REWIND : WEEK EIGHT 11/11 : 1972 Olympics

[MaryClare]

The further back in time we go I feel like the fewer useful contributions I have about the actual gymnastics. I guess that's because I don't have an understanding of what's hard and what's not for the time and what the judges overlook vs are hot on deducting. FX is the easiest to translate but I'm a bit lost judging UB routines relative to each other. I guess this is how four year fans feel when they can't predict the scores.

Arena/format

• I've always been interested in the live piano playing for FX but the live orchestra for anthems is a whole extra level. Awesome!
• Speaking of music I was struck at how quiet the arena was. No background music and the audience were pretty quiet in between applause and whistles.
• The green uniforms for officials were something!

Gymnasts

• Surprising to see so many gymnasts moving springboards themselves. I was also taken by how few gymnasts were standing up and moving around before and after events. Mostly they'd go straight to their chair and sit down.
• Bekesi and Burda stood out as having more power in their RO-flics.
• Janz's (?) butterfly series on FX was cool.
• Neat to see Zuchold do her namesake skill the week after rewatching Harrold do it in 2015. I found her gymnastics pretty distinctive, the diagonal BB mount was fun.
• I was pretty confused about how many were allowed per country as the coverage went on, I kept thinking "surely we've seen three Soviets already!"
• Korbut's BB was fabulous. Enjoyed the bit in her book where they talk about building up to the climactic back somersault. Did you catch the judges laughing/smiling afterwards? Who presented her with flowers after BB? The red socks/leg warmers were special!
• Given her results, you'd expect Tourischeva to be talked about a lot more. Wonder why she doesn't come up so much? Lack of memorable skills? Successful during the transition to different body types?

Gymnastics

• Wide FX lunges and the salute trends caught my eye. Looking forward to seeing how these evolve during these rewatches.
• Amazing how fast the scores would come up, especially on VT when the camera would pan over to the scoreboard right after landing.
• I have always enjoyed the speed of this era of UB routines.

Nostalgia/personal

• I wasn't alive for this but my Mum was a big Korbut fan and she was utterly delighted when I showed her Korbut's routines on YT many years ago.
• I'd seen a few of the Soviet routines from this one but it was fascinating to see how they fit in to the actual competition, particularly Korbut's BB.
• It meant a lot to tour the Munich Olympic park and be in this arena at 2022 Euros.

I believe there were no per country limits in 1972

 

[Hatsumomo]

Given her results, you'd expect Tourischeva to be talked about a lot more. Wonder why she doesn't come up so much?

I mainly remember her for her unflappable demeanor after the UB collapse right when she finished her routine.

Also, didn't she coach Podkopayeva for a time?

 

[MaryClare]

I mainly remember her for her unflappable demeanor after the UB collapse right when she finished her routine.

Also, didn't she coach Podkopayeva for a time?

I don’t think she was ever podkopaeva’s personal coach, but she was head of Ukraine WAG in the late 80s and early 90s. The same position that Nelli Kim held for Belarus. She was a big part in just how strong Ukrainian gymnastics was within the Soviet Union during that period.

She retired in the late 90s to support her husband in his own sports governance career. He was Ukraine’s Olympic committee president for a few years. She had already been suspended as a judge in 1996 for watching Ukraine’s routines when she was meant to be judging elsewhere. She had a reputation as being extremely corrupt. Quite a bit of television coverage coverage shows her trying to get Romania’s scores changed at various competitions

 

[phoenix7]

I don’t think she was ever podkopaeva’s personal coach, but she was head of Ukraine WAG in the late 80s and early 90s. The same position that Nelli Kim held for Belarus. She was a big part in just how strong Ukrainian gymnastics was within the Soviet Union during that period.

She retired in the late 90s to support her husband in his own sports governance career. He was Ukraine’s Olympic committee president for a few years. She had already been suspended as a judge in 1996 for watching Ukraine’s routines when she was meant to be judging elsewhere. She had a reputation as being extremely corrupt. Quite a bit of television coverage coverage shows her trying to get Romania’s scores changed at various competitions

That puts a new spin on her encouraging smile at Kathy Johnson Clarke at the 1984 (Romania vs USA) Olympics. Johnson said it grounded her and got her her bronze on beam.

(I'm glad she got it, though)

 

[Denn]

That puts a new spin on her encouraging smile at Kathy Johnson Clarke at the 1984 (Romania vs USA) Olympics. Johnson said it grounded her and got her her bronze on beam.

(I'm glad she got it, though)

This is the first I heard of this! What are the details?

Tourischeva was judging beam?
In event finals?
Is it visible in a video?
Where did Kathy say that?

 

[Matilda23]

I also heard this but not sure where. Kathy was waiting to start beam in EF, she froze and thought she couldn’t move her legs. Tourischeva noticed, and gave Kathy a stare as if to say “you’ll regret it your whole life if you don’t get up on that beam!” And Kathy snapped out if it (and did marvellous routine).
Edit: would Touruscheva be allowed to go to Olympics in USA? Maybe this story is an urban legend!

