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. 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? In 1977, Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina modified the flip by adding a full twist. She returned to train for the Olympics while starting a strenuous workout program at CSKA Moscow to lose the weight she had put on while being laid up from surgery. Her condition was unclear. I wanted to point out these censorship possibilities so viewers know which part of the footage they should trust, and which parts should be questioned. 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. Biles would later say she had suffered from the twisties, a form of gymnastics yips that leaves its sufferers feeling lost in the air. 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. Mukhina performed the move, falling on her chin and crushing her cervical vertebrae. "I felt like an animal being whipped along an endless corridor. But the more time passed, the more Klimenkos career seemed to regress, at least in international competition. I do not believe it was a coincidence that this story ended in tragedy, but the tragic ending was a direct byproduct of the unconventional backgrounds Mikhail Klimenko and Elena Mukhina shared. 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. 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. At age 15, American. In 1979, Mukhina claimed the uneven bars gold medal at the Soviet championships. Back in 1975, she had suffered a spinal injury which required hospital treatment and rest. It should be questioned how much Klimenko was being motived by his own personal goal of overcoming career failure. A memorial service was held in her honor on December 27 . Only about 1,600 of the 5,000 athletes expected -- half the total that was anticpated before the U.S.-led boycott of the Games because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan -- have moved into the Olympic Village. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The first group had all been formally named to the Olympic team. Moscow remained quiet today, devoid of the festive atmosphere that usually envelops the host city a week before the Olympics. Lastly, Mikhail Klimenko pivoted to WAG only after his coaching career in MAG had failed to materialize. He never reconciled with Mukhina and his death from cancer came on November 14, 2007 his 65th birthday. 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. This year marks the 15th anniversary since Mukhinas death on December 22, 2006. Jun 7, 2020 - A catastrophic injury cost Mukhina the use of her limbs. !Check out my other channel! 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. Likewise, her full name is Ekaterina Alexandrovna Gordeeva. 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. Her progress was modest and largely ignored. Mukhina defined that classic proverb because she was just that good. Afghan officials would not confirm reports that seven wrestlers had defected last week to Pakistan rather than come to Moscow. 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. She was going to say yes to anything and wasnt willing to question the limits. 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.. She became famous for her unique working capacity and rejection, as well as her tragic fate. After her accident, Mukhina became a recluse and rarely discussed it publicly. ", I blame Twitters virtue-signallers for fuelling this culture of celebrating weakness. Aug 4, 2021 - A catastrophic injury cost Mukhina the use of her limbs. At 1:13 Klimenko talks about how being a gymnastics coach is hard work. 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. 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. One was a 17 year old with limited life experience. Chinese peace plan: Can Beijing find a way to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, despite open hostility from the US and NATO. This article isnt an attempt at rehabilitating Mikhail Klimenko or trying to paint him in a more sympathetic light. The Romanian endured her own brutal training routine, and later revealed she had even attempted suicide prior to the 1978 World Championships. 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. Your email address will not be published. The Code of Points was later modified to ban standing on the high bar during routines. Just look at the cautionary tale of Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina, . (VIDEO), Khabib says Hasbulla can become billionaire. The mantra appeared clear: injury was weakness or unwillingness, Mukhina had to break through the pain to achieve greatness. Gymnastics prodigy who tragically broke her neck while practicing a dangerous move, just two weeks before the Olympics, and shortly after her 20th birthday. I hope everyone had a great holiday and New Years. 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. or. Leave a LIKE if you enjoyed the Story of \"Elena Mukhina\" \u0026 SUBSCRIBE for more gymnastics videos! Mukhina was training at the Minski Palace of Sport when the injury occurred, her coach was not present. 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. But that didn't stop her from handwriting a letter 18 months later. Take our survey for a chance to win a $100 voucher. Yelena Mukhina (U.S.S.R.) - Class of 2021 - International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Mukhina crash-landed, snapping her spine. Biles had walked into Tokyo being called the greatest gymnast of all time, carrying the hopes and dreams of her country on her back. 