Sovetsky Sport. April 24, 1980 (our special correspondents). So, the USSR gymnastics championship has finished. It turned out to be difficult, this most important stage in the selection of athletes for the Olympic team. The competition showed that not all of our leaders have broken their routines in or polished the most difficult exercises. The performance of only two participants of the championship can be called impeccable - the all-around champions Nelli Kim and Alexander Tkachev who, by the way, also won three individual events, just like at the VII USSR Spartakiad.
Floor Exercise. Gold medals went to Alexander Tkachev (Voronezh) and Stella Zakharova (Kiev).
Apart from Tkachev, none of the finalists demonstrated the required purity of performance. Apparently, there is no one gymnast who can claim to have the most difficult routine, since many people calmly performed the moon somersault, a double pike somersault, and double twists. But only Alexander achieved virtuosity in his tumbles which, of course, is highly appreciated by the judges. Even Bogdan Makuts from Lvov, who is famous for his elegant movements, had noticeable errors in technique. However, for the team world champion, it was not the most successful competition - he looked tired.
Among the women, Zakharova and Elena Naimushina from Krasnoyarsk clearly stood out. Express comments from the Olympic champion Larisa Petrik: "the choreographic culture of our girls is still high, and acrobatic combinations of the highest difficulty have also been mastered. Naimushina's emotional 'Kalinka' is perhaps the best routine shown in the final. Minor blemishes are easily removed. Zakharova has very powerful and strong acrobatics. I liked Natasha Ilienko, a beautifully gifted 14-year-old from Alma Ata, for her plasticity and lyricism. If she had not fallen at the end on a double, she would have been among the medalists."
"But I have serious comments on the routines of most gymnasts. There are stops with inexpressive movements, and marking time before acrobatics are too long. Foreign gymnasts have already passed this stage. The main direction is full dynamism and a minimum of rest. We need to take that into account."
Bars. Winners were Alexander Tkachev and Natalia Ilienko.
Express comments from Merited Master of Sports Sergei Diomidov: "Look at how the scores of the finalists differ. If Tkachev found the correct rhythm of execution and competently used the elasticity of the bars and brought his swings to a dead stop, then the others worked stiffly and not at the maximum amplitude. True, Makuts has great potential on this apparatus. I like his style, and Bogdan's routine is modern."
The women had a lot of falls on the uneven bars throughout the competition. Recall that at the world championships, our girls had three falls there. It seems to us that the search for optimal routines is taking too long. Zakharova's routine was rough, and Naimushina was unsuccessful. Elena Davydova from Leningrad fell, and she has an excellent routine. There is still a lot of work to be done on stability. Natasha Ilienko's first gold medal was sensational. This is a worthy reward for an exceptional and beautiful routine.
Vault. The titles were won by Eduard Azaryan of Yerevan and Elena Davydova of Leningrad.
The men's vaults were good. Azaryan, Markelov, and Makuts showed particularly good flight patterns. But it should be noted that of the two different vaults, one (as a rule) was always performed better. Azaryan's Tsukahara with a twist scored 9.65, but laid out scored 9.25. Minsk resident Viktor Levenkov's Tsukahara with a twist was unsuccessful (8.7), but his round-off entry vault performed for the first time in the world received 9.75.
The women had a similar pattern. Only Davydova and Zakharova had two equal vaults. Moreover, Davydova received 9.5 points for a Korbut vault (full twist on, full twist off). For her trademark - a full twist on to a forward somersault - she got 10 points. Svetlana Agapova of Yaroslavl is still insecure here.
Pommel Horse. The champion was Vladimir Markelov of Moscow.
Express commentary from international judge Konstantin Krutiev: "Not much clear progress has been achieved on this seemingly unspectacular apparatus. Markelov, Tkachev, Kulaksizov, and 20-year-old Minsker Vladimir Artemev, a student of Anatoly Vorontsov, showed exceptionally complex routines full of original combinations. It's good that the work is going on in all parts of the horse, and these guys have achieved a pleasant rhythm and purity of line. It's important to note that there were fewer falls on the horse."
Rings. The gold medalist was Vladimir Markelov.
Do you wonder why Markelov, who's not a very powerful gymnast, gets high marks in this event? The answer is simple: the Muscovite has learned the most dynamic routine which combines beautiful static elements and swings. Moreover, the whole charm of the performance of power elements is in their airiness, without noticeable tension. The highest score in the final was from Valentin Turbanov (Volgograd) - 9.75. He was rewarded for dismounting with a triple somersault. In general, this dismount must be mastered more decisively - it looks great.
Balance Beam. Elena Naimushina of Krasnoyarsk received the highest score.
Naimushina's exercise made a gratifying impression. At last year's European championship, she failed. I worried, of course. But not for long - her character did not allow it. Coach Valentin Shevchuk, a kind and at the same time demanding person, suggested that his student modernize her program. Lena used to standout on the podium with her rapid pace of performance, but now this pace is simply stunning, and her routines, in particular on beam, are world class. Svetlana Agapova, Galina Ionas from Tallinn, and Natasha Ilienko (who again struck with a surprisingly whole and harmonious routine) all showed excellent preparation on this most difficult apparatus.
