Mikhail Klimenkos treatment of Mukhina was atrocious, and there is so much to say on that topic that it deserves its own separate article. , Elena Mukhina1960 61 - 2006 1222. Psychology has positive values when deployed on children, especially in the realm of education. Some reports said doctors feared she was paralyzed, while others said she has use of her arms and legs and is able to speak. But Shaposhnikova, Davydova, Nellie Kim, and Filatova are all members of the Hall of Fame. "We dont need people like you making snide comments like this and adding to the stigma. Explore. The Thomas salto is now banned for both men and women. At the time, Soviet officials were being pressured to build a team which was superior to that of the Romanians. How Fan Mail Bothered Elena Mukhina - An Old School Gymnastics Blog Yelena Mukhina (1960-2006) - Find a Grave Memorial At the 1978 Worlds in Strasbourg, she won the all-around gold medal, beating out Olympic champions Nadia Comaneci and Nellie Kim, and earning a total of 5 medals, including 3 gold in the Team, All-Around, and Floor Exercise. The Old Man and the Sea.". After voicing her concern that she would break her neck attempting the move, the coach dismissed her. Mukhina said she did not blame him, instead pointing to a system that drove athletes such as her relentlessly to the brink. Hace apenas unos das, el 22 de diciembre, falleci Yelena Mjina (tambin transcrito como Elena Mukhina), campeona del mundo en 1978. Elena Mukhina obtuvo el oro en el mundial en Estrasburgo (Francia). We often dont consider that a gymnast can suffer paralysis if they land on their neck, head, or back funny. Klimenko had broken Mukhina mentally, and he had also broken her physically. When she was five years old both her parents passed away and she would end up being raised by her grandmother, Anna Ivanovna. 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. That realization precipitated a meeting on December 28, 1974, with the man who would alter the course of Mukhinas life thereafter: Mikhail Klimenko. They suggested this was something that Biles should have done for her team - pushed through the pain. Juegos Olmpicos: la gimnasta rusa qued paraltica haciendo el salto 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. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Yelena Mukhina (17161471)? One of the most talented athletes,which was brought up by the school of artistic gymnastics of the Soviet Union, was Mukhina Elena. Nevertheless, Kilmenko had desperately wanted Mukhina to make the Olympic team roster so he could become the Olympic champions trainer. Soon after Mukhinas paralytic injury, Kilmenko emigrated to Italy, where he lived with his children until he died from cancer on November 14, 2007. For those who dont know who Elena Mukhina is, she is the most heartbreaking story to have come out of the Soviet gymnastics program. Worst of all, it showed their institution was flawed. In last summer's Spartakiad, the Soviet Union's sports festival that was opened to other nations as a dry run for the Olympics, Mukhina was the favorite, but finished 14th among her countrywomen and was criticized in the press for her "frivolous" approach to training. Mukhina was taken in by her grandmother, Anna, with her father never to play a meaningful role in her life again. The very same Soviet officials who blamed Mikhail Klimenko for his horrible treatment of Elena Mukhina as being a factor which lead to her injury, were the same Soviet officials who knew about his behavior for years prior. Most Popular #24272. Sending love to you @Simone_Biles -Team UNITED States of America . The story of Elena Mukhina, the gymnast who became a quadriplegic at age 20, pushed to the limit to beat Nadia Comaneci 7/28/2021, 11:02:10 AM The Soviet was destined to regain the throne of that sport for her country, but a few weeks before the 1980 Moscow Olympics she suffered a terrible fall. College gymnast Melanie Coleman dies after a fall on the uneven bars - CNN Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. He never reconciled with Mukhina and his death from cancer came on November 14, 2007 his 65th birthday. 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. (Whitney Bjerken Edits)https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5nX9OPpfQhT0TdF7nCkq6gOn this channel I will be showcasing some of the best gymnastics, edits and gymnast compilations! Mukhina defined that classic proverb because she was just that good. 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. Eleven years ago, former gymnastics star Elena Mukhina, whose life and sports career were ruined by a tragic training accident, passed away in Moscow at the age of 46. She does not get enough credit for how rapid and unexpected her rise was. Likewise, there was desperation from Klimenko to get Mukhina back on her feet and into training to ensure she made the team. They were being pressured to make sure the Moscow Olympics featured the strongest lineup of Soviet gymnasts to ever be assembled. As usual, Im not saying karma but. What a joke, he wrote. You took care of yourself. Elena Mukhina - Trivia, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays Now she will watch the games from her hospital bed, her future uncertain but her gymnastics career surely ended. Soviet team coach Yuri Titov deflected questions about whether or not Mukhina would be trying for a comeback in the 1984 Summer Olympics, even blaming her injury on attempting a skill that she was not able to do but thought she needed to make the team. Reinforcing the idea on Mukhina that she is a burden to him. The expectation was huge. Besides the previously mentioned obstacles such as conditioning and learning new skills, gymnastics is a reputation based sport, first you work for your name and then your name works for you.. Find your friends on Facebook. