange is roughly 3.5 minutes in length and is broken up into four clips throughout the half hour documentary. Id estimate that most gymnasts would have needed about 5-8 years to go from where Mukhina was in 1974 to her emergence as a possible contender for the 1976 Soviet Olympic team. 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. With the Olympics just weeks away, the Soviet team were in Minsk, putting in intense training. Miles, 23, recognized that look because she had felt it, too . From the debate over what constitutes emotional/mental abuse, to the sport trying to break its culture of silence. Elena Mukhina - Aftermath - LiquiSearch They took an X-ray, and it turned out that the bones had separated. 5 Gymnasts' Catastrophic Crashes - US News & World Report I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardise my health and well-being," she said. This website uses cookies. You took care of yourself. The Thomas salto is a 1 backflip with 1 twists ending a forward roll. Beijing calls US worlds primary nuclear threat, Top US prosecutor makes surprise Ukraine visit. But Morgan hit back, tweeting: "Athletesare now deemed more courageous, inspiring & heroic if they lose or quit then if they win or tough it out, which is ridiculous. 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. I almost screamed with joy, she said. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. One of Europes top right-wing extremists: Who is the neo-Nazi behind this weeks Ukrainian attack in Russias Bryansk Region? The TsITO doctors X-rayed the leg and discovered that the fracture had not healed properly and would not be able to sustain the pounding of gymnastics in its present condition. Mikhail Klimenko deserves significant blame for Mukhinas injury, but there is one particular detail that is frequently overlooked. 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. Elena Mukhina passed away on December 22, 2006, at the age of forty-six from complications caused by quadriplegia. . All while she is chided for her constant crying throughout the footage. Tatyana Biryulina, 24, a Tashkent student who had not expected to qualify for the Soviet team, set a world record in the javelin in the final trials at Podoysk, about 50 miles from Moscow. But my coach once told me, 'Until you break, no one will let you go.'". But it also made their relationships mutually self-destructive. RIA Novosti, Mukhina's condition deteriorated and she struggled even to sit upright. This channel does not nor ever will make money off of any content. Mukhina was keen on keeping up with world events, including in gymnastics, also learning to use her hands again to write. What makes these clips so powerful is that they were an actual prelude and a real-life example of a foreshadowing omen. After Mukhinas paralysis and other close calls with Olympic-eligible female gymnasts, the Thomas salto was removed from the Code of Points as an allowed skill for women. Her stupid coach should have listened to her. Of what happens when you push someone to compete through injury. It would ultimately be Mukhinas downfall. Unlike the fluke accident suffered by Drew Donnellan, the paralysis of Mukhina was the subject of much conjecture. Alberto Capra. Now his WAG coaching career was experiencing a rut as Mukhina entered a decline in 1979. Sending love to you @Simone_Biles -Team UNITED States of America . 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. Mukhina's career ended in tragedy, an injury on the eve of the 1980 Olympics left her paralyzed from the neck down just one month after celebrating her 20th birthday. She was instantly rendered a quadriplegic. But that wasnt enough for her coach and in 1979, he wanted her to become of the few female gymnasts doing an element taken from mens gymnastics, the Thomas salto. On July 3, 1980, two weeks before the Moscow Olympics, Mukhina was practicing the pass containing the Thomas salto when she under-rotated the salto, crash-landed on her chin, and her spine snapped. For Mukhina, just making it to the elite level was a staggering athletic accomplishment in itself. She was relegated to alternate status on the strong Soviet team for the Olympics, but still hoped to regain her place on the team and captivate the home fans. Mukhina, the embodiment of elegance and strength, sacrificed her life and health in attempt to win an Olympic medal for her country. RT / Liam Tyler, Mukhina threw herself into gymnastics. Take our survey for a chance to win a $100 voucher. Elena Mukhina. Gymnastics - GaryneVillegasm Im sure you all have seen the gymnast suffer broken ankles, leg, and such live on television or in past footage. What a f moron. 3.50. It was, however, from these inauspicious beginnings that a prodigious talent was born. She later reappeared on the sideline to support her fellow teammates, but not to compete. The clips themselves are harrowing as they show a mostly downtrodden Mukhina and provide insights about the coaching environment she was subjected to. Mukhina died in 2006, at the age of46, from complications of quadriplegia. It took near-perfect timing to avoid either under-rotation and landing on the chin or over-rotation and landing on the back of the head. Worst of all, it showed their institution was flawed. 