Golden Lilia

[QuietColours]

Golden Lilia
Copyright Galina Losinskaya, Svetlana Dubova, Yelena Ptushkina
Kyiv-2000
Publishing house "Phoenix"
Translated from Russian by Lyudmila Kiseleva
Edited by John Crumlish

Notes:

• Book is quasi-narrative, with interview reflections with different people on the events being relayed. It took me a little experimenting to find a summary style that worked for me, so I apologize for the early inconsistencies in style. When it gets to an interview section, I will give the person being quoted, and it will switch to first person. The account is still being summarized, not quoted exactly unless otherwise indicated
• I do not speak Ukrainian and know very little about the culture. The book seems to have taken the literal translation approach, but I can't say that for sure. I am using the spellings and capitalizations used in the book, and I use the version of people's names being used in each situation--for example, I will use Podkopayeva, Lilia, or Lilyucha based on what the book uses in that situation
• Because I'm unfamiliar with Russian and Ukrainian, there may be more typos here. Please let me know if you see them and I will correct them
• As always, if you would like clarification on something, I'm happy to provide the direct quotation
• I was surprised to find that the random used copy I got appears to be autographed! I have no idea if it's authentic, but I'm kind of assuming it is (I'm not sure why you'd fake it and then give away the book). That was a nice surprise!

Part I. From Donetsk to Atlanta

Introduction:

• In the Georgia Dome. One police man stood every 10 years because the Clinton family had come to watch the AA final, hoping for another American victory after the US had upset Russia and Romania in the team competition
• Another American victory disappeared in the third rotation, when Miller and Dawes both had mistakes on floor. Lilia moved into third, behind Mo Huilan and Dina Kochetkova
• Kochetkova stumbled on vault in the fourth rotation. Mo and Podkopayeva were the only remaining candidates for gold and both were competing on floor. Podkopayeva was up before Mo and had to perform perfectly to put more pressure on Mo
• Podkopayeva took the podium and conquered the 30,000 spectators who hadn't been friendly up to that point
• Mo followed, but stumbled out of bounds and dropped out of the medals
• Podkopayeva became the all-around champion; Clinton and his family joined the standing ovation
• Three people–gymnast, coach (Galina Losinskaya), and choreographer (Svetlana Dubova)–had devoted years to achieving this moment. Validated ten years of commitment
• Lilia had no strength left to stop the tears when the medal was placed around her neck
• As a beginning gymnast, Lila was ordinary. Other gymnasts were more talented, but quit for various reasons. Losinskaya and Dubova were also ordinary people. What was the secret of their united work and how did they forge an Olympic medal together?