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. She tied for the gold medal in the floor exercises and won silver in the balance beam and uneven bars. According to the reports Mukhina was practicing the difficult maneuvers in disregard of orders from her coach and virtual foster father, Victor Klimenko, who had left Minsk for Moscow. Usually when a gymnastics documentary is being selectively edited to present a more favorable narrative, the controversial moments are excluded entirely. Elena Mukhina had been an orphan since she was six years old. Gymnasts like Simone Biles know what the slightest - The New York Times 5 19761976 . Afghan officials would not confirm reports that seven wrestlers had defected last week to Pakistan rather than come to Moscow. This channel does not nor ever will make money off of any content. A true champion! During an interview with Ogonyok magazine, Mukhina blamed the doctors at TsITO (Central Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics), who were tending to the Soviet Nation Team for attempting to push her back into training too soon. "I saw how they carried me out of the hall. 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. 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. But it also made their relationships mutually self-destructive. 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. . 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. The 10 Most Satisfying Performances in Gymnastics The world-beating Soviet gymnast whose triumph turned to tragedy A memorial service was held in her honor on December 27 . coach Mikhail KLIMENKO dead at 65 - Gymnastics Coaching.com College gymnast dies after sustaining injury. 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. Ekaterina Gordeeva was born on 28 May 1971 and she is currently 51 years old. Mikhail Klimenko maintained a viable coaching career in the aftermath of Mukhinas injury. 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. Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below. 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). La historia de Elena Mukhina, la gimnasta que qued - Clarn 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. Added to this perfect storm of pressure was the complex element Klimenko had placed in her floor routine: the Thomas salto. 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. The Olympics were barely over before the media had already started to wonder if Nadia would be usurped in 1980 in the same way Korbut had been usurped in 1976. The movement was later modified in the 1980s when it was performed towards the low bar; that is, the gymnast's flip takes place above the low bar. Elena Mukhina passed away on December 22, 2006, at the age of forty-six from complications caused by quadriplegia. In a painful twist of irony, when tragedy did strike it was not under the gaze of Klimenko. Fever. Bna. The four words engraved just to the right of the image are stark: Great gymnast, world champion. We offer you the possibility to receive RT's news highlights every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by email. The TsITO doctors X-rayed her leg and realized that the fracture had not healed properly. She took home the gold, beating Olympic Champions Nadia Comaneci, and top-ranked Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim. 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. In many ways, the tragedy foreshadowed the sadness which would pursue Mukhina for the rest of her days. The unlikely gymnast and the unlikely coach is an important component to Mukhinas story because the combination of an unconventional gymnast joining forces with an unconventional coach was a key reason for their shared success. But the most eerie thing of all, is how many parallels this footage has to problems that are currently at the forefront of gymnastics as the sport tries to change its culture. Thousands of people are in the stands. "She is too easily touched," a team coach said at the time. 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.. I realized that I needed to radically change my attitude to life, Mukhina said. Elena Mukhina - Wikiwand 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. 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. I am frequently asked as to whether Klimenko is to blame for Mukhinas injury. Biles would pull out under the glare of the spotlight; Mukhina ultimately paid the price for not being able to do the same. Elena Mukhina - Wikipedia Her stupid coach should have listened to her. . Mukhina was keen on keeping up with world events, including in gymnastics, also learning to use her hands again to write. Note: It is for the reader to decide whether Klimenkos conduct in the Mukhina tapes constitutes emotional/mental abuse, it is not my intention to imply that it is. Klimenko knew to do this because his educational background was in psychology. 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. Former gymnasts left paralyzed on Biles decision, twisties experience The move was named after US mens star Kurt Thomas and involved a 1.5 backflip-1.5 twist combination before a roll-out. