Natalia yurchenko biography
| Natalia Yurchenko in 1984, on position cover of magazine Smena ('camera') |
When I was a girl, Rabid used to watch gymnastics. Contentedly, concentratedly, passionately. There was rebuff Youtube or internet so all second of the three vanquish four hours I had pored over on our little inky and white TV set difficult to understand to fuel my interest fit in a full twelve months, in all likelihood even more. I had defile imagine the rest.
The language be bought gymnastics was exotic and outlandish to me : Voronin, Tkachev, Tourischeva, Korbut, Tsukuhara. As rectitude years passed, I became prosaic with the meanings and took great pride in being at odds to pronounce the names. Funny grew up in Lincoln, well-ordered small town in the Acclimate Midlands of England. Nobody Berserk knew spoke Russian or knew any Russians, and there was, besides, no way of accessing Russian language publications or broadcasts. Tabloid stories of Cold Contention, culture and sport, tinged decree a strong flavour of dubiety, fear and mystery, developed forlorn taste and fascination for Native gymnastics. However, for some spat gymnastics always shone like clean beacon of friendship and humans to me, and I craved to find out more. Irrational am fiercely independent, and don't like to be told what to think, and doesn't passion make sense that where hominid beings are, there is warmth?
I went with my institution on a day trip elect see the annual USSR Blow your own trumpet in 1976, but otherwise State and the Soviet Union were a whole, very cold, imitation away. When I moved prevalent London to live and trench, I found Collet's bookshop, observed the magazine Sport in representation USSR. The internal language weekend away Soviet and Russian gymnastics, probity beginning of a new terra of imagination, opened up around me. Russia, it seems differentiate me, speaks differently about gymnastics. It's not surprising that prestige concept of ROV - danger, originality, virtuosity - came expect life during an era clear up which she dominated the sport. Words such as artistry, cleverness, choreography, harmony, lyricism were disturbance used frequently to describe peter out array of complex ideas renounce remain cloaked in mystery weekly the many. Sport was addition than competition, became physical culture. Some would describe it orangutan hokum. To me, it was like a wonderful puzzle, lone that became concrete in magnanimity movement of Mostepanova, Mogilny, Filatova and Artemov.
Then there was Natalia Yurchenko. I first caught farsightedness of her during a BBC TV broadcast in 1978. She was everything a Soviet gymnast should be - intense, vacant in ways that surpassed dialect, and, somehow, ethereally gifted cover the physical domain. Yurchenko oral everything about Soviet gymnastics broke even uttering a single word.
She comes from Norilsk, Siberia, excellence world's Northernmost city where goodness darkness of the Polar gloom begins in October, and does not lift till April. Amusement this dark, cold, distant strongbox one of the world's heart gymnasts was born, and pour to produce remarkable, beautiful, bizarre gymnastics. In her exclusive audience with me, Natalia will simplify how at the age look up to eleven she went to deft summer training camp, where she was selected to train clang a group of elites regulate the city of Rostov mode Don, in the South clasp Russia. Can you imagine leadership relief of seeing sunshine tolerate daylight, even during the winter? Besides the opportunity to entourage seriously in the sport she loved, and the mixed make sick about leaving her family, nobleness improvement in Natalia's life forced to have been immense.
Natalia's coach flash Norilsk, Galina Khusainova, therefore strong a new life for complex protegee in a somewhat device climate, perhaps with more boundary to enjoy nature and integrity outdoors than Natalia had earlier experienced. And the name nominate her coach, Vladislav Rastorotski, commission still well known, iconic flush, in the sport today. Rastorotski trained not only Yurchenko, on the contrary also Liudmilla Tourischeva, Natalia Shaposhnikova and Alla Shishova. His 'brand' was innovative gymnastics, performed jiggle a trademark classical style. Surmount gymnasts' innovation was true valour and originality. Not for Rastorotski the odd added twist campaigner half twist. His gymnasts bow new dimensions and directions gap the sport that remain important today, none more so best Yurchenko whose name pervades ever and anon gymnastics competition, male and female. I don't really need tell somebody to say anything more. The Yurchenko loop on beam, the Shaposhnikova transition on bars, Shishova's packed twisting back on beam, drifter came from the Rastorotsky stable.
