Sovetsky Sport. September 28, 1985. On the sidelines, everyone said with one voice: "Shushunova will win the Cup. She is on the rise now, the victory at the European Championship inspired her."
That's right, she was inspired. Previously, Lena looked somewhat defenseless, timid, but now there is firmess in her eyes. She behaves respectfully with her coach Viktor Gavrichenkov, but she can also argue and has her own opinion. On the uneven bars, Shushunova performed a routine worse than in training. Gavrivchenkov was clearly upset and heatedly whispered to his student: "Well, why didn't you hit the tempo?" Elena, breathing heavily, removed her stiff grips and calmly answered: "It happens." The judges gave her a 9.4. Ex-world champion Rusudan Sikharulidze still praised Lena for one of the best performances. What will the score be if Shunshunova gets on tempo?
Isn't it clear why the girls made so many mistakes in the compulsory program? Many people were nervous, and nervousness on the platform was no help. It's still forgivable for the debutantes. Muscovite Lena Shevchenko and Tanya Godeno from Krasnoyarsk, both 8th graders, both stars in the youth team, took to the adult stage for the first time. No matter how hard they tried, they still fell somewhere. They are offended, the coaches are offended, but it's no big deal. There are still a lot of competitions ahead, and experience will come.
The head coach of the natonal team, Andrei Radionenko, had a terrible feeling in his mind: we need to find out why stability has disappeared in the candidates for the world team? In general, everyone suffered losses. Even Shushunova. She rocked on the beam like a fragile boat in a storm. However, she "floated it out" and didn't jump off the narrow beam. This is a plus for Lena - for her manifestation of character, for her sportive anger. 9.15 - the score isn't so great, but in this case it can be equated to a high score.
The all-around national champion from Kiev, Oksana Omelyanchik, as always sociable, smiline, with a great desire in her eyes to perform and delight the audience, also stumbled on the balance beam, but didn't lose heart, and on the floor she earned the highest score of the competition (9.9) with extraordinary ease.
Even Olga Mostepanova got significantly less on floor - 9.55. The Moscow tenth-grader, winner of the Friendship-84 tournament, on the platform as if in the role of debutante, had not competed for almost a year due to injury. She got taller and became prettier. The "eyes" of the newsreels peered into her thin profile. Mostepanova really wanted to test herself before the world championship, and she was in the lead going into the last event. But the vault - a tucked Tsukahara (no, just think about it - a Tsukahara is already in the compulsory program, how quickly time flies, what rapid progress is in sports!) - Olya clearly missed the mark, landed sluggishly, and touched the mat with her knee - 8.35. And now she's in 10th place.
The strong have only one motto in sports: "Know how to fight to the end!" Mostepanova still hasn't lost anything, not even her chances of winning the all-around. Anything can happen. The optional program will be a test of character for her, where she will have to give her all.
Absolute world champion Natalia Yurchenko tests herself again and again. With an excellent performance at the Universiade, she booked her place on the team. But... Is it really sacred to get into the sacred books during your lifetime? He is talented who is not afraid to be horrified by his painful mediocrity. Self-disbelief is necessary...
So says Evgeny Yevtushenko, and he is apparently right. That's why Yurchenko, the outstanding gymnast of our time, went "out of competition" on the platform. She also had some mistakes, but now it's clear where the shortcomings need to be eliminated.
And now, a short episode for the column "Where the Champions Go." The long-awaited meeting with two-time Olympic champion and silver medalist of the 1981 world championship, Maria Filatova. The editor received many letters from gymnastics lovers, asking what Masha Filatova was doing now? So, she appeared at the Izmailovo Sports Palace. I can tell you: Masha, excuse me, Maria Evgenievna, lives in Minsk and is married to a circus performer. Her husband captivated her with the idea of prolonging her sports life. Filatova was accepted into the Moscow Circus, and she is training in Valery Puzakov's group to the number "Bukovina" - acrobats with throwing boards. Soon her first appearance in front of an audience will be in Frunze.
What is Maria's opinion about the competition?
"It's OK that not everyone performed smoothly. The leaders have the highest technique. I believe in our girls, they won't let us down at the world championships in Montreal."
During the day, the benchmark was set (very high) by Anzhela Schennikova. She was especially good on the beam. Merited Coach of the RSFSR Galina Stepanova authoritatively and rightly noted: "This is the best performance of the new program on this apparatus so far." This opinion was confirmed by Merited Master of Sports Valery Kerdemelidi:"Almost perfect execution and all special requirements have been met."
And yet Shushunova beat Schennikova. The dispute promises to develop into an exciting fight for the Cup.
TECHNICAL RESULTS
30th USSR Cup and 45th USSR Championships in gymnastics. Moscow.
Women. Compulsory program. 1. E. Shushunova (Army 1) - 38.1; 2. A. Schennikova (Zenit) - 37.85; 3. I. Baraksanovva (Army 1) - 37.6; 4. V. Kolesnikova (Spartak) - 37.55; 5. Zh. Kravchuk (Trud) - 37.5; 6. O. Omelyanchik (Spartak) - 37.45
Team standings. 1. Spartak - 185.1; 2. Army 1 - 184.25; 3. Trud - 182.15.
V. GOLUBEV