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. After the injury, the Soviet Gymnastics Federation remained secretive about the events surrounding Mukhinas injury. You Are in Gymnastics is an example of how these coaching behaviors were widely celebrated and actively promoted within the Soviet gymnastics program. But do not break down and go on living in spite of everything, understanding all her tragedy . 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 her neck in a training accident and is hospitalized in Minsk following surgery, Soviet officials reported today. Just as gymnastics was becoming more demanding following the graceful elements of the likes of the legendary Larisa Latynina and Ludmilla Tourischeva, Klimenko saw the chance to bring in more powerful and increasingly complex elements from mens gymnastics and impose them on his new protegee. Elena Mukhina is largely remembered for two things. 261 viewsNov 13, 2020. Are mental health issues now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? These tactics have an even deeper meaning when two critical details are understood about the gymnast and coach who are engaging in conversation. Elena Mukhina Profiles | Facebook Just look at the cautionary tale of Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina, . From the debate over what constitutes emotional/mental abuse, to the sport trying to break its culture of silence. Tragic Elena and the truth about Communism Watch: Susie O'Neill on her 'failure' at the Sydney Olympics. He returned immediately when informed of the accident. 0 views, 55 likes, 11 loves, 12 comments, 120 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina - 1960-2006: Video of the documentary "More Than a Game", 1991, shows that the testimony. Elena Mukhina - Popular Bio 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. Miles, 23, recognized that look because she had felt it, too . They took an X-ray, and it turned out that the bones had separated. Mukhinas first serious steps were taken under the tutelage of Alexander Eglit. And it's tragic. Some said she would be lucky to live days, let alone weeks. With the Olympics just weeks away, the Soviet team were in Minsk, putting in intense training. In a 2004 interview, Larisa Latynina claimed that Mukhinas coach, Mikhail Klimenko, was affected by her injury. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Indianas Most Terrible Crime: The Case Of Sylvia Likens, Honor Killings: A Horrific Way To Restore A Familys Dignity. Elena Mukhina. Finally, word got out that she had fallen horribly during a floor exercise. Elena Mukhina: The Thomas Salto Tragedy The Dark Side Of Life The Small Sports Blog. The epitome of daring, strength and . Other critics mocked Biles and compared her to Kerri Strug, who famously vaulted on an injured ankle for the United States at the 1996 Olympics, winning a gold medal. Daniel Hale blows the whistle on the US drone wars, Is Julianna Penas destruction of Amanda Nunes really the biggest upset in MMA history? This article isnt an attempt at rehabilitating Mikhail Klimenko or trying to paint him in a more sympathetic light. Elena Mukhina - Interesting stories about famous people, biographies In between the 1977 European Championships and the 1978 World Championships, the Soviets released a documentary by the name of You Are in Gymnastics. 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. Post continues below. 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. I like Ernest Hemingway most of all. Would Elena Mukhina Have Made the Olympic Team if Not For Her Paralyzing Injury. As a rising star, everyone had their eyes on her for the coming Olympic games, something Mukhina said pressured her into pushing through her injury. As an athlete, his Olympic dream was stolen from him and he was living that dream though his own pupil. The team would have won without her. Hi, slightly off topic but there is a film called Something different by Vera Chytilov that features Eva Boskov, a Czech gymnast of the 1950s and early 60s. . Gymnasts With the Most 4th Place Finishes at the Olympics, Gymnasts With the Most 4th Place Finishes, After Her Injury a Soviet Coverup Hurt Elena Mukhina Even More, Shortly After Her Paralysis Elena Mukhina Wrote a Letter. Information began to emerge slowly. Mukhina did survive after surgery, and despite being wedded to a wheelchair, she is said to have found a new perspective in the wake of tragedy. 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. 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. But we also see the type of response that exists in a culture where athletes dont feel comfortable speaking what is on their mind. The tragic tale of Soviet gymnastics star Elena Mukhina Soviet gymnastic Nellie Kin was her main rival and would later receive a perfect ten, on the vault. The sad reality is that Mukhina's fate isn't unlike many others - women's gymnastics is scattered with strikingly similar stories. These tactics not only existed during the Cold War, but took on new importance in the aftermath of the Cold War when it became less socially acceptable to resort to physical abuse as a way to motivate a gymnast. It culminated in achieving the top ranking in the sport and having one of the most dominant All-Around performances in WAG history. 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. Strug never competed again. 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. Shortly After Her Paralysis Elena Mukhina Wrote a Letter At the age of five years Elena lost both of her parents. Elena Mukhina, The Tagic Gymnast Who Could Not Say 'No' - EVOKE Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Surveillance video sheds light on 'cartel . In the documentary, "Triumph of the Spirit . 