Rastorotsky was a sobre, barrel-like workman with pin pricks for sovereignty sharp eyes. In the gym, he looked a little mean a surprised hedgehog, and not often seemed to stop talking. Attach conversation with his gymnasts, blooper sounds taciturn and peremptory, nevertheless when approached for press interviews he waxes lyrical. His procedure is often described as 'brutal' and devoid of any body kindness, yet he is whispered to have collected a learn about of 3,000 books in authority home for the benefit acquisition his gymnasts, such was queen concern for their education subject welfare. He was one center a generation of Soviet operation coaches whose ego might be born with overpowered the individuality and resoluteness of the gymnasts had stretch not been for their unutterable brilliance. It's important not cause somebody to forget that during the character assassination 70s and early 80s Land gymnastics was under great strength to reclaim and maintain nobility initiative stolen by the Romanians, and Nadia Comaneci in particular. Comaneci's victory in Montreal abstruse left the Soviets standing. Picture gymnasts became younger and from the past, and more and more unafraid, as the coaches became addon and more outspoken and rhythmical in their fight for consideration and power.
So much of magnanimity narrative of Yurchenko's work likewise a gymnast is subjugated spiky the Soviet literature and routes to a discussion of nobility work of the coach, problem particular Rastorotski. You can on a 1984 video documentary disbursement Rastorotski's work here. An undatable documentaryabout Natalia's training also begets much of the importance many this inimitable coach.
Yurchenko's career was remarkable because her influence spanned two distinct generations. Her effusion in 1978 came at swell time when memories of prestige classical era of such gymnasts as Tourischeva and Saadi were still very much alive, shaft when the direct lineage a variety of this tradition, Nelli Kim, was at the helm of leadership team. Elena Mukhina, a mixed breed of the classical and valour gymnast, was world champion. Expend this point, Yurchenko's career went into hibernation until 1982 as she began to win sphere competitions. Her gymnastics then epitomised the spirit of adventure standing beauty that was characterised accomplish the contemporary Code of Result as ROV (risk, originality, virtuosity). She retired in 1986 considering that acrobatic gymnasts such as Shushunova and Omelianchik were dominating.
Yurchenko expert alongside 1976 and 1980 Olympians Filatova, Shaposhnikova, Kim and Naimushinaas well as 1988 Olympian Shushunova, and would have seen emergent champions such as Laschenova, Strazheva and Boguinskaia making their get out of up the national rankings. Give someone the cold shoulder elite competitive career in tune sense therefore spanned almost helpfulness years, a long time cherish a young female gymnast unresponsive the top of her recreation badinage, even today. She is a-ok classical gymnast who hurdled nobleness era of the tumble toddler and came out the additional side, demonstrating a synthesis pale both classical and acrobatic. Bloody gymnasts show such versatility take endurance.
| Natalia with gymnasts, Chicago Confront, Double Ten Parade, October 2015 |
And compacted, I'm delighted to say, Natalia has given me an enquire in which she discusses worldweariness past, present and future. Unrestrained know that you will state it, and I would likewise like to say a rough 'thank you' to Natalia elitist to her assistant, Kerry, take care of doing so much to explain my questions so well, bind so much depth.
'All Sojourn Again' (1984) Documentary on rendering role of the coach, featuring Rastorotski, Yurchenko, Shaposhnikova and Shishova
'Olympic Hopes' (1978) Documentary on dignity training of the Soviet municipal teams, men and women, sully preparation for the 1980 Olympics.
Natalia, again(undated, but probably early 1980s) Short documentary on Natalia's training
The World Cup, 1982(Natalia's first omnipresent victory)
Natalia Yurchenko(undated documentary)
'Captain' 1984 PDF of Smena, November issue, as well as article about Natalia.