Chapter 1. The Light-Hearted Childhood was so Short

• Born in a mining settlement at the edge of Donetsk on August 15, 1978 to a working family not particularly interested in sports. Her family was kind and friendly but demanding of one another. Named Lilia because she was delicate and subtle
• Grew up with her mother and grandparents; she was one when her father left the family
• Lyudmila, her mother, worked at a plant but was sometimes unemployed. Her grandfather worked at a coal mine all his life. Evelina, her grandmother, was a housewife
• Lilia was an ordinary child. She liked playing hide-and-seek and relay races. She was her grandmother's favorite and very fidgety. Her family wanted her to try rhythmic gymnastics but she was too short–they told her to come back in a year or two. Emma, her great aunt, came from Moscow and suggested they go to the sports center
• She went with her grandmother to Dinamo Gymnasium. The coach asked if she'd like to vault or somersault. She started training with coach Lilia Pugacheva at age 5
• Pugacheva says Lilia caught her attention at once–she was a doll. She had strong legs but a weak back, and she wasn't prepared but she was very diligent and assiduous and never had hysterics. You didn't have to make her work, just give her the task. Soon she was the only one left
• She was a physically weak child who missed a lot of training due to illness, interrupting the process and losing skills. Her effort and diligence was captivating, and her back and arms slowly got stronger. She was obedient and affectionate
• Her grandmother retired so she could bring Lilyusha to training, bringing her every morning even though she was weak
• When Lilia turned 8, she started coming alone, with her grandmother waiting for her at the tram stop
• 6 or 7 girls from the suburb took the hour train ride to Dinamo. Sometimes the train would stop and they would have to walk.
• In the summer, Lilia wanted to quit gymnastics, because the other children got to play while she had to train. The rebellion only lasted up to the tram stop
• All the girls liked to play with their dolls. They would take them to training camps and competitions, since they had no time to play with them at home. They'd have 10 girls in a railway compartment playing dolls, conducting competitions (swimsuit competition, hairstyle competition. Losinskaya remembers them making fantastic coiffures of dolls hair
• She had basically no contact with other kids in the building–all her friends were gymnasts from Dinamo
• Lyudmila Shaporenko, her best friend, says they had no time to play or take walks like other children. All the time was training and school, which they weren't allowed to miss. If you missed classes, your coach and parents knew immediately. When they were in Kyiv, they couldn't remember anything–they had three training sessions a day and were exhausted
• Dubova, the choreographer, says Lilia was quick to take offense. She remembers Lilia being upset when the other kids built a cabin with mats and didn't invite her. She says they were punishing her because they were jealous of her as a gymnast
• T. Rogachenko, the accompanist, says Lilia was nicknamed Dolly because she was always neat and her hair was perfectly fixed. She'd take criticisms without comment,standing straight and quiet, and fulfilled all requirements. The greatest punishment was when the coach called her by her last name.
• Lilia doesn't remember her childhood well. They enjoyed vaulting, trampoline, and somersaulting; waiting impatiently for training; and having many competitions within their group (for example, best splits). At home she was training to do an arch and gathered all the pillows to demonstrate it to her granny. One day her granny told her she could do the splits. When Lilia didn't believe her, she brought two wooden splits
• Up at 5 am, then classes in choreography (ballet), then training school and a second training session
• Losinskaya: The father is very important, because they're the ones who bring the child to training so early and watch the relationship between the coach and gymnast. Sometimes parents are indifferent or try to "correct" training from the coaches. For Lilia's family, the coach's word was law. The bond between coach and child must never be broken
• Lilia's mother decided to leave for the north, where there might be more opportunities. Her grandmother insisted Lilia stay, since she had already started first grade and gymnastics. Evelina substituted as her mother
• Lilia says as a small girl she talked with her granny all the time and told her all her secrets. Evelina never criticized her. Sometimes she'd negotiate with her grandmother to miss classes–she could never manage that with her grandfather. He was very strict and controlled everyone and everything
• As time passed, Lilia couldn't imagine a life without gymnastics. She existed from one training session to another, anticipating competitive success

 

[MaryClare]

Because I'm unfamiliar with Russian and Ukrainian, there may be more typos here. Please let me know if you see them and I will correct them

Hey, don’t worry about that. There is no standardised translation from Cyrillic alphabets. For example. Elena, Yelena and Jelena are all correct. The aim for a professional translator is just to use a translation that will most likely result in the correct pronunciation for the intended audience. Which is why letters are translated different for an English speaking audience than a German speaking audience for example.

 

[RAFIKI]

I was surprised to find that the random used copy I got appears to be autographed! I have no idea if it's authentic, but I'm kind of assuming it is (I'm not sure why you'd fake it and then give away the book). That was a nice surprise!

Very cool!

I’m looking forward to this one as I know nothing about her life.