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. The clips can be found in the above YouTube video. The Elena Mukhina tapes are only 3.5 minutes in length, and in that short time we get a wide range of historic symbolism. 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. I hope you enjoy my page! 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. The Soviets weren't only denying that Mukhina had suffered a catastrophic injury, but were downplaying it to such an extent they were heavily implying it wasn't even bad enough to qualify as a career ending injury. Information began to emerge slowly. Elena Mukhina: You Are In Gymnastics (1978) Share Watch on The documentary features a "pep talk" between Mukhina and her coach Mikhail Klimenko. 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." In one of her few interviews about the tragedy, she criticized the Soviet gymnastics program for deceiving the public about the severity of her injury, and for the systems insatiable appetite for gold medals and championships. In between the 1977 European Championships and the 1978 World Championships, the Soviets released a documentary by the name of You Are in Gymnastics. Gradually, though, Klimenko would become convinced that this was a gem who could be polished gently or otherwise into a champion. NTV, Nadia Comaneci was queen at the 1976 Olympics. She was popular for being a Gymnast. She was interested in psychology and philosophy, and graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physical Education. But that didn't stop her from handwriting a letter 18 months later. 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. As the current star of the Soviet program at the time, Mukhina received top billing and a majority of the camera time. 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. These gymnasts were identified at a young age not just for their athletic attributes, but their mental attributes as well. The real world doesnt think like that.. Sputnik, Mukhina was paralyzed by the accident. Life isn't always butterflies and rainbows, so, its time to explore the dark side of things. "We dont need people like you making snide comments like this and adding to the stigma. 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 exchange is roughly 3.5 minutes in length and is broken up into four clips throughout the half hour documentary. Required fields are marked *. Elena Mukhinas floor routine tumbling passes were considered revolutionary at the time because they included the never-before-seen combination salto (the Muchina). At 2:28 the camera pans away from Mukhina and towards the wall. Elena Mukhina obtuvo el oro en el mundial en Estrasburgo (Francia). Todava no entiendo por que no han hecho una pelcula de esta extraordinaria atleta. 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. Elena Mukhina had been an orphan since she was six years old. 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. 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. 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. In 2021, she was posthumously inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. "Formally Elena is not an Olympic Champion. In 1983, Bilozerchev became the . The tweet sparked an insane backlash, with people slamming Morgan for his comments. Vous lui rendez hommage. In trying to complete the salto, the gymnast landed on her chin and effectively snapped her spine. 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. My coach came the next day and said that I wasn't conscientious and that I could train in a cast.". But we also see the type of response that exists in a culture where athletes dont feel comfortable speaking what is on their mind. She was 20 years old. Worst of all, it showed their institution was flawed. Gemini Gymnast #5. Such a. 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. But none of this is a work of fiction. 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. She is from Russia. 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. At the age of five years Elena lost both of her parents. Mukhina was injured on July 3rd, it would take nearly a week for news of the accident to spread to the Western press. Klimenko, however, had other ideas, reportedly removing her from hospital and directly back to training, taking off the orthopedic brace from around her neck. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Mukhina took up gymnastics late, at age 9, but won the Soviet junior championship within six years. Klimenko may have been one of the most extreme examples of a Soviet coach utilizing psychology, but he was far from the only one. These are real clips of a real person who in the end, really did get hurt, and the damage couldnt be undone. 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. Mukhinas first serious steps were taken under the tutelage of Alexander Eglit. With the Olympics just weeks away, the Soviet team were in Minsk, putting in intense training. 1988. Mukhina went as far as to say she felt sorry for Klimenko and classified him as a victim of the system.. She won gold medals for the individual all-around, the balance beam, and uneven bars. Because that will tear you apart.. Elena Mukhina died of apparent complications from quadriplegia on December 22, 2006 (2006-12-22) (aged 46). RIP - YouTube 0:00 / 2:37 Gymnastics Angel. The Soviet Union saw Mukhina's injury as creating a poor image of the Soviet program, reflecting just how little consideration they gave to the wellbeing of their athletes. This channel does not nor ever will make money off of any content. 