Random vid thread

[MaryClare]

Also, east Germany were strong both in gymnastics and in sports politics at the time. Ricna was a big player too

 

[RedBirdie]

The Czechoslovakians and Bulgarians were no.slouches, either.

 

[Puffin]

The USSR had Yurchenko, Mostepanova and Shushunova for vault, then there was Gnauck who was right up there.

On FX Mostepanova, Shushunova, Yurchenko, Gnauck, Ricna and Stoyanova were all big contenders.

 

[IratePanda]

Retton had a mistake on FX in EF, and her vaults weren't great. Szabo's vault gold was questionable because her positions in the air were so wonky. IIRC, she did a piked Tsuk-full and a tucked Cuervo, but it was nearly impossible to distinguish one from the other. Mostepanova and Yurchenko went 1-2 on V in Olomuoc, so perhaps they would have done the same in LA.

Mostepanova also won floor in Olomuoc--tied with Gnauck, ugh! (This is supposed to be my Yurchenko fantasy. East Germans begone!) I don't know how things might have played out in LA. Szabo and McNamara were both amazing.

Sadly, I don't think Stoyanova would have been a major factor in LA. She was injured in early '84 and still wasn't at full strength for the Alternate Games.

 

[rlayt]

If only. We’ve had to see way too much MLR because of the way it turned out.

 

[IratePanda]

If only. We’ve had to see way too much MLR because of the way it turned out.

We might've had to see too much of her anyway. If she'd snagged a silver or two in a sea of East Bloc gymnasts, that would have been a very big deal in 1984. I'm sure she still would have ended up on a Wheaties box. (For the record, I boycotted Wheaties for several years even though it was one of my favorite cereals. I stuck with Cheerios and Chex until her image was little more than a bad memory.)

 

[Seyonne]

I’m sure Retton would have won a vault medal for no other reason than it being a home Olympics.

 

[RichardL]

I’m sure Retton would have won a vault medal for no other reason than it being a home Olympics.

Looking back, I probably would've been happy with having a vault medal. And only that lol.

 

[Denn]

Retton was always going to be at a disadvantage in vault finals because — unless I am mistaken — her first vault, a piked barani, was only a 9.9. In the 1985 Code, it's 10.0, but the code in 1979 had it 9.9.

Meanwhile, the ugly tucked Cuervo that Szabo did was a 10.0. Tell me how that made any sense.