Mukhina spoke up and tried to convince her coach of how dangerous the element was. I didn't want to use a stupid song in the background, it HAD to be meaningful. The exchange is roughly 3.5 minutes in length and is broken up into four clips throughout the half hour documentary. Ekaterina Gordeeva was born on 28 May 1971 and she is currently 51 years old. Hers was a life blessed with triumph but befallen by tragedy; a cautionary tale of a career cut brutally short by a life-changing injury. A memorial service was held in her honor five days later, and she was buried at the Troekourov Cemetery on the southwestern outskirts of Moscow. Eleven years ago, former gymnastics star Elena Mukhina, whose life and sports career were ruined by a tragic training accident, passed away in Moscow at the age of 46. In the lead-up to the Olympics, Elena had broken her leg but despite this, her coach insisted that she continue . RIP AshleyakaFlipper 3.98K subscribers 114K views 11 years ago Montage of Elena Mukhina. Bilozerchev is champion again, smelling the roses and dancing until dawn. Even though Mukhina herself would later state her injury was not the byproduct of a lone individual, but the flawed Soviet system as a whole. I began to feel these connections. Her coach rushed her recovery from an injury and pressured her to perform a dangerous move (the Thomas salto), which caused her to break her neck, leaving her a lifelong quadriplegic. This is probably the LONGEST video I will ever make. Elena Mukhina obtuvo el oro en el mundial en Estrasburgo (Francia). After her accident, Mukhina became a recluse and rarely discussed it publicly. "Several times I saw my fall in a dream, Mukhina would later say. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Indianas Most Terrible Crime: The Case Of Sylvia Likens, Honor Killings: A Horrific Way To Restore A Familys Dignity. Gymnastics prodigy who tragically broke her neck while practicing a dangerous move, just two weeks before the Olympics, and shortly after her 20th birthday. Klimeko asked this knowing full well what Mukhinas answer would be, but he asked anyway to remind Mukhina that leaving him was an unrealistic option. Elena Mukhina Popularity . Unlike the fluke accident suffered by Drew Donnellan, the paralysis of Mukhina was the subject of much conjecture. (LogOut/ She took home the gold, beating Olympic Champions Nadia Comaneci, and top-ranked Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim. Mikhail Klimenko was in a different city when Elena Mukhina was injured. Back in 1975, she had suffered a spinal injury which required hospital treatment and rest. They took an X-ray, and it turned out that the bones had separated. The tragedy of Mikhail Klimenko is that it was he who carried most of the blame. She also expressed a . She was instantly rendered a quadriplegic. Stella Zakharova compared him to infamous Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and called Klimenko a tyrant. Maria Filatova referred to Klimenko as a beast and when given the option to be coached by him said, I wouldnt go to Klimenko even at gunpoint. Both were members of the 1980 Soviet Olympic team and had trained alongside Mukhina. The movement was later modified in the 1980s when it was performed towards the low bar; that is, the gymnast's flip takes place above the low bar. Klimenko was deeply affected by the events and emigrated to Italy with his family, continuing his work as a gymnastics trainer. The day Mukhina was injured, Soviet national team coaches working with her had violated half a dozen safety guidelines. She became famous for her unique working capacity and rejection, as well as her tragic fate. We can actually see the specific moments where it is possible for misrepresentation to be inserted into the documentary. 5 19761976 . Read RT Privacy policy to find out more. We love, we remember. The balance of power appeared to be shifting. Along with an outpouring of support for the 24-year-old's decision, there was one question on everyone's lips: While there was speculation as towhether Biles had obtained a physical injury, the athlete later shared that her decision was one that was based on mental health. "Before Elena Mukhina broke her neck doing the Thomas salto, a skill so dangerous it is now banned, she told her coach she was going to break her neck doing the Thomas salto. Back in 1975, she had suffered a spinal injury which required hospital treatment and rest. In 1982, Juan Samaranch, president of the IOC, awarded her the Silver Medal of Olympic Order. Can you let (these thoughts) happen? That was the story of Elena Mukhina a star that had just begun to rise before her Olympic career was tragically cut short. It must be remembered that this documentary was being filmed in 1978 when the Soviet Union had extreme censorship standards in place. Biles had walked into Tokyo being called the greatest gymnast of all time, carrying the hopes and dreams of her country on her back. These events overshadow what were two other hallmarks of Mukhinas career. ", I blame Twitters virtue-signallers for fuelling this culture of celebrating weakness. The Afghan athletes here talked to Western reporters, but sidestepped all political questions. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Todava no entiendo por que no han hecho una pelcula de esta extraordinaria atleta. On my wanderings through YouTube one night I came across the story of Elena Mukhina (1960-2006), a gymnast unlucky enough to be born under the Soviet regime. Mukhina took an interest in gymnastics and figure skating at an early age. Are mental health issues now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? Mukhina said she did not blame him, instead pointing to a system that drove athletes such as her relentlessly to the brink. While Biles received widespread praise for admitting her mental health issues and opening up a conversation in a sport that is strewn with a history of life-altering or life-ending injuries, others were quick to dismiss Biles' explanation. Nothing exists except work and pressure, which constantly increase, and sometimes it seems thatthat's it, you haven't got any more strength. Log In. Besides the previously mentioned obstacles such as conditioning and learning new skills, gymnastics is a reputation based sport, first you work for your name and then your name works for you.. Mikhail Klimenko maintained a viable coaching career in the aftermath of Mukhinas injury. These gymnasts were identified at a young age not just for their athletic attributes, but their mental attributes as well. Sign Up. "We have to protect our body and our mind It just sucks when you're fighting with your own head.". Her response was, its not my fault that Nadia Comaneci was born in Romania. The other was when Elena Mukhina transitioned to working with Soviet mens coach Mike Kilmekno, who helped turn her into a show-stopping gymnast. Mukhina defined that classic proverb because she was just that good. Klimenko had delivered a broken gymnast to the Soviet team, and it was he who deserves the blame for breaking her. Another questionable cut comes at 1:04 where Mukhina suddenly has a more positive demeanor, but Mukhinas arm placement is inconsistent suggesting filmmakers used different footage to fake her response to what Klimenko was saying. Surveillance video sheds light on 'cartel . Unlike Simone Biles, Mukhina is the tragic example of what happens when you're not allowed to say no. But do not break down and go on living in spite of everything, understanding all her tragedy . For Mukhina, a disturbing pattern had already emerged of an athlete being forced to push through injury in a clamor to the pinnacle of her sport. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Gymnast Elena Mukhina's net worth is $1-5 Million before She died. Watch. Yelena Mukhina died last year at 46. Mukhina died in 2006, at the age of46, from complications of quadriplegia. It most likely was an attempt to hide/minimize Mukhinas negative demeanor. Elena Mukhina Gymnastics Championships Sad Stories Olympics Montage Tribute Ripped Gymnastics Angel. The epitome of daring, strength and . She later reappeared on the sideline to support her fellow teammates, but not to compete. Her injury was a featured topic in the 1991 A&E do*entary More Than a Game; and her World Championship performance is captured in the ABC Sports video Gymnastics' Greatest Stars. 4 Elena Mukhina, Uneven Bars . Her disappointing performances continued after the Spartakiad, and her attempts to live up to the promise of 1978 were hampered by a series of injuries last year that had demoralized her. The first was beating Nadia Comaneci to win the 1978 All-Around title which marked her rise to the very top of the gymnastics world, but also her unfortunate demise. That realization precipitated a meeting on December 28, 1974, with the man who would alter the course of Mukhinas life thereafter: Mikhail Klimenko. The fans had been trained to believe in athletes heroism athletes with fractures return to the soccer field and those with concussions return to the ice rink, she said. Information began to emerge slowly. Mukhina, a 20-year-old Soviet gymnast, was encouraged to train on a broken leg in the lead up to the 1980 Olympics. It didnt help that a tense political rival existed between Romania and the USSR. I thought after my last very long article and all the information in it that I gave you guys to digest I would post something shorter this time. View all posts by Nikki Young, Your email address will not be published. Rivals in the arena, Comaneci and Mukhina were united in the debilitating