30th July 2021. in. What Happened to Elena Mukhina? - Fantastic Facts In 1976 Nadia Comaneci dominated the Olympics when she was only 14 years old. She had gone, but her legacy was far from forgotten. Her career came to an end when two weeks before the 1980 Olympics were to start, Mukhina broke her neck in a training accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down. Mukhina defined that classic proverb because she was just that good. During her Ogonyok magazine interview, she said one of the National Team coaches showed up at her hospital room the day after her surgery and flat out told her that she wasnt conscientious, and that she could still train in a cast. Gymnastics Angel. Later that year the Soviet Union awarded her the Order of the Badge of Honor in response to her injury. Lastly, Mikhail Klimenko pivoted to WAG only after his coaching career in MAG had failed to materialize. Now I finally have! TM. She was also inducted into the CSKA Hall of Fame. . The slightest lapse - whether it be physical or mental - can be life changing, sometimes even fatal. I am frequently asked as to whether Klimenko is to blame for Mukhinas injury. As the top Soviet gymnast following the 1976 Olympics, this burden weighed the heavier on Mukhina than any other gymnast. For a wide variety of reasons, he had become overly invested in a single gymnast. Elena Mukhina Popularity . Fever. Ella debe estar en el saln de la fama 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. Elena Mukhina, The Tagic Gymnast Who Could Not Say 'No' - EVOKE Chinese peace plan: Can Beijing find a way to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, despite open hostility from the US and NATO. This is another reoccurring theme throughout the Mukhina tapes. Elena Mukhina died of apparent complications from quadriplegia on December 22, 2006 (aged 46). The weight was becoming intolerable, all the while Mukhina missing out on the carefree life of a regular teenage girl. Change). Mukhina also pioneered new elements on the bars and in her floor routines. The initial response from Soviet sports officials was of hushed secrecy surrounding Mukhinas health, but it soon became evident she would never walk again, let alone grace gymnastics competition. The real world doesnt think like that.. After her world title success, Mukhina would say: I cried on the pedestal in France not out of joy, but because I understood: no one would let me go.. The TsITO doctors X-rayed her leg and realized that the fracture had not healed properly. The following year Mukhina achieved the trademark win of her career by winning the All-Around title at the 1978 World Championships. There's a string of high-level gymnasts who have been met with disfiguring, life-altering or life-threatening injuries after being pressured to perform in an element when they knew the risk was too high. (LogOut/ Information began to emerge slowly. Soviet gymnastic Nellie Kin was her main rival and would later receive a perfect ten, on the vault. - Wikipedia Old School. She would eventually get inducted into the CSKA Hall of Fame. They suggested this was something that Biles should have done for her team - pushed through the pain. One of the common themes in Soviet sports media is coaches frequently boasted about their ability to invoke psychology as a training tool. Elena Mukhina, the sensitive Soviet gymnast who won the women's all-around world championship in 1978 and dreamed of regaining her lost form at the Moscow Olympics, crushed several vertebrae in. The 1979 World Championships, to be held in Fort Worth, were looming but Mukhina broke her leg during an exhibition in England, ruling her out of the competition. Perhaps the most significant part of the footage comes when Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci is invoked in the discussion. It is written as in her native Russian language. coach Mikhail KLIMENKO dead at 65 - Gymnastics Coaching.com was also an option at one point, but I finally decided on the song you hear in the video, and I'd say the lyrics and tune do the justice. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. In 1977, Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina modified the flip by adding a full twist. 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 . karma. At age 15, American. Watch: Susie O'Neill on her 'failure' at the Sydney Olympics. 410 Elena Mukhina ideas | gymnastics pictures, nadia - Pinterest Autonomous Nonprofit Organization TV-Novosti, 20052023. After voicing her concern that she would break her neck attempting the move, the coach dismissed her. The world-beating Soviet gymnast whose triumph turned to tragedy 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. Instead a different gymnast is shown practicing on beam while Mukhina and Klimenko become narrations. Remember Kerri Strug? En 1981, el Comit Olmpico Internacional le otorg la Orden Olmpica de Plata , la segunda mayor . It had been a staple of Soviet womens gymnastics since the 1960s. That was the story of Elena Mukhina a star that had just begun to rise before her Olympic career was tragically cut short. 