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

 

[QuietColours]

Chapter 4. Her First Steps

• Lilia: I don't remember my first competition
• Losinskaya: In 1989, Podkopayeva won 4th place at the USSR Junior Games and became a medalist at the Comsomol Prize competition, the most prestigious ones for youth.
  • I also remember Lilia won all around when she was 11 at youth championships at Dinamo. A woman came up to us and said, "She is not thin; she is like a doll–small and strong–and bounces like a ball."
  • As she got older, Lilia understood she could impress everyone. Her workload got harder and she joined the Ukrainian National Team. There was no going back. She experienced difficulties–namely extra weight. I told her many times to watch her weight or leave gymnastics. The latter option would be wrong after so much effort, especially considering she couldn't do anything else
  • Lilia listened to her coach and had good results
• In 1990, the Russian city Penza hosted the Dinamo youth championship, from which a team would be chosen for the USSR Youth Championships
• Lilia: It was very difficult to compete, because I had a high temperature and my nose was stuffed up
• Losinskaya: The floor judge was Natalya Ilienko (1981 world floor champion). I cam up to her to find out the reason, as Lilia was worthy of a higher score, and Ilienko told me, "When your Podkopayeva learns to stand straight, she will get high scores." I was offended and thought, "I shall show you all of what Podkopayeva is capable of."
• Lilia became the only gymnast in the world to perform the double front somersault with a half twist on floor. She performed it at the 1995 world championships in Japan. The skill is named for her, and even today no one can do it.

Chapter 5. Victories and Obstacles Walk Together

• Lilia's first travel abroad and debut performance on the Ukrainian national team took place in Belgium in 1991. She was 13 and traveled with another coach
• Lilia: The only thing I remember is that I was worrying horribly. I did my second vault with my hands trembling and chalk flying everywhere. But we won
• Parallel to this, Lilia was overcoming obstacles in life and the people around her
• Lyudmila, Lilia's mother: Lilia trained at the Olympic base in Koncha Zaspa (near Kyiv) for several months. We didn't see each other often and missed each other.
  • When she got back from Belgium I decided to visit her with my son Misha. Lilia was going to leave for France in a week, and then a month later another international competition in France
  • At first heard admiration from coaches who didn't work with her
  • Misha accompanied her to the gym, while I stayed in her room to wash things and clean. Suddenly a doctor appeared and said, "Lilia has an injury."
  • She had banged her nose on the uneven bar
  • Her brother and I were reproached many times for distracting her, but he was on the far side of the gym and I was in her room
  • X-rays showed a nose fracture with displacement. The nose was set the same day, but she couldn't train for two weeks
• Rogachenko: Her face turned blue and she suffered from horrible pain. Everybody started to pity her like a small child. But there wasn't a tear in her eye though she endured real torture. She didn't think of her face or Paris but of the competitions. She was a professional of the highest grade
• Dubova: I was working with two Donetsk girls, Paramonova and Shugai on the floor when Lilia was injured on bars. Another coach was with her, because Galina had stayed in Donetsk with her mother who had just had surgery. That day, they blamed me, saying I was not present in the gym. After that, the sports committee rejected me for a year. In Kyivyi, Lilia's mother and I were told, "Leave and treat your injury in Donetsk."

 

[RAFIKI]

The latter option would be wrong after so much effort, especially considering she couldn't do anything else

Harsh!

 

[QuietColours]

Chapter 6. Her Adult Life was Ahead

• Time treated the physical and moral injuries. It was November. 13 is not a child in gymnastics, and the new Olympic period was coming, and with it more severe demands
• At the Soviet youth championships held at Round Lake, Lilia placed second in the Master of Sports candidate category and the Dinamo team placed first. Lilia was added to the USSR junior team
• The position became a borderline. Behind her was childhood, ahead was an adult life and work towards a position on the USSR senior team
• Lilia: I understood gymnastics was the main thing for me, and I started to count off my achievements. The USSR Championship was my main goal
• In November 1991 Lilia joined the USSR junior team, which ceased to exist in December
• Losinskaya: The collapse of the USSR was favorable to Lilia's gymnastics career
  • Not sure her way onto the USSR team would have been glorious
  • Being in the top 6 in Ukraine was not the same as being in the top 6 for the USSR
  • Ukraine had two athletes on the 1992 team–Gutsu and Galieva. Traditionally, they had tried to select one or two representatives from each Soviet republic—for example, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine
  • The gymnast's rank on the team was of great importance. On the Ukrainian national team, Lilia was always ranked first
• Practically speaking Lilia never trained with the Soviet junior team. IN 1992 she joined the top level of the Ukrainian national team