 

[MaryClare]

I also heard this but not sure where. Kathy was waiting to start beam in EF, she froze and thought she couldn’t move her legs. Tourischeva noticed, and gave Kathy a stare as if to say “you’ll regret it your whole life if you don’t get up on that beam!” And Kathy snapped out if it (and did marvellous routine).
Edit: would Touruscheva be allowed to go to Olympics in USA? Maybe this story is an urban legend!

Tourischeva attended LA as a FIG official. She attended every Olympics from ‘68 to ‘96 as an athlete or official and ‘00 and ‘04 as a guest of her husband

 

[phoenix7]

This is the first I heard of this! What are the details?

Tourischeva was judging beam?
In event finals?
Is it visible in a video?
Where did Kathy say that?

Kathy has told the story a few times. Soviets were definitely still involved as officials and judges in 1984.

This isn't where I first read it but here's a version of the story

SellingPower.com

www.sellingpower.com

Not suggesting anything shady in beam judging by the way. It's a nice story but I was amused to think Tourischeva may also have been thinking, get up there and get those Romanians!

She was very visible as a judge in the 1980s - spectacular big 80s hair. 1985 Worlds floor I think is one example.

 

[IratePanda]

Tourischeva is very visible in the footage from LA '84. Cathy Rigby McCoy also mentions her a few times in the commenary. For example, when Szabo did her sole circle 1-1/2 on UB, Rigby McCoy notes that the skill was first performed by "the head judge, actually, Tourischeva."

 

[MaryClare]

I can’t quite get my head around Tourischeva being so senior in the FIG in 1984. She was 31.

 

[phoenix7]

Can of hairspray and you could take on the world, in the eighties. Tourischeva looked the part at 31!

 

[MaryClare]

View attachment 11502

Can of hairspray and you could take on the world, in the eighties. Tourischeva looked the part at 31!

According to my grandmother, only prima ballerinas and Olympic gold medalists would have been able to regularly get their hands on hairspray in the USSR. Having a hair style that required hairspray was a status symbol (see also: east Germany) and it was a sought after gift from anyone who was visiting countries where it was readily available.

I’ve no idea why, because if there was one thing that the USSR was really good at, it was the production of noxious chemicals on an industrial scale.

 

[KristyJ]

Kathy has told the story a few times. Soviets were definitely still involved as officials and judges in 1984.

This isn't where I first read it but here's a version of the story

SellingPower.com

www.sellingpower.com

Not suggesting anything shady in beam judging by the way. It's a nice story but I was amused to think Tourischeva may also have been thinking, get up there and get those Romanians!

She was very visible as a judge in the 1980s - spectacular big 80s hair. 1985 Worlds floor I think is one example.

When the heck was that written? Olympic records at ages 11, 12, and 13 were never the norm even before the age requirements were upped.

 

[phoenix7]

When the heck was that written? Olympic records at ages 11, 12, and 13 were never the norm even before the age requirements were upped.

Oh I only skimmed and read the Johnson story, sorry. As I said, didn't get it there.

 

[phoenix7]

According to my grandmother, only prima ballerinas and Olympic gold medalists would have been able to regularly get their hands on hairspray in the USSR. Having a hair style that required hairspray was a status symbol (see also: east Germany) and it was a sought after gift from anyone who was visiting countries where it was readily available.

I’ve no idea why, because if there was one thing that the USSR was really good at, it was the production of noxious chemicals on an industrial scale.

I didn't know that, and it's very interesting. Tourischeva had a beautiful face. It looks even more delicate under that mound of hair.

 

[rlayt]

Back in those days Americans who got permission to travel to East Germany and Russia carried extra stuff for trade. My Uncle came home with Soviet Army belt buckles.

 

[Denn]

Hm, the story is written less strongly — It sounds more like Kathy read into Tourischeva's salute back more than the latter actually making a specific look. :-/

Still a nice story but...

 

[barbara_dewey]

Rigby should have gotten medals in Munich. Team, top 5 AA easily, UB bronze below Janz and Korbut (Zuckold might have beaten her. MAYBE,) at LEAST silver on BB. Seriously, that Ariel was serious business. Even now, almost no one can float an Ariel in the same room as Cathy. She makes it look like nothing. And the variety andenen-handedness of all those walkovers! I think that sort of virtuosity is easily overlooked, especially these days, when all one has to do to win a medal is chuck a bunch of difficult tricks and not get twopered. More or less.
Anyway, Rigby's BB and flour were harder than Korbut's, and her UB might have been, too. Her performance quality was diminished in Munich due to injury and abuse. Korbut definitely got the performance bonus, and I can't begrudge her that.
Tourischeva was absolutely the best in the AA. Lazakovich was probably second. Janz was great in V and UB, but her BB was quite weak. Hellmann and Zuchold were strong and did interesting work. A healthy, confident, fairly-judged Rigby could have been somewhere in 3rd to 5th place.