Gymnastics Nostalgia: Underrated, underdiscussed, or you left us too soon gymnasts

[KorbutFan]

She was also one of three (?) gymnasts at the 83 Worlds who were doing the Yurchenko entry on vault. The other two being Natalia and Zhou Qiurui (CHN)

 

[Hatsumomo]

The 2005 Youth Spartakaida is definitely worth a thread!

Anybody know where to find this? YouTube just has a few videos of a baby Elizarova.

 

[MaryClare]

Anybody know where to find this? YouTube just has a few videos of a baby Elizarova.

I’ll have a look. There was definitely a video of EF broadcast on YouTube at one point

 

[Hatsumomo]

Appreciate you!

 

[eanda]

Going a back a bit more: Rhonda Schwandt really should have medaled on vault at 1978 Worlds.

 

[MaryClare]

Appreciate you!

Here. This competition is probably best known for Yulia Lozhechko and Nadezhda Ivanova being on song but what is particularly remarkable is how overall error free it was. The lesser known names to look out for are Alyona Donodina, Irina Isaeva, Nadezhda Chikhireva and Elvira Khusainova.

 

[Denn]

If it had been "new life", Schwandt would have WON 1978 Worlds in a tie with Nelli Kim, who premiered the layout Tsuk full that day. I wonder how she vaulted in the team competition (qualification).

 

[Sasha]

I know almost nothing about her except that her career appears to have been very short, but Yekaterina Vandisheva's beam is locked into my memory for life:

 

[eanda]

If it had been "new life", Schwandt would have WON 1978 Worlds in a tie with Nelli Kim, who premiered the layout Tsuk full that day. I wonder how she vaulted in the team competition (qualification).

From what I remember of different reports and conversations over the years, Schwandt was considered a little underscored on compulsory vault (9.45, IIRC), and did a layout Tsuk in team finals. Don't ask why these have always stuck with me.

 

[tempest]

It is interesting that the vast majority of gymnasts would have still won their respective finals even if new life were a thing pre-89. It’s amazing that Rhonda would have tied for 1st

 

[eanda]

Found confirmation of what I was remembering about Schwandt's prelim vaults, from the January/February 1979 USGF News magazine.