30th July 2021. in. Mukhina took a keen interest in children and young gymnasts both before and after her injury. 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. Mukhina was keen on keeping up with world events, including in gymnastics, also learning to use her hands again to write. She had set numerous records, including getting the first perfect score in gymnastics Olympic history. For Biles, her refusal to be another number could very well be the most important move of her life. Because of her injury, she had great difficulty re-mastering a signature tumbling run, a Thomas salto (a 1 and 3/4 flip with 1 1/2 twists). Mukhina was taken in by her grandmother, Anna, with her father never to play a meaningful role in her life again. Created by a writer as part of plot-building device to foreshadow the climatic twist to the story where the popular protagonist meets his or her doom. 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. YouTube, Mukhina regularly battled with injuries. It wasnt until Simone Biles that WAG had another gymnast who rapidly appeared from out of nowhere in the same fashion as Mukhina. For a series of clips that featured so much eeriness in regards to the rhetoric and the words being spoken, so is the cinematography. People named Elena Mukhina. The epitome of daring, strength and . At age 20, former Soviet Union gymnastics champion Elena Mukhina crash-lands while practicing a signature tumbling pass and is paralyzed. In the lead-up to the Olympics, Elena had broken her leg but despite this, her coach insisted that she continue . MS ALL DE SUS LMITES porque eso fue lo que Klimenco con Mukhina. One of the most talented athletes,which was brought up by the school of artistic gymnastics of the Soviet Union, was Mukhina Elena. She's the owner and head coach at Gemini Gymnastics, a gymnastics club in Oshawa, Ontario. 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. As for the gold medal? 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. The Soviets and other communist nations were very public with these tactics, which validated there usage elsewhere. 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. A true champion! 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. For all we know the Mukhinas response to a different comment could have been used instead. Elena Mukhina died of apparent complications from quadriplegia on December 22, 2006 (aged 46). 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. When doctors removed her cast against her wishes and had her try walking on the leg, she said that she knew she was walking \"crookedly\" and that something was not right. Later that year the Soviet Union awarded her the Order of the Badge of Honor in response to her injury. Psychology has positive values when deployed on children, especially in the realm of education. :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. Rivals in the arena, Comaneci and Mukhina were united in the debilitating pressures they had faced to reach the top. 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. "ELENA MUKHINA OLYMPIC CHAMPION" is the story of Elena Mukhina, Soviet gymnast, World Champion 1978, who had an injury just few days before the 1980 Moscow Olympics. That realization precipitated a meeting on December 28, 1974, with the man who would alter the course of Mukhinas life thereafter: Mikhail Klimenko. She was able to mix her innovative moves with the classic Soviet-style of gymnastics, inspired by ballet movements and expressive lines. I was so tired then, both physically and psychologically.". One further detail that is critical to understanding the Mukhina-Klimenko coaching relationship is that they had risen up the Soviet ranks together. Jun 7, 2020 - A catastrophic injury cost Mukhina the use of her limbs. 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. She won three gold medals and two silver medals at the 1978 World . These tactics have an even deeper meaning when two critical details are understood about the gymnast and coach who are engaging in conversation. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. . 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. All while she is chided for her constant crying throughout the footage. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Yelena Mukhina (17161471)? 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. Change). 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. On their own, neither seemed capable of accomplishing the goals they so desperately wanted to achieve. Im sure you all have seen the gymnast suffer broken ankles, leg, and such live on television or in past footage. It had been a staple of Soviet womens gymnastics since the 1960s. Every single factor dictated that a gymnast needed time to rise that fast. When life becomes victim to gangsters, murder, myths, legends, and more. Likewise, there was desperation from Klimenko to get Mukhina back on her feet and into training to ensure she made the team. Thats just how long it takes for returning Olympic gymnasts. She matched that achievement at the European Championships in Copenhagen, where she also added a silver medal in the floor exercise. The camera constantly makes cuts and pans, often under questionable circumstances. Mukhina spoke up and tried to convince her coach of how dangerous the element was. 