Chapter 7. Thorns–Today, Roses–Later

• Time passes quickly in sports. Many strong gymnasts from 1992 continued: Milosovici, Gogean, Miller, Boginskaya. That made it hard for young gymnasts to come up, because the veterans were strong and well known to the judges and the public
• 1992 Ukraine Cup in Kirovograd
  • Oleg Ostapenko had become the head coach of the national team
  • All the strongest gymnasts were there, including Lysenko, 1992 Olympic team alternate Lyudmila Stovbchataya, and 1990 Goodwill Games winner Natalia Kalinina
• Losinskaya: Lilia didn't perform too badly. We were trying a new, more grown up program and new elements. The goal wasn't to win. After the competition, Ostapenko said, "Of what I have just seen, I could single out only Podkopayeva, who is approaching the work standards by the richness of her program as well as the level of performance."
• Lilia: This is when I understood I would become one of the leaders of the Ukrainian national team. We started to develop new routines
• Began 1993 with an international victory in the all around and vault at the Cup of Marseille in France
  • Losinskaya: A group from Donetsk TV came to our gym. It was one of Lilia's first interviews for television. She was worried. Dubova had instructer her Lilia and was standing nearby. Lilia's eyes were directed at Svetlana the whole time. Within three minutes, Lilia said "very" 26 times
  • Dubova: After that interview, I told Lilia she had to control herself and improve her vocabulary
• In later years, Lilia would conduct herself with confidence on the most popular Ukrainian television programs, "Tabu" and "Is just a person…"
• Competed at her first world championship at the individual worlds in Birmingham in 1993, representing Ukraine with Lysenko and Stovbchataya. She failed to qualify to the all around final due to two-per-country
  • Lilia: I made finals on vault. I was worrying so horribly. I qualified in second place, but in the final I collapsed and finished eighth out of eight
• Never said "I cannot," "I shall not," or "I don't want." She always went onto the podium, did her best, and showed what she had trained for. People trusted her and she never disappointed them
• 1993 European Cup finals in Brussels:
  • Losinskaya: Lilia had caught a cold and her nose was stuffed up. I carried medicine with me and took care of her. We managed to reduce the temperature. Lilia warmed up on uneven bars. Before she dismounted, she could not breath–her lips were blue and her nose was blocked. But in 10 minutes she had to compete. That she did, forcing herself, in a state of near fainting
  • Lilia finished second in the all around and qualified for all four event finals. Due to her illness, she decided to compete only bars and beam
  • Losinskaya: During warm ups, Lilia jumped down from the beam after each element. She couldn't perform the whole routine. We decided to withdraw her from uneven bars. She also refused to perform her floor exercise
    • Before beam final, Lilia told us, "I shall work." She didn't simplify anything in the routine and finished third.
    • She performed on vault too, and won second
• Lilia was overcoming pain, diseases, and fatigue, and her own self-doubt.
• In 1994 she would have European Cup qualifying stages, Grand Prix series, and two would championships within the year

 

[QuietColours]

Chapter 8. The Funeral Had Not Taken Place
"I am so tired that I prefer to stay in the gym." L. Podkopayeva

• Things looked bright for Lilia's future
• Losinskaya: The parents brought extra pieces of metal from the mines that we fashioned into weights for the arms and feet (we called them hooves) and belts and small vests
• Sunday, November 30, 1993 Dinamo burned down with all the equipment. The acrobats had been training just before the fire
• Losinskaya: No help came from the gymnastics federation. In Donetsk, people did their best to help restore the gym in the shortest period possible
• Restoration came in fragments. The girls trained with the boys in Shakhtyor Sports Palace. This was a very difficult time for Lilia
• Dubova: It took a lot of time for Lilia to get to Shakhtyor, so I suggested she rest at our homes in between training sessions to have enough recovery time. But Lilia said, "I am so tired that I prefer to stay in the gym." She used to lie down near the radiator and sleep, covered up with mats. At one training session, champion pole vaulter Sergi Bubka came up to me and asked, "What's wrong with the girl? Isn't she well?" I answered, "She is having a rest before workout; she is a future champion."
• Lilia's televised meet with Bubka took place. He offered New Year greetings to the citizens of Donetsk while Lilia was dressed as the Snow Maiden. Bubka was fascinated with Lilia's smile and modesty, but Lilia could not believe she was simply talking to Bubka. In two years, they would become equals, both world champions

