Of what happens when you push someone to compete through injury. 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. In the event, the Games would be remembered for the iconic performance from Nadia Comaneci, the Romanian who picked up a haul of three golds including the all-around title and five medals in total. And it's tragic. Her condition was unclear. 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. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . These events overshadow what were two other hallmarks of Mukhina's career. A memorial service was held in her honor on December 27 . When she did speak, she was often philosophical about her fate. In 2021, she was posthumously inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. She also expressed a . Gymnasts . 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 -1977 Paris Grand Prix Floor Stick-thin, Mukhina was initially viewed as being behind her contemporaries at her new CSKA training home. Old School. 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. That there is a direct connection between them and how a person feels. Her career was on the rise, and she was widely touted as the next great gymnastics star until 1979, when she broke a leg and missed several competitions. Up until 1975, Mukhina flew under the radar and Soviet coaches largely ignored her and her abilities. 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 passed away in 2006, 11 months later Mikhail Klimenko passed away at the age of 65. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. 4 Elena Mukhina, Uneven Bars . The Elena Mukhina tapes are only 3.5 minutes in length, and in that short time we get a wide range of historic symbolism. 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. Unlike Simone Biles, Mukhina is the tragic example of what happens when you're not allowed to say no. Under different circumstances the Soviets might have been less likely to give such guarantees to as many as five gymnasts. Elena Mukhina. Logr en tampoco tiempo lo que otras lo hicieron en ms aos. The clips themselves are harrowing as they show a mostly downtrodden Mukhina and provide insights about the coaching environment she was subjected to. Mikhail Klimenko deserves significant blame for Mukhinas injury, but there is one particular detail that is frequently overlooked. !Check out my other channel! Why?, "Even though athletes get to travel and see so much, they are terribly deprived spiritually. , Elena Mukhina1960 61 - 2006 1222. These gymnasts were identified at a young age not just for their athletic attributes, but their mental attributes as well. The move was named after US mens star Kurt Thomas and involved a 1.5 backflip-1.5 twist combination before a roll-out. Everyone is looking at the platform, where a little girl with tousled bangs is soaring through the air. Elena MUKHINA (*born: 1960, June 06 - +died: 2006, . She was quickly recognized as an athlete to watch for at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In 1979, Mukhina claimed the uneven bars gold medal at the Soviet championships. The day Mukhina was injured, Soviet national team coaches working with her had violated half a dozen safety guidelines. 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! There are other tough moments in the footage. In the context of larger geopolitical events, Soviet leadership wanted results and were willing to push the limits. The cast was removed from her leg even though Mukhina had concerns that she was not yet ready to resume training. However, until now, it has almost been unheard of for any high-level gymnast to withdraw from competition for health reasons. Mukhina was training at the Minski Palace of Sport when the injury occurred, her coach was not present. At 0:10 Mukhina is told she is not trying hard enough and her avoiding the difficult work is a constant theme throughout the Mukhina Tapes. The other was twice her age who had professional training that could be used as a tool for manipulation. What makes these clips so powerful is that they were an actual prelude and a real-life example of a foreshadowing omen. She had gone, but her legacy was far from forgotten. 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. But it was the coaches of the Soviet national team who had been the ones who ultimately destroyed Mukhina in a way in which she could never recover. In 1977, Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina modified the flip by adding a full twist. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. They ended up getting more than they bargained for, and the price for that was paid by Elena Mukhina. She tied for the gold medal in the floor exercises and won silver in the balance beam and uneven bars. "This page is a tribute to the Wonderful Russian gymnast Yelena Mukhina (1960-2006), who was one of the greatest. When she was five years old both her parents passed away and she would end up being raised by her grandmother, Anna Ivanovna. 