Neues Deutschland. December 28, 1977. Drawing attention to the tender age of medal winners is intended to highlight something extraordinary - as if to say: "Attention! Nothing commonplace has happened here!" When a twelve-year-old child becomes the GDR gymnastics champion - as Regina Grabolle recently did in Cottbus - it's more than just a surprise. And yet, it's not an isolated case.
To aim for the very top, the youngest Olympic gold medalist is Marjorie Gestring (USA), who won the springboard diving event at the 11th Games in 1936 - that is, more than 41 years ago - at the exact age of twelve years and nine months. That same year, the Dane Inge Sorensen won the bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke at the age of twelve. Our own Jan Hoffmann was also just twelve years old at the time of his Olympic debut in 1968 in Grenoble, France. However, the historical records remain silent regarding the name of the youngest Olympic participant of all. All that is known is that, in 1900, a seven-year-old French boy steered the Dutch coxed pair to victory. It had not been deemed necessary to record the child's name.
Even in the GDR, Regina Grabolle was not the first twelve-year-old champion. Gabriele Seyfert had already secured her first national figure skating title at that very age. And in 1971, at the swimming championships in Rostock, Kornelia Ender astonished the public by winning the 200-meter individual medley - also at the age of twelve. For both Gabriele Seyfert and Kornelia Ender, these titles marked the beginning of what would prove to be truly exceptional athletic careers. It is precisely in this context that the true significance of such young champions becomes apparent: anyone capable of prevailing against older competitors while still a child must possess extraordinary talent. And in today's highly competitive elite sports landscape - where the level of performance is so evenly matched - talent can often be the decisive factor.
Regina Grabolle - standing just 1.43 meters tall and weighing a mere 32 kilograms - differs little in appearance from her peers. Yet she stands apart in her mastery of the most difficult gymnastic elements. "I enjoy performing on all four apparatuses," she remarked during the championships in Cottbus. "In competition, floor exercise is perhaps my particular strength, because the spectators always clap along to the 'Harlekino' melody, and that makes everything go even better." Dynamo coach Jurgen Heritz, who previously guided Karin Janz and Angelika Hellmann to the world elite - specifically highlights his protege's explosive power. "This enables her to execute high, clean double somersaults in her floor routine, and also helps her tremendously on the vault."
Does she have a nickname? Naturally, "Bolle" is derived from Grabolle. However: "That's what I'm called only at the club," she qualifies. "At home - in Ahrensfelde, near Berlin - nobody calls me that." It was there that she began gymnastics at the age of five, under the guidance of coach Willi Jauert. "He works as a grocer; I sometimes stop by to see him when I'm back hone, and he often comes to visit me - he's always delighted to see that I've made further progress."
When asked about her role model, the answer comes immediately: "Nelli Kim - she performs such difficult routines, yet she always makes it look so effortless."
However, the answer to the question about her favorite toy is slow in coming. For a twelve-year-old, it requires careful consideration - is it the doll "Marina," or perhaps the plush monkey? No, what she loves playing with most of all is - the gymnasium. "She can jump on the trampoline for hours on end," her coach, Heritz, interjects, answering for her. And how are things at school? She receives nothing but excellent and good grades in every subject. "I like drawing best," she reveals. Even during breaks at competitions? "Yes, I do a lot of doodling on sheets of paper."
W. RICHTER