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. . Moreover, her family lovingly calls her Katia. I feel sorry for Klimenko hes a victim of the system, a member of the clan of grownups who are doing their job.. Mukhina would always remember him with fondness, and together she rose to become Moscow champion. Post continues below. Mikhail Klimenko was in a different city when Elena Mukhina was injured. It would ultimately result in her premature death at the age of 46. But do not break down and go on living in spite of everything, understanding all her tragedy . It would ultimately result in her premature death at the age of 46. 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. There are other tough moments in the footage. She hails from Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, and her zodiac sign is Gemini. Sign Up. "Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Are mental health issues now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? In a painful twist of irony, when tragedy did strike it was not under the gaze of Klimenko. Mukhina took an interest in figure skating and gymnastics at a very early age. Logr en tampoco tiempo lo que otras lo hicieron en ms aos. But inside the training hall of a high-level sport where elite-level athletes are children, it can become a weaponized tool. 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. Mukhinas apotheosis arrived in 1978 with a breathtaking performance at the World Championships in Strasbourg, France. Where I disagree with Soviet officials is their claim that it was all Klimenkos fault. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. The documentary features a pep talk between Mukhina and her coach Mikhail Klimenko. As a memorial to one of the greatest Soviet-era gymnasts ever, the biggest sports newspaper in Russia, Sovietskij SPORT, dedicated the cover of their Christmas 2006 issue to her. So why did Simone Biles quit? One of the common themes in Soviet sports media is coaches frequently boasted about their ability to invoke psychology as a training tool. One incident was the Romanian domination of the Soviet gymnastics machine at the 1976 Olympics. You can find it on BFI player if you are interested. Sorry for rambling, next video should be happier!! Mukhina took a keen interest in children and young gymnasts both before and after her injury. But I dont think we really take a moment to think about just how severe and life-altering the injuries can end up being. Once again against Mukhinas wishes, the doctors removed her cast prematurely. 01:46 Now playing - Source: WFSB 'Give me a break': Ex-CIA official on US response to Chinese balloon . Unlike Simone Biles, Mukhina is the tragic example of what happens when you're not allowed to say no. After an unsuccessful fatal injury, the gymnast was forever confined to bed. 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. Nothing exists except work and pressure, which constantly increase, and sometimes it seems thatthat's it, you haven't got any more strength. I am frequently asked as to whether Klimenko is to blame for Mukhinas injury. Watch. Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina was born on June 1, 1960, in Moscow, Russian SFSR (now Moscow, Russia). As a memorial to one of the greatest Soviet-era gymnasts ever, the biggest sports newspaper in Russia, Sovietskij SPORT, dedicated the cover of their Christmas 2006 issue to her. The Thomas salto is now banned for both men and women. . Mostepanovas Romanian rival Ecaterina Szabo had a similar story. 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. The following quote comes directly from Elena Mukhina: Im not condemning anyone or blaming anyone for what happened to me. Once again the Soviets were lambasting Mukhina by putting the burden back on her. You will see YouTube gymnasts such as Whitney Bjerken, and other famous gymnasts such as Simone Biles, Katelyn Ohashi, Gabby Douglas, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson and many more! It didnt help that a tense political rival existed between Romania and the USSR. RIP AshleyakaFlipper 3.98K subscribers 114K views 11 years ago Montage of Elena Mukhina. But Shaposhnikova, Davydova, Nellie Kim, and Filatova are all members of the Hall of Fame. This is another reoccurring theme throughout the Mukhina tapes. I didn't want to use a stupid song in the background, it HAD to be meaningful. She had gone, but her legacy was far from forgotten. 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. 6 ratings3 reviews. YouTube / Match TV / KinoProduct. Elena Mukhina Popularity . Sending love to you @Simone_Biles -Team UNITED States of America . Old School. She was 46 years old. In many ways, the tragedy foreshadowed the sadness which would pursue Mukhina for the rest of her days. 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. Most Popular #24272. What Klimenko was dangling over Mukhinas head was the prospect of her going it alone and to leave the closest thing she had to a father-figure. . The duo fit each other like a hand entering a glove and had success that would have been impossible under any other circumstance. Nadia is a crucial part of Elena Mukhinas story. 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.