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. Now she will watch the games from her hospital bed, her future uncertain but her gymnastics career surely ended. For a wide variety of reasons, he had become overly invested in a single gymnast. The mantra appeared clear: injury was weakness or unwillingness, Mukhina had to break through the pain to achieve greatness. Likewise, her full name is Ekaterina Alexandrovna Gordeeva. Moscow remained quiet today, devoid of the festive atmosphere that usually envelops the host city a week before the Olympics. To see this all laid out and directly explained to Mukhina in a recorded conversation is a very significant piece footage to have. It didnt seem like Mukhina was very cooperative with the film crew which is why they went with such unusual pans, cuts, and pivots. She won gold medals for the individual all-around, the balance beam, and uneven bars. She hails from Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, and her zodiac sign is Gemini. She also took some of the responsibility for not being more forceful about not wanting to perform the move and shared that her first thought when she was laying on the floor with a broken neck was, Thank God, I wont be going to the Olympics.. Elena Mukhina Is A Member Of . As a result, the gymnast broke her neck and, sadly, became. 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. Some said she would be lucky to live days, let alone weeks. She is too sensitive a girl to be a great athlete. But it is later revealed that crying helps her train and is described as being as procedural as chalking up. My coach came the next day and said that I wasn't conscientious and that I could train in a cast.". It remained an allowed skill for men until 2013. She stunned the crowd at the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg, France when she gave one of the most amazing all-around performances in history. 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. Gymnast #43. One of Europes top right-wing extremists: Who is the neo-Nazi behind this weeks Ukrainian attack in Russias Bryansk Region? 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. 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. Mukhinas apotheosis arrived in 1978 with a breathtaking performance at the World Championships in Strasbourg, France. 3.50. 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. Beijing calls US worlds primary nuclear threat, Top US prosecutor makes surprise Ukraine visit. . For Mukhina, just making it to the elite level was a staggering athletic accomplishment in itself. 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 Mukhina, a disturbing pattern had already emerged of an athlete being forced to push through injury in a clamor to the pinnacle of her sport. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be . It would take two separate incidents to bring her to the forefront of the Soviet team. No era una gimnasta brillante hasta . Usually when a gymnastics documentary is being selectively edited to present a more favorable narrative, the controversial moments are excluded entirely. Yelena Mukhina died last year at 46. I realized that I needed to radically change my attitude to life, Mukhina said. there is a wonderful new youtube site with many vids of mukhina i had not seen before including 1976 france https://youtu.be/D_zlw0AZsoc very young- looking mukhinaElena Mukhina Strug never competed again. 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. We love, we remember. Miguel Saiz Garcia. After the incident, Mukhina told Ogoniok about how fans wrote to her asking when she would compete again. 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. 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? 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. I was so tired then, both physically and psychologically.". 261 viewsNov 13, 2020. Life isn't always butterflies and rainbows, so, its time to explore the dark side of things. Watch: Susie O'Neill on her 'failure' at the Sydney Olympics. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The TsITO doctors X-rayed her leg and realized that the fracture had not healed properly. Take our survey for a chance to win a $100 voucher. In general it's just historical video of one of the greatest gymnasts to ever be born. We are only left to assume that there were controversial exchanges that never made it into the published version. In a sport where reputation, experience, and youth were three critical assets, Mukhina was beating gymnasts who were younger than her, had twice as much experience including being veteran Olympians, and were once well known child prodigies. The tweet sparked an insane backlash, with people slamming Morgan for his comments. From the debate over what constitutes emotional/mental abuse, to the sport trying to break its culture of silence. (Whitney Bjerken Edits)https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5nX9OPpfQhT0TdF7nCkq6gOn this channel I will be showcasing some of the best gymnastics, edits and gymnast compilations! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Bna. 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. 