Chapter 9. Surprise from Podkopayeva

• In April 1994 Lilia traveled to Brisbane, Australia (note: The exact quote here: Lilia traveled to remote, mysterious Australia–the green continent of koalas and kangaroos.) She was sixth in the all around at the world championships, a good result for a relatively unknown gymnast. Shannon Miller won the competition, as she had the year before.
  • Lilia: I understood I could fight for the medal-winning positions
  • She had three event finals: Vault, bars, and beam, winning silver on beam. Beam was always a good event for her–she won medals on it frequently.
  • Lilia: On beam, a Greek girl had the chance to win a medal but had not qualified for the final. The Greek coach asked Galina via other persons to withdraw me from the beam final. Still, I competed and won the silver medal
  • Losinskaya: Lilia had become one of the main candidates for victory. Coaches were coming up and pointing out her style, especially her floor exercise. Even Tanya Lysenko approached me. She said, "Galina, Arkayev is so fond of your Lilia that he thinks she is one of the main rivals!" Leonid Arkayev , the head coach of the Russian men's and women's teams, is a great gymnastics expert who never pays compliments
  • Arkayev said before the 1995 world championships that people should expect surprises from Podkopayeva
• The second world championship in 1994 was in November in Dortmund, Germany. Ukraine finished 5th. Lilia had the highest total in the unofficial all around results, but there wasn't an official all around competition at that worlds
  • Lilia: After Dortmund, Ostapenko told me I could fight for medals and they were counting on me, and that I must win a medal on vault and floor exercise at the 1995 world championships
• At European Championships Lilia was poised to win the all around but fell on her uneven bars dismount and finished fourth
  • Losinskaya: We worked so hard. In event finals, I sat in the stands. I was so nervous I went out into the hallways where I could watch the competition on television
  • Lilia won bronze on vault, silver on balance beam, and gold on floor
  • Lilia used Hava Nagila on floor. Milosovici had chosen another version of the same song, and Romania had representatives on the judging panel. Lilia performed at the very beginning, before her toughest rivals. The order was not very convenient, but she got the highest score: 9.937. That score was the best one of Lilia's career and the entire four-year Olympic cycle
  • After Lilia's performance, Arkayev said, "The other gymnasts may as well not compete."
  • Losinskaya: A Jewish woman from the audience came to us and said, "I am surprised this music can be performed in a floor exercise."
  • Dubova: Lilia stood out not only for her great technique and gymnastics style , but also for her artistry and dancing. Lilia believed that choreography was very important

 

[RAFIKI]

Lilia: On beam, a Greek girl had the chance to win a medal but had not qualified for the final. The Greek coach asked Galina via other persons to withdraw me from the beam final. Still, I competed and won the silver medal

Wow! I presume/hope the coaches knew each other or this is extra weird.

 

[tempest]

The second world championship in 1994 was in November in Dortmund, Germany. Ukraine finished 5th. Lilia had the highest total in the unofficial all around results, but there wasn't an official all around competition at that worlds

in prelims that is
in finals it would have been Milo, Khorkina and Dawes IIRC

 

[QuietColours]

Chapter 10. To Italy, Through Slovakia
"I could not compete in such a state, but I had to go. If I missed that stage, I would never go to the final." L. Podkopayeva

