ID challenge- 1986 USSR Cup

[MaryClare]

Intl Gymnast posted this cool clip of an unidentified gymnast at the 1986 ussr cup. A few of these unidentified gymnasts that have been on YouTube for 15 years or so have been identified recently. Often by themselves or family members. Other gymnasts have come forward in the comments saying it’s the only footage they have of their career.

So, do you think we can identify this girl? Give me your theories

Here is the IG clip



Here is the full coverage video

 

[MaryClare]

The USSR Cup is notable in that the team optional event (which this clip is from) the gymnasts competed for their geographical region and not for their sports society.

So for instance, Shushunova competes in the earlier round because she is representing Leningrad, who are not very good. At the USSR championships she represented the army sports club alongside

So with the leotards and team rotation with well known Moscow gymnasts like Elena Shevchenko, this gymnast is from Moscow

 

[IratePanda]

Is it Zhanna Kravchuk?

 

[MaryClare]

Is it Zhanna Kravchuk?

No. Zhanna Kravchuk was from Grodno, Belarus and was trained by Renald Knysh

 

[IratePanda]

Sorry, I was in a rabbit hole and missed the Moscow bit.

 

[MaryClare]

The 2 lesser known gymnasts I can find who represented Moscow at this meet are Elena Sansaeva and Elena Zakharova. Elena Sansaeva did win a couple of EF medals nationally during 1986. Both Elenas were from the trade union club in Moscow. As was Oksana Averkova who also competed here. Chances are, these 2 gymnasts were also part of Nadezhda Maslennikova (Elena Zamolodchikova) and Natalia Pavlova’s training group