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. As a result, abusive coaches pivoted even more towards mental/emotional abuse. Simone, you are an inspiration to so many people. She was popular for being a Gymnast. I thought you would like it given your interests in WAG history. It is written as in her native Russian language. YouTube, Mukhina regularly battled with injuries. Ex-Stratfor Chief George Friedman: Neither Russia nor Ukraine can win, war can only end via negotiation! Are mental health issues now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? The slightest lapse - whether it be physical or mental - can be life changing, sometimes even fatal. There was little doubt that the Soviet Olympic womens gymnastics team would get the gold medal in the team competition, as it had in previous Olympics. Flanked by two small pots of flowers, its gleaming face bears the image of girl, a perfect picture of poise and concentration. "She is too sensitive. In the quiet corner of a Moscow cemetery, a black slab of marble stands surrounded by the December snow. ", I blame Twitters virtue-signallers for fuelling this culture of celebrating weakness. Leave a LIKE if you enjoyed the Story of \"Elena Mukhina\" \u0026 SUBSCRIBE for more gymnastics videos! It even provides a foreshadowing moment (1:28) where the possibility of Mukhina seriously hurting herself is openly discussed. Thats just how long it takes for returning Olympic gymnasts. Mukhinas reactions are not always being shown. She was also inducted into the CSKA Hall of Fame. Jun 7, 2020 - A catastrophic injury cost Mukhina the use of her limbs. RIP AshleyakaFlipper 3.98K subscribers 114K views 11 years ago Montage of Elena Mukhina. She's the owner and head coach at Gemini Gymnastics, a gymnastics club in Oshawa, Ontario. I know many won't watch it mainly due to the length of it, but I HAD to just explain basically everything because the. Work, work, work. A true champion! Gymnastics Angel. It most likely was an attempt to hide/minimize Mukhinas negative demeanor. This is another reoccurring theme throughout the Mukhina tapes. Such a. Mukhina spoke up and tried to convince her coach of how dangerous the element was. of her own health not just to avoid a blown hamstring or broken bone but to avoid a potentially life-threatening injury and haters have no ground to criticize her for that. The celebrity coaches Mikhail Klimenko was competing against often had dozens of young, aspiring gymnasts. Todava no entiendo por que no han hecho una pelcula de esta extraordinaria atleta. She was interested in psychology and philosophy, and graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physical Education. I dont exactly sympathize with Klimenko, but I do see him as a tragic villain. Once again the Soviets were lambasting Mukhina by putting the burden back on her. One example comes at 1:40 where there is a cut between the comment made by Klimenko and Mukhinas response. I almost screamed with joy, she said. Now I finally have! and her World Championship performance is captured in the ABC Sports video Gymnastic's Greatest Stars . What followed was months, turned years, of cover-ups. Moreover, her family lovingly calls her Katia. The four words engraved just to the right of the image are stark: Great gymnast, world champion. So, for an athlete to know when something is increasing that risk, is significant. En 1981, el Comit Olmpico Internacional le otorg la Orden Olmpica de Plata , la segunda mayor . She was 20 years old. Elena Mukhina recibi en la Orden Olmpica de Plata en 1981, un ao despus de su lesin. 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). Mukhina herself eventually succumbed to complications from her condition on December 22, 2006. Mukhina took a keen interest in children and young gymnasts both before and after her injury. Director of the Soviet womens gymnastics, Larisa Latynina, was blamed for the embarrassing defeat. That realization precipitated a meeting on December 28, 1974, with the man who would alter the course of Mukhinas life thereafter: Mikhail Klimenko. Klimeko asked this knowing full well what Mukhinas answer would be, but he asked anyway to remind Mukhina that leaving him was an unrealistic option. 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. After her injury, Mukhina was grateful to her former teammates who kept in touch with her, especially Yelena Davydova, whom she called A real friend. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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." For those who dont know who Elena Mukhina is, she is the most heartbreaking story to have come out of the Soviet gymnastics program. Estimated Net Worth in 2020. The coaching relationship between Mukhina and Klimenko was marked by a power imbalance. Both Mukhina and Klimenko used the term psychological when they were interviewed in news articles. ", Asked her hobbies at a press conference, Mukhina said, "I read books . 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. In a 2004 interview, Larisa Latynina claimed that Mukhinas coach, Mikhail Klimenko, was affected by her injury. Video: El ejercicio que quiso imitar Elena Mukhina y la dej tetrapljica 0 seconds of 12 secondsVolume 0% 00:25 00:12 ltimos Videos 13/09/2020 12:05 Clarn.com Deportes Actualizado al. Find your friends on Facebook. At the time she had just celebrated her 20th birthday. Klimenko was a former Soviet junior gymnastics champion known for coaching male athletes. It had been a staple of Soviet womens gymnastics since the 1960s. She remained with her grandmother in a Moscow apartment, reclusive and rarely giving interviews. Not Klimenko or especially the national team coach at that time, Shaniyazov. RIP Women's Gymnastics Good People Amazing People Female Gymnast Picture Video ELENA MUKHINA 1978 WORLD'S ALL-AROUND-ALL 4 ROUTINES! Elena Mukhina died on December 22, 2006 at the age of 46 from complications of quadriplegia. After the injury, the Soviet Gymnastics Federation remained secretive about the events surrounding Mukhinas injury. Jun 7, 2020 - A catastrophic injury cost Mukhina the use of her limbs. I hope everyone had a great holiday and New Years. She has been placed in a neck cast and will be immobilized for several weeks. 