Sovetsky Sport. April 23, 1985. In Alma-Ata, the competition of the best gymnasts in the country is approaching the end. The awards in the team championship have been awarded. In the women's competition, the Ukrainian team won, and in the men's competition the Belarusian gymnasts were ahead of everyone. Now it remains to find out the names of the all-around champions of the USSR.
A team competition in gymnastics is no less exciting a spectacle than the individual all-around finals. If you are close to the platform, and not on the podium, listening to the words of the coaches and participants, seeing their experiences up close, then a lot just begs to be written down in a notebook. The meaning of the struggle seems to be revealed to you from within, and you understand more clearly how beautiful and complex this amazing world of gymnastics is!
Let me remind you that the Ukrainian gymnasts were in the lead after the compulsory program. They were pursued by the teams of Russia and Moscow. The gap between the teams was generally minimal, and the coaches encouraged their girls to be completely dedicated. "Dear girls," the coaches begged, "you can't fall, you must do everything..."
The Leningrad team set a goal - to be among the winners. Elena Shushunova and Natasha Frolova bravely led their friends - their optional program was precisely calibrated. Lena had 9.9 on vault, and 9.8 on uneven bars and floor. As for Natasha, the European junior champion, her vault was also a great success - 9.9. Usually very calm, coach Viktor Gavrichenkov was surprised by such well-aimed "shots" from the Leningrad women and even quietly patted his knees, being incredibly excited. But, alas, too much had been lost in the compulsory competition and the Leningraders failed to catch up with the Muscovites.
The Moscow team, in turn, became equal to the Russian team after two events. When the Muscovites found out about this, they burst into smiles, but this momentary joy played a cruel joke on them - the girls began to make mistakes.
Olya Bicherova loves and wants to compete. Her artistic nature seeks contact with the audience, but she cannot get out of a streak of failures for a second year. She worked hard for this competition, but again it didn't work out. Coach Boris Orlov walked next to the sad Olya, thinking, apparently, it's time to reconsider her training system and her routines...
Coach Ludmila Komarova was also in torment - everyone admits that her student Valya Shkoda is talented and capable, and is on the national team! But Valya, at the age of 16 (a difficult age!) will either light up with inspiration, then suddenly turn pale: "Oh, I'm afraid of something..." She did a great job on floor (9.65) and vaulted well, but almost fell off the balance beam. And the coach thinks and thinks about how to achieve psychological stability in her pupil.
Natalia Yurchenko is the oldest, not only in the Russian team but among all the participants. She is 20 years old and looks feminine and charming on the platform. It seemed that she would not have any failures this evening, because she showed such a high class on uneven bars (9.75) and balance beam (9.8). But Natasha suddenly lost the thread of self-control on the floor, touching the mat with her hands twice after tumbling runs. The score was 8.85, and Natasha's blue eyes filled with tears. Vladislav Rastorotsky walked nervously near the platform, clenching his fists and muttering to himself - oh, he doesn't like it when his beloved student makes mistakes.
What about the Ukrainian team, probably the youngest in the championship? Polina Astakhova, the senior coach of the national team, did not leave the girls for a second, and each of them, upon leaving the platform, fell into the arms of this sweet woman who, like a caring mother, kissed, comforted, and wiped away their tears...
"You see," Polina Gregorievna enthused, "no one, no one expected that we would win gold medals. Yes, and I myself thought about getting only into the top three. A new compulsory program, new rules and special requirements in the optional program, four newcomers to the team - it's not easy at all. Oksana Omelyanchik performed excellently - cheerfully, boldly, without mistakes. She felt confident and realized that there was nothing to be afraid of. They supported each other, and the mood was spring-like. The main thing is that the girls enjoyed the competition."
"Do you know why we won?" Astakhova asked slyly. "Here, in Alma-Ata, at the Youth Games, our team was first. And then the coaches bought a huge watermelon at the market. Today I promised to buy everyone ice cream." Really? - the girls shouted and clapped their hands. "Children, grown-up children," smiled the Olympic champion of Melbourne, Rome, and Tokyo.
"We have different gymnasts on the team," continued Astakhova. "Kiev residents Oksana Omelyanchik and Olya Logina are training with Tatiana Perskaya, Odessa resident Svetlana Murzunenko, like Oksana, has joined the national team, and trains with Viktor Anarchev. Seventh-grader Natasha Andreeva lives in Ivano-Frankivsk and her coach is Ludmila Pushkareva. Grigory Leshchuk's student Tachya Martynenko is from Lvov and is also in the seventh grade. Now we dream of this team winning the USSR Spartakiad."
On Sunday, the men's teams also sorted things out. The Belarusian gymnasts never gave up their lead. Merited Masters of Sports Yuri Balabanov and Alexander Tumilovich, International Masters of Sports Pavel Sut, Vladimir Artemev, Anatoly Shikovets, and Alexander Kaminsky won gold medals. A word from the captain, 25-year-old Artemev: "Four years ago we won the national championship in Minsk for the first time. Then we came second, and now we are first again. We have grown up, become more mature. Everyone on the team is the father of families, everyone has children growing up. Pasha Sut, a former world champion, probably has the most 'gymnastic' family. His wife is Olympic champion Natasha Shaposhnikova, and their daughter Olya is one year and three months old. In general, everything is going as it should."
TECHNICAL RESULTS
51st USSR Gymnastics Championship. Alma-Ata. Sum of compulsory and optional programs.
Women. 1. O. Omelyanchik (UKR) - 77.45; 2. E. Shushunova (LEN) - 76.65; 3. E. Baraksanova (UZB) - 76.35; 4. N. Yurchenko (RUS) - 75.65; 5. S. Murzunenko (UKR) - 75.15; 6. N. Frolova (LEN) - 74.55.
Team results. 1. Ukraine - 372.8; 2. RSFSR - 371.45; 3. Moscow - 370.0
Men. 1. V. Artemov (RUS) - 114.4; 2. Yu. Balabanov (BLR) - 114.25; 3. A. Tumilovich (BLR) - 112.65; 4. B. Makuts (UKR) - 112.5; 5. D. Bilozerchev (MOS) - 112.1; 6.V. Gogoladze (GEO) - 111.85
Team results. 1. Belarus - 561.6; 2. RSFSR - 559.25; 3. Ukraine - 557.8
V. GOLUBEV