Sovetsky Sport. April 5, 1985. The gymnast climbs onto the podium, freezes for a few moments, looking at some point visible to him alone at the other end of the arena. Or he's just staring into space, going over the elements of the exercise in his mind for the last time. And then takes a big, decisive step towards the apparatus.
This is how we remember Mitsuo Tsukahara, a five-time Olympic champion, multiple world champion, and a wonderful gymnast, whose name will forever be etched in the history of world gymnastics. More than one element from those that modern gymnastics now has bears his name - the moon salto (or the Tsukahara somersault), and the Tsukahara vault.
He left the sport a long time ago. But we still see him on the gymnastics platform, now as a coach. Still silent, even a little arrogant at first glance, with a smile, with a long gaze of his dark eyes directed into the distance.
Most recently, he was a guest in our capital. Mitsuo Tsukahara took part in the Moscow News international gymnastics tournament as the coach of the Japanese women's team. This interview took place there.
Tsukahara-san, you have switched to coaching and, as we know, are now involved with the women's national team. What is the reason for your choice? After all, men's gymnastics is probably closer to you.
I'm now the director of the Asahi Gymnastics Club in Tokyo. I thought a long time before making a choice between men's and women's gymnastics. If I started working with any boy, even a talented one, I would definitely impose my style on him. I would suppress his individuality. I don't think this is right.
Of course, in order to become a women's coach, I had to learn a lot. But there is much more room for creativity in this area. I've already said everything that could be said in men's gymnastics.
In addition, women's gymnastics is much more popular than men's - although I do not consider such superiority to be legitimate. But at any competition in any country, there are many more spectators in the stands on the day of the women's competition.
What do you see as the reason why women's gymnastics in Japan lags behind the men's?
There are many reasons, but the main one is that Japan has a weak tradition of women's sports. From time immemorial, the very concept of strength in our country has been the privilege of men. Women took care of the house and were, so to speak, the guardians of the family hearth. It was believed that they did not need strength and endurance. By the way, in Japanese schools, girls are still prohibited from doing strength exercises in physical education classes. And without well-developed muscles, without truly masculine endurance and masculine strength, you can't do anything in gymnastics.
Are there any changes planned in this area?
Certainly. First, gymnastics among women is gradually gaining popularity among residents of large cities in Japan, and parents are increasingly bringing their children to gymnastics classes. This is greatly facilitated by television, which broadcasts programs from many major international gymnastic competitions, and reports and stories about foreign athletes are published in newspapers. But, naturally, the most powerful impetus for the further growth of popularity and the attraction of children to gymnastics clubs can only be given by the victory of Japanese gymnastics on the world stage. But this is not the case yet.
How soon can a Japanese "star" appear on the women's world gymnastics horizon?
I can't answer this question. The ways of sport are inscrutable.
But there are still some objective patterns...
Without a doubt. Now in our women's gymnastics there is a process of accumulation and study. When the time comes, success will come.
How do you assess the fact that recently the Japanese men's team has somewhat lost ground in gymnastics?
Once again, I want to repeat that all development occurs in leaps and bounds. You can't be a champion all the time, you can't work at the limit all the time. Sooner or later, a champion gets tired and needs rest. For five Olympics in a row, Japanese gymnasts were the first, beyond the reach of their rivals on the world platform. Over the course of many years, we have come up with new highly difficult elements, polished them, developed programs, achieving exceptional purity and precision of execution. And we were the first. But sooner or later, what seemed unattainable became a completely ordinary phenomenon, accessible even to an average gymnast. Now in Japanese gymnastics, what has been going on for many years between the Soviet and Japanese schools of gymnastics has not yet been completed.
Did you have an idol in sports? If so, who?
My teammate Sawao Kato.
Where you impressed by his human or athletic qualities?
We were good friends, but I'm talking now about the purely sporting side of the issue. Kato is the purest gymnast of our generation. His routines were always distinguished by elegance, even sophistication. This was his trump card. He never pursued unique, super-difficult elements. He was, so to speak, an esthete in gymnastics.
Who do you consider the contenders for world gold?
I think the main fight will take place between representatives of three countries: the USSR, the USA, and China. Maybe the Japanese team will also join the fight over medals.
You participated in three Olympics. Which one was the most difficult and most memorable for you?
The 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Firstly, before the start of the Games we lost our recognized leader Kasamatsu, who was injured. We trained in Takayama, a rather picturesque place in the central part of the country. Our task at that time was to escape the pursuit of the Soviet gymnasts. We knew that they had prepared difficult programs for the Olympics, and we had to counter them with even more difficult and more intense ones. Together with the coaches, we invented unique and sometimes dangerous elements. Therefore, at the pre-Olympic qualifying competition, many gymnasts were injured, including Kasamatsu.
Looking at you, it's hard to believe that you ever got nervous before a routine.
I was always worried. But I was never afraid. They are different things. I don't believe those who say they don't worry. It's not true. It's just that I've always had a firm grasp on the things I should say to myself before a routine, and they helped me.
Tsukahara-san, you own a "patent" on several unique gymnastic elements. How did you come up with them?
I invented them to win.
Which of the events was your favorite?
The horizontal bar. I loved it for its scope and for its wide amplitude of movement.
You became a gymnast. What did you dream of becoming as a child?
I wanted to play baseball.
What do you like to do in your free time now?
I play golf and love fishing.
Do you have children?
Yes, a son Naoya. He's 7 years old. It's hard to say whether he will become a gymnast. I only started doing gymnastics when I was 13 years old.