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. Just a month prior to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, 20-year-old Elena Mukhina under-rotated the Thomas salto, landing on her chin. This year marks the 15th anniversary since Mukhinas death on December 22, 2006. 6 ratings3 reviews. 30th July 2021. in. 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. Naci con talento. The team would have won without her. 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. What are your thoughts on Simone Biles withdrawing from the Olympics? 5.5M views 5 years ago This is probably the LONGEST video I will ever make. RIA Novosti, Mukhina was taken under the tutelege of Klimenko. 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. 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. It occurred alongside contemporary examples such Olga Mostepanova, the top Soviet gymnast of 1984 who first competed against Olympians, in a British competition that was being broadcasted on television when she was only ten years old. He refused to listen to her. Whereas everyone was thinking that the next great breakout star was going to be a junior between the ages of 10-12, it ended up being a 17 year old Elena Mukhina. 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. Likewise, there was desperation from Klimenko to get Mukhina back on her feet and into training to ensure she made the team. Kerri delivered a perfect vault pass on the second try despite the injury and helped the team score the all-around gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Mukhina wasnt being coerced into solving a difficult math problem on the chalk board, but to keep working past her physical limits as she was encouraged to perform increasingly more dangerous acrobatic stunts. 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. karma. Action Images, Mukhina had emerged as a world-beating force but faced increasing pressure. I feel sorry for Klimenko hes a victim of the system, a member of the clan of grownups who are doing their job.. He never reconciled with Mukhina and his death from cancer came on November 14, 2007 his 65th birthday. She took home the gold, beating Olympic Champions Nadia Comaneci, and top-ranked Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim. I understood that sooner or later this would really happen. Klimenko was trying to establish himself as one of their equals and I cite that as a factor as to why he pushed Mukhina beyond the limits. First, she was discovered by an athletic scout in her school, and then she later joined the CSKA Moscow . 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. By Laura Perrins. Because that will tear you apart.. The sad reality is that Mukhina's fate isn't unlike many others - women's gymnastics is scattered with strikingly similar stories. Elena Mukhinas floor routine tumbling passes were considered revolutionary at the time because they included the never-before-seen combination salto (the Muchina). But rather, it is about celebrating Elena Mukhina. Sorry for rambling, next video should be happier!! We know that gymnasts can suffer injuries if they take a fall during a routine or land funny during a flip. :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. ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) _ Dmitri Bilozerchev and Elena Mukhina both suffered disasterous falls after becoming world gymnastics champions. 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. This channel does not nor ever will make money off of any content. This is one of the other important things to understand about Soviet athletics. The balance of power appeared to be shifting. Mukhina took a keen interest in children and young gymnasts both before and after her injury. 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. Added to this perfect storm of pressure was the complex element Klimenko had placed in her floor routine: the Thomas salto. You Are in Gymnastics is an example of how these coaching behaviors were widely celebrated and actively promoted within the Soviet gymnastics program. Orphaned at the age of five and brought up by her grandmother, Mukhina joined a sports club and took up gymnastics. "Several times I saw my fall in a dream, Mukhina would later say. At age 20, former Soviet Union gymnastics champion Elena Mukhina crash-lands while practicing a signature tumbling pass and is paralyzed. Required fields are marked *. Elena Mukhina and Nelli Kim win the gold medal In The Strasbourg World Championship. Mukhina was taken in by her grandmother, Anna, with her father never to play a meaningful role in her life again. 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. "She is too easily touched," a team coach said at the time. Klimenko, however, had other ideas, reportedly removing her from hospital and directly back to training, taking off the orthopedic brace from around her neck. Mukhina achieved breakout success at the 1977 European Championships. Already fixated with gymnastics when other girls were keen on figure skating, Mukhina would encounter the hand of fate when coach Atonina Olezhko visited her school and posed the question to the class: who among them would be keen on training? 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. After voicing her concern that she would break her neck attempting the move, the coach dismissed her. For Biles, her refusal to be another number could very well be the most important move of her life. 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.