High Bar. The winner was Alexander Tkachev.
We can be relatively calm on this apparatus. How many years the Japanese craftsmen ruled here, creating genuine masterpieces! But now our guys also have great routines with a whole range of unique elements: giant swings on one arm (a terrific sight!), Tkachev's flight, Delchev's somersault, double back dismounts in layout, and triple somersault dismounts. The Soviet gymnasts used to lag behind on the high bar, but now this apparatus has become, with good reason, a striking event for them.
Necessary Postcript.
We have said more than once that the national championships are the most important competitions on the domestic calendar, a review of all the forces of domestic sports. Unfortunately, cases have become more frequent when leading athletes for various reasons do not participate in the national championships. As we already reported, a similar thing happened here. You can imagine the disappointment of the spectators and coaches who wanted to see and appreciate the skills of the eminent. The national championship should be a real holiday for everyone.
TECHNICAL RESULTS
46th USSR gymnastics championships and 40th individual event championships. Kiev. Palace of Sports.
Event finals. Half the sum of the compulsory and optional programs plus finals score (in brackets).
Men.
FX: 1. A. Tkachev (Dinamo) - 19.15 (9.7); 2. B. Makuts (Army) - 18.95 (9.55); 3. A. Atakhanov (Burevestnik) - 18.5 (9.35); 4. S. Khizhnyakov (Army) - 18.45 (9.05); 5. V. Kambov (Avangard) - 18.35 (9.05); 6. V. Turbanov (Army) - 18.1 (8.8).
PH: 1. V. Markelov (Army) - 19.375 (9.75); 2. Tkachev - 19.325 (9.75); 3. V. Artemev (Dinamo) - 19.3 (9.6); 4. F. Kulaksizov (Army) - 19.1 (9.6); 5. E. Azaryan (Army) - 19.05 (9.5); 6. M. Tsygankov (Dinamo) - 18.85 (9.5).
RG: 1. Markelov - 19.325 (9.7); 2. Kulaksizov - 19.275 (9.65); 3. Turbanov - 19.25 (9.75); 4. Atakhanov - 19.225; 5. Khizhnyakov - 19.05 (9.5); 6. Makuts - 18.85 (9.4)
VT: 1. Azaryan - 19.15 (9.45); 2. Markelov - 19.025 (9.45); 3. M.Tataradze (Army) - 19.0 (9.475); 4. Makuts - 18.95 (9.6); 5. V. Levenkov (Dinamo) - 18.65 (9.225); 6. A. Zavadich (Avangard) - 18.6 (9.25).
PB: 1. Tkachev - 19.5 (9.8); 2. Kulaksizov - 18.9 (9.3); 3. Makuts - 18.825 (9.5); 4. Turbanov - 18.275 (9.4); 5. Khizhnyakov - 18.425 (9.0); 6. Tsygankov - 17.9 (8.55).
HB: 1. Tkachev - 19.575 (9.9); 2. Turbanov - 19.3 (9.7); 3. Levenkov - 19.05 (9.5); 4. S. Baranov (Burevestnik) - 19.025 (9.6); 5. Khizhnyakov - 18.9 (9.55); 6. I. Tashlikov (Army) - 18.8 (9.45).
Women.
VT: 1. E. Davydova (Spartak) - 19.35 (9.75); 2. S. Zakharova (Labor Reserves) - 19.3 (9.75); 3. E. Polevaya (Dinamo) - 18.975 (9.575); 4. N. Tereschenko (Trud) - 18.7 (9.25); 5. S. Agapova (Spartak) - 18.5 (9.05); 6. N. Ilienko (Dinamo) - 14.025 (4.65).
UB: 1. Ilienko - 19.325 (9.75); 2. Zakharova - 19.2 (9.6); 3. E. Gurina (Army) - 19.175 (9.7) and Polevaya - 19.175 (9.6); 5. I. Kirpichenko (Dinamo) - 19.15 (9.6); 6. Davydova - 19.025 (9.3)
BB: 1. Naimushina (Dinamo) - 19.35 (9.75); 2. Agapova - 19.275 (9.6); 3. G. Ionas (Labor Reserves) - 19.175 (9.6); 4. Ilienko - 19.15 (9.6); 5. N. Karamushka (Labor Reserves) - 18.9 (9.45); 6. Gurina - 18.8 (9.4).
FX: 1. Zakharova - 19.475 (9.85); 2. Naimushina - 19.325 (9.8); 3. Polevaya - 19.125 (9.6); 4. Ilienko - 19.0 (9.4); 5. Ionas - 18.95 (9.6); 6. Agapova - 18.85 (9.35).
Team Championship. 1. Dinamo - 985.15; 2. Armed Forces - 985.1; 3. Burevestnik - 939.55; 4. Labor Reserves - 922.65;5. Avangard - 913.6; 6. Zenit - 904.55; 7. Spartak - 902.95; 8. Lokomotiv - 878.3.
G. BORISOV
V. GOLUBEV