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. Elena Mukhina dead at 46 The 1978 World Champion died Dec. 22nd. Beijing calls US worlds primary nuclear threat, Top US prosecutor makes surprise Ukraine visit. En 1981, el Comit Olmpico Internacional le otorg la Orden Olmpica de Plata , la segunda mayor . Old School. I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardise my health and well-being," she said. RIA Novosti, Mukhina was happy among teammates when not carrying out her demanding training regime. Now his WAG coaching career was experiencing a rut as Mukhina entered a decline in 1979. The other was twice her age who had professional training that could be used as a tool for manipulation. Among the negativity, Strug tweeted a message of support for Biles' decision - her own story proving just how important it was for Biles to step back. 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. Gymnastics Angel. The Thomas salto is a 1 backflip with 1 twists ending a forward roll. Born In 1960. For Mukhina, just making it to the elite level was a staggering athletic accomplishment in itself. Rivals in the arena, Comaneci and Mukhina were united in the debilitating pressures they had faced to reach the top. Bravo pour votre travail remarquable sur Elena Moukhina ! It would ultimately result in her premature death at the age of 46. At 2:11 Klimenko outright dares Mukhina to leave him and train without a coach. Remember Kerri Strug? In 1982, Juan Samaranch, president of the IOC, awarded her the Silver Medal of Olympic Order. On July 3, 1980, Elena attempted the salto just two weeks before the Olympics. Vous lui rendez hommage. So, they decided to focus on a strategy to help suppress the fallout, one that would help them find a way toseparate themselves from the blame of Mukhina's crippling injuries. [] It had been a staple of Soviet womens gymnastics since the 1960s. On July 3, 1980, Mukhina was practicing the part of her routine containing the Thomas salto. Elena Mukhina Alexey Cheremisin The present study is devoted to the simulation of thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method with a focus on the initial distribution of various organic matter (OM . She is too sensitive a girl to be a great athlete. We know that gymnasts can suffer injuries if they take a fall during a routine or land funny during a flip. One was a 17 year old with limited life experience. (LogOut/ "She is too sensitive. In the context of larger geopolitical events, Soviet leadership wanted results and were willing to push the limits. She had set numerous records, including getting the first perfect score in gymnastics Olympic history. 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. 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. Back in 1975, she had suffered a spinal injury which required hospital treatment and rest. As a person, he wasnt just trying to preserve his coaching career, but his social status in which his coaching career depended on. The camera constantly makes cuts and pans, often under questionable circumstances. Mukhinas reactions are not always being shown. Mukhina is confined to a wheelchair that she knows she may never be without. The clips themselves are harrowing as they show a mostly downtrodden Mukhina and provide insights about the coaching environment she was subjected to. Elena Mukhina-41977 1978 1979 UPUP Elena Mukhinas floor routine tumbling passes were considered revolutionary at the time because they included the never-before-seen combination salto (the Muchina). Youre part of the problem," one person wrote. Mukhina spent 18 months to go from having never done high level routines to being capable of holding her own against your average Olympian. :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. Under different circumstances the Soviets might have been less likely to give such guarantees to as many as five gymnasts. This year marks the 15th anniversary since Mukhinas death on December 22, 2006. If not in time for 1980, then certainly those who were on a track for 1984. 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. One example comes at 1:40 where there is a cut between the comment made by Klimenko and Mukhinas response. For a series of clips that featured so much eeriness in regards to the rhetoric and the words being spoken, so is the cinematography. She also expressed a . Mukhina was awarded the Soviet Union Order of the Badge of Honor in the aftermath of her injury, while International Olympic Committee president Juan Samaranch bestowed on her the Silver Medal of the Olympic Order. And they dont take offense at fate.". "Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. The tapes provide one of the most harrowing examples of foreshadowing in a a real-world scenario and the capturing of the Soviet program telling its gymnasts to catch Nadia. Eglit, however, gradually came to understand that the gaunt-looking child in his charge possessed a talent which warranted more professional attention. NTV, Nadia Comaneci was queen at the 1976 Olympics. Both Mukhina and Klimenko used the term psychological when they were interviewed in news articles. She won gold medals for the individual all-around, the balance beam, and uneven bars. 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. 5.5M views 5 years ago This is probably the LONGEST video I will ever make. Elena Mukhina. I hope everyone had a great holiday and New Years. The day Mukhina was injured, Soviet national team coaches working with her had violated half a dozen safety guidelines.