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. The clips can be found in the above YouTube video. I dont exactly sympathize with Klimenko, but I do see him as a tragic villain. First Name Elena. Despite purported advice from Klimenko that she should only perform it into the foam pit, she was training on the platform. Even though Mukhina herself would later state her injury was not the byproduct of a lone individual, but the flawed Soviet system as a whole. Beating Nadia is a central part to Mukhinas storyline and the events that lead to her tragic demise. This week, four-time Olympic champion and golden girl of Team USA Simone Biles pulled out of the 2021 Olympics. Usually when a gymnastics documentary is being selectively edited to present a more favorable narrative, the controversial moments are excluded entirely. He died at the age of 46. These are real clips of a real person who in the end, really did get hurt, and the damage couldnt be undone. Only Nellie Kim and Stella Zakharova were able to medal. Comaneci would help the Romanians to team gold at the World Championships, despite her own struggles with blood poisoning resulting from a cut. 1 week ago Elena Mukhina Is A Member Of . Less than a month before the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Mukhina was asked by a coach of the national team to do the Thomas Salto - a move that is so dangerous it is now banned. It is the type of foreshadowing moment that feels more appropriate for a fictional story. College gymnast dies after sustaining injury. It would take two separate incidents to bring her to the forefront of the Soviet team. Mukhinas usage of the term has as much to do with this mindset coming naturally to her as it does with Klimenko instilling that mindset on her. It was the worst possible combination, a gymnast willing to tolerate anything her coach threw at her, and a coach willing to push a gymnast as far as he could. It must be remembered that this documentary was being filmed in 1978 when the Soviet Union had extreme censorship standards in place. For a series of clips that featured so much eeriness in regards to the rhetoric and the words being spoken, so is the cinematography. I think I mentioned before that I wanted to be a gymnast growing up but didnt have the discipline because you know when youre ten years old your priority is having fun and pretty much nothing else. Juegos Olmpicos: la gimnasta rusa qued paraltica haciendo el salto At 1:13 Klimenko talks about how being a gymnastics coach is hard work. Another questionable cut comes at 1:04 where Mukhina suddenly has a more positive demeanor, but Mukhinas arm placement is inconsistent suggesting filmmakers used different footage to fake her response to what Klimenko was saying. This article isnt an attempt at rehabilitating Mikhail Klimenko or trying to paint him in a more sympathetic light. It most likely was an attempt to hide/minimize Mukhinas negative demeanor. These events overshadow what were two other hallmarks of Mukhina's career. The Thomas salto, the move that had proved so costly, would later be banned in womens and then mens gymnastics. :D ..ProbablyCover done by Robbie: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbAQfmhT7LtjQ6janPaxvBgCredit: The information was taken from Wiki, multiple interviews/documentaries and a few sites.~~~FINALLY, AS USUAL ~~~ I do not own any of the audio or video nor do I claim to own it. Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina - 1960-2006 | Belem do Par PA - Facebook Klimenko may have been one of the most extreme examples of a Soviet coach utilizing psychology, but he was far from the only one. The Moscow Games have not even begun, but this must be one of their saddest stories. "She is too sensitive. This is one of the other important things to understand about Soviet athletics. Her injury was a featured topic in the 1991 A&E do*entary More Than a Game; and her World Championship performance is captured in the ABC Sports video Gymnastics' Greatest Stars. Sign Up. Elena Mukhina Profiles | Facebook 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. 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. Despite Mukhinas never-ending warnings that the element was causing minor injuries and was dangerous enough to cause a major injury, she was pushed to keep it in her routine and continued to practice it, even knowing about the risks. For Biles, her refusal to be another number could very well be the most important move of her life. "We have to protect our body and our mind It just sucks when you're fighting with your own head.". The Unlikely Gymnast and the Unlikely Coach (Part II), The Unlikely Gymnast and the Unlikely Coach (Part I), USAG Is Only Pretending to Follow Child Protection Recommendations (Literally). 4 Elena Mukhina, Uneven Bars . Mikhail Klimenko was a first-time WAG coach trying to prove himself in a Soviet WAG program that had been defined by celebrity-WAG coaches throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Along with an outpouring of support for the 24-year-old's decision, there was one question on everyone's lips: While there was speculation as towhether Biles had obtained a physical injury, the athlete later shared that her decision was one that was based on mental health. Elena Mukhina - Bio, Personal Life, Family & Cause Of Death - CelebsAges Elena Mukhina. As usual, Im not saying karma but. Before I go I want to leave you with some wise words from former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver, Antonio Brown;Every day is a half day if you just f****** leave.Happy 2022 everyone! Elena Mukhinas floor routine tumbling passes were considered revolutionary at the time because they included the never-before-seen combination salto (the Muchina). The documentary features a pep talk between Mukhina and her coach Mikhail Klimenko. Bna. Elena Mukhina injury Video - Elena Mukhina Thomas Salto Accident Born In 1960. We know that gymnasts can suffer injuries if they take a fall during a routine or land funny during a flip.
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