 

[QuietColours]

Chapter 2. Before the Forked Crown of Destiny

• Lilia's coach Pugacheva had to choose if she was going to continue working with Lilia (and deal with the inevitable long travels and times of separation from her own family) or pass Lilia to a new coach. When Lilia was 8, she switched coaches to Galina Losinskaya
• Pugacheva: The separation was very painful for both of us. I told Lilia I would see her often. Galina was a kind woman who found a correct approach with Lilia. One could not be indifferent to Lilia, she was so fascinating. I wanted to continue working with her, but I was more successful with small kids
• Losinskaya: I was already familiar with the children and knew their potential. No one helped with the transfer–we worked in the same crew, and Pugacheva came and talked to me. In 1986 we started to work together
  • Were just about to go to Yevpatoria for a training camp, so I took Lilia with us. We could solve many problems in the process–to improve her general physical status, to strengthen her body. Her potential was of the medium level, but nature gifted her with the talent to jump. She was not tall and her hands were weak
  • Her palms were too small for gymnastics and she could barely grasp the bars. She had trouble with handstands and lacked flexibility. Everything we see today is a result of great labor
  • My contribution to Lilia was more than that to my own daughter
• A year earlier, Lilia had met her choreographer, Svetlana Dubova. Dubova: I did not know Lilia before, but I was well acquainted with her grandmother.
  • Lilia was training with a specialized group that I was not going to take, though there were very gifted girls.
  • Losinskaya and I were disappointed. We had spent eight years with Ira Loakhtariova, who we thought was very talented and could have become an Olympic Champion much sooner than Lilia. But she left gymnastics at 15–she didn't want to train anymore
  • It was difficult to return to working with the little girls after spending eight years with a high level athlete. But Evelina was very persistent
• Dubova agreed to take the specialized group Lilia was training in. Lilia's arms were too short–they rose nicely, but her fingers didn't want to stretch
• Dubova: Lilia had potential because of her natural ability to jump (important for vault and floor), her wonderful feet, and spark from God. She was enormously expressive, she felt the music and embodied it perfectly. Added to that was extraordinary diligence and fight. And she was very pretty, which is important to girls and especially gymnasts.
• Did training sessions and work in the ballet room much longer than the usual 45 minutes. Dubova also gave Lilia access to ballet–they often attended the theater were Dubova had performed for 20 years. Lilia grew fond of ballet too–her favorite dancers in Donetsk were Boitsov, Pisarev, and Dorofeyeva
• Dubova: Lilia was taught to feel the audience and get accustomed to the atmosphere. We used every chance to perform our routines. She was growing into a kind, affectionate, and tender person, I couldn't help but give her a sweet name, Lilyucha. A lot of people called her by that nickname and still do

Chapter 3. Second Call

• Recalls Lilia being announced to perform on beam, but Lilia became self-conscious and dizzy and passed out from fear
• Pugacheva: Lilia was standing near the beam when she heard her name, and she got frightened and lost consciousness and fell down. It was a regional age-group competition of the Dinamo Society. She calmed down and focused herself and was invited to compete on beam again at the very end. She composed herself and finished successfully. She easily won the all-around
• Since childhood, Lilia thought only about the highest step of the podium. "Granny, I shall be first," she promised before her first competition
• Lilia's Mother: Once at Dinamo, they had a competition for small children were Lilia got second place. She received a big toy as a prize–an inflatable telephone. Lilia cried bitterly that she hadn't won
• In Lilia's case, everything seemed simple. She had her gym and her dream. Nobody dreamed she'd be the European, World, and Olympic champion though. There was just everyday, conscientious work during which all elements and details were perfected
• Lilia: I was never 100% sure. I had dreams like every girl, but I never thought they would come true. My grandmother wanted me to be a champion and came to all the children's competitions in Donetsk
• Losinskaya: I was afraid of thinking in advance and always tried to demand and provide perfection immediately. We failed sometimes. Since 1994, I understood we had to bring a medal from every competition. In the all-around, we hoped to place in the top three and win prizes in perhaps a pair of events. I dreamt of having an Olympic champion, but never consciously thought about it
• The only person who believed Lilia would be an Olympic champion from the first day was Dubova
• Losinskaya: Lilia embodied all Dubova's ideals: she took choreography very seriously and was prone to dancing. Dubova saw that Lilia had high-level tumbling. So she believed Lilia would be the best gymnast