• One night in early April Lilia began to vomit violently, and her temperature rose rapidly, but she had to travel for competitions in a matter of days
• On departure day, the airplane would not wait for Lilia, but Kosice, Slovakia would. Lilia and Galina had been preparing to compete there in stage one of the European Cup; the world championships were also ahead
• The delegation to Kosice gathered at the gates of the Olympic base, including Ostapenko, Galina, and Lilia–Galina would serve as an official while Ostapenko served as coach on the floor.
  • Lilia: The doctor said the situation was dangerous and I could not compete in such a state. But I had to go to Kosice. If I missed that stage, I would never to to European Cup final
  • Lilia won the all-around in Kosice and earning a place in all the event finals
  • Losinskaya: Lilia tried vaulting; she was shaking all over, she could not run to the horse due to her weakness. Ostapenko told her "Stop, we'll take you to the hotel." While waiting for the car Lilia became to tremble more. We could not let her go alone, but I was an official and Ostapenko was the head coach and accompanying another Ukrainian gymnast. So we sent Lilia with another of our gymnasts, Rustov Sharipov. For a day and a half she could only have oranges, mandarin lemons, and tea.
• Lilia went on to compete in the European Cup final in Italy, where she finished third in the all around. Svetlana Khorkina won and Belarussian Yelena Piskun placed second. In event finals, Lilia won uneven bars and beam, got second on vault, and third on floor

Chapter 11. A Deep Breath Before the Wave

• August 1995, a week before the Ukrainian championships were to begin in Belaya Tserkov, which would be the team trials for the upcoming world championships in Japan.
• Losinskaya: I could not find Lilia. They said she was in the bathroom, that something was wrong with her. I ran there. She was sobbing, "I do not want anything–any apartment, any car, any travel abroad. I want to go home." She was hysterical and her fingers were blue
• Dubova: 16-17 is the most difficult period. We hadn't noticed the kid had turned into an adult with her own interests and nature.
  • We never met with indignation expressed by her words or a rude reply to her coach. What she could express was just her eyes flashing. It was a result of her grandmother's way of bringing her up–-deep confidence and full obedience.
  • She got severely frustrated–she was growing and struggling and her inner resistance was growing too.
  • It was very difficult to live in Koncha Zaspa all the time. It was like an enclosed triangle–gym, cafeteria, hotel. The environment was very specific; the main rivals on the national team were there.
  • I talked to Lilia for two hours; we wept together. Then I said, "You want to leave for Donetsk–and then what? Your house is very poor, your mother is raising you and your brother alone. You will graduate from school, but how will you live beyond that? You have sacrificed everything for gymnastics. Galina is sacrificing everything too. She is far from her home and family; her daughter is growing up alone…"
  • We agreed Lilia would compete in the Ukrainian championships and then decided whether to remain in gymnastics
  • We had to change our tactics related to Lilia
• Losinskaya: it was the first alarm of overwork and over strain. We helped her regain her composure. Ostapenko told her she could skip the morning session tomorrow. Lilia slept in and we took a walk in the forest. That was the only episode in her career–the only moment of weakness where Lilia let herself go. A few days later we left for Belaya Tserkov
• 1995 Ukrainian Championships
  • Dubova: The environment was very strained. Lilia was 17, while others were younger. Performing in Ukraine is always more difficult than performing abroad.
    • Compulsory routines were very hard.
    • The competition was among three gymnasts: Anna Mirgorodskaya, Viktoria Karpenko, and Lilia.
    • Lilia became the Ukrainian champion despite the fact some of the judges treated her with prejudice, they had to appreciate her level of performance
    • For Lilia, winning was mostly a victory over herself.
  • Losinskaya: It was there that we first showed the double front with the half twist on floor, thought it was very difficult to work as the equipment, especially the floor carpet, was very poor.
  • Journalists indicated that Lilia was one of the main candidates to win the upcoming world championships in Japan

 

[QuietColours]

Chapter 12. She Will Be Talked About All Over the World

1. First troubles
   1. Worlds were hosted in Sabae, Japan. Lilia would become world champion and win three event final medals. But there were pre-competition troubles
   2. Losinskaya: We were leaving for Japan in a couple of days and I heard the horoscope, which I don't believe in. But it said Leos may have injuries in the middle of the month and require surgery, and Lilia is a leo. I was terror-stricken, but didn't say anything to Lilia and reminded myself it was just a horoscope
   3. Lilia learned about this years later when material for this book was being gathered
   4. Two other Ukrainian gymnasts suffered injuries at Championships, Igor Korobchinksy and Svetlana Zelepukina, both leos
   5. Losinskaya: Every day in Japan was strenuous on our nerves. All our gymnasts were well prepared, but accidents dashed the hopes of some of them
2. Flight to Uncertainty
   1. Losinskaya remembers having heard about the exotic land of Japan, but wanting to see it with their own eyes. They flew to Moscow first and were joined by the Russian team
   2. The flight to Japan was fun and noisy; everyone was excited. The plane landed in Tokyo first, where they were met by the Ukrainian ambassador to Japan. They were so excited they almost forgot to give him the national present–a piece of fat and brown bread
   3. Lilia: We were put up in a hotel with very small single rooms and then brought to the accreditation center. First we were brought to a building where we saw felt slippers at the door. We changed our shoes, but it turned out to be the wrong building. Each delegation had a bus and an interpreter at this Worlds
   4. Losinskaya: There were umbrellas in each hotel. If you needed one, you could just take it and put it back later. In our time off we walked a bit along the streets and visited the palace and museum of famous Japanese politicians. There were lots of small ponds and gardens. The homes had wooden floors and no decorative furniture. The thrift and neatness of Japanese culture caught our attention immediately. Our officials lived in another hotel. Sometimes we left them late at night and saw the Japanese washing the sidewalks with soap at midnight. Shops were underground. Service and culture were of course the highest level. Kimonos and robes were changed every day. In the hotel there was a 24-hour information center
   5. Lilia: Japanese fans visited us, brought presents, and asked for autographs. Our hotel had a big aquarium with natural plants, trees, and red fish. We spent 10 days in Japan, three or four of which were for us to acclimatize.
3. Final Details
   1. Losinskaya: For Lilia, the perfect performance of her floor exercise was of greatest importance, because it included a complicated element never done before and she wanted to get it named for her
   2. Losinskaya: Before the competition at the judge's meeting, we presented the description of the element to the technical committee and defined the degree of complexity. The risk was enormous, because you don't experiment at Worlds and Lilia had a small injury to her leg
   3. The 1995 World Championships was especially important to teams, because the top 12 teams would be allowed to participate in the Olympics. All gymnasts competing for those qualifying teams would automatically compete in Atlanta (my note:????). Any team that wasn't top 12, individuals would have to perform well enough to qualify through the all around
   4. Lilia's hopes for becoming world champion were slim–the Soviets had been the leaders since 1954, and in the 1990s the Americans had taken control. The odds were on Russia, Romania, and the USA
4. Japanese "Ah"
   1. "I was going to win a medal, but wasn't sure I would be first. I hoped to be somewhere in the top four." L. Podkopayeva
   2. The fans were loud but friendly. Every country had its own cheering section; there were small Ukrainian flags too
   3. Losinskaya: In her free time our judge Lyudmila Korolenko taught the Japanese to shout "Davai, davai!" and had given out Ukrainian flags. So the Japanese spectators were shouting, "Davai, Grisha! Davai, Lilia!" The boys and girls teams supported each other
   4. The competition had the women's team compete, then the men's team, then the all around and event finals
   5. Lilia was only fifth after compulsories. Gogean led, followed by Khorkina, Miller, and Mo. On the second day with optional routines, Ukraine placed fifth. After the team competition Lilia was ranked second. Miller was hindered by an injury suffered on the second day
   6. For the all around final, everyone started from scratch. At first the television crews focused on Khorkina, Mo, and the Romanians. Lilia's competitive position was difficult–she was first in the final group of eight girls with a chance at a medal, meaning she didn't have much chance at a medal. But, as in all sports, success in gymnastics depends on many things, not only skill but also character and nerves
   7. Lilia's first event was uneven bars; she got a good score of 9.787. On beam she had a high score, 9.812. She was in second at this point. Mo, the early leader, was the first gymnast whose nerves failed when she fell off beam
   8. Floor is Lilia's favorite event. She performed her new signature element. "The first chords of music came together with her sophisticated connection, leaps, combinations, and (most importantly) precise landings. Her routine was a memorable mini-show–the combination of the highest technique, acrobatics, inest artistry and completion of all movements. Japanese television commentators exclaimed, "Ah!" in admiration." She got a 9.850 and became the leader
   9. Lilia: I did not not do the first vault perfectly, but the second was better. A load had been taken off of me. As I left the podium feelings overwhelmed me and I realized I was in first place. Ostapenko came up to me and said, "Congratulations, you are first." Of course I was going to win a medal, but I hadn't been sure I would win first place.
   10. Her score of 9.799 was the highest. She won by .118, followed by Khorkina and Milosovici

 

[QuietColours]

Chapter 12, part 2:

• The crane is a lucky charm
  1. "In several days of competition, you have done more than we have for half a year of our Ambassy's existence." Ambassador of Ukraine in Japan
  2. Lilia: I burst into tears when the anthem began to play during the award ceremony. I was proud of Ukraine and understood that my work had not been in vain. Later at the hotel there was a press conference. The victory was very pleasant; now we could envision the Olympic gold medal. I felt a special responsibility–in 1993 and 1994, I had competed successfully on individual events but failed to perform equally on all four.
  3. Lilia: At first I could not believe that I was world champion. I was just glad that everything was finished
  4. Losinskaya: I was sure Lilia would be among the top three, but did not think of first place. Lilia was excellent; she revealed perfect character. So many nerves and forces of coaches and the gymnast herself went into the victory–they did their best to overcome themselves and their private problems. We, the coaches, celebrated Lilia's victory according to national tradition, with Ukrainian fat and brown bread. By that time the bread's top had grown moldy, so we cut it down and sliced it thin to distribute among all of us. That was much better than the white loaves of Japanese bread.
  5. Dubova: After Lilia's victory I remembered her grandmother's words twelve years ago. "We've come not for health but for victories. We need results," and nothing more. She was not afraid to doom her granddaughter to the hard labor of gymnastics. Lilia did not have a normal childhood because of her training. She was the world through the windows of planes and buses. Lilia's victory at the Ukrainian championship in 1995 affirmed her as #1 on the Ukrainian national team. In Japan she became #1 in the world.
  6. Lilia and Losinskaya called Donetsk. All the sports fans already knew about her victory. She was the second Ukrainian gymnast (after Larisa Latynina) to become the absolute world champion of artistic gymnastics. Many people considered her success accidental.
  7. On the first day of event finals, she won gold on vault and silver on uneven bars. On the second day, she won silver on beam. Now no one doubted she was the strongest in the world.
  8. After came the banquet and the traditional exhibition of the champions
  9. Losinskaya: The Japanese like sports in general and artistic gymnastics in particular. We felt as if Lilia's dress was being torn, since everyone was eager to touch the champion
  10. Lilia: The exhibition was held in Tokyo and Osaka. The boys' group of Japanese rhythmic gymnasts joined us as all. In Osaka, we stayed on the 21st floor of a hotel near the seashore. I was astonished at how the Japanese portion off the seashore. In this way, they struggle for every piece of land
  11. When Lilia was a child, her grandmother Evelina had made her memorize a poem about little cranes. In Japan, she remembered the poem. The cranes probably brought her good luck. Prior to the competition, Japanese girls presented the Ukrainian gymnasts with colored paper cranes that hung on threads in each bus transporting the gymnasts. Even now Lilia carries a paper crane with her like a good luck charm
  12. Galina's superstition was to secretly cross herself three times before each of Lilia's performances. They did not put any changes into Lilia's routines, her leotard selection, or her diet during the competition
  13. Losinskaya: Of course, one could laugh at this in retrospect. But victory is ours! Who knows if there is something to it?
  14. Lilia: For breakfast on competition days, I had bread with red caviar; on other days, bread with jam and a cup of coffee. For supper I had fruits–mainly oranges and bananas. That was my diet.
  15. Lilia was awarded the Medal of the President of Ukraine
  16. Lilia: There was the reception at the President's at the end of 1995. I was to give a reciprocal speech and was so worried I dropped all my presents. I was embarrassed and confused and bent down to pick them up. President Leonid Kuchma helped me and calmed me down. Our town administration gave me the keys to a two-room apartment, and my grandmother's apartment got an overhaul
• World-famous old women
  1. Lilia's success in Japan bolstered her popularity in Ukraine, the USA, Canada, Italy, Japan, Israel, and Belgium. The press got more interested too. In spring 1996, a French film crew came to the Olympic base in Koncha Zaspa. They wanted to make a film of Lilia, and to show where she grew up and trained
  2. Losinskaya: We flew with them to Donetsk, where they shot the mines and the old two-story apartment building where Lilia had lived. They laid table in the middle of the yard with our popular dishes–salad and potatoes. They wanted to shoot the gym, but it was the weekend and everything was closed, so they shot from the outside. Our friends say, "Our old women of Donetsk is known all over the world." because the photos were on the cover of a magazine distributed all over the world and everyone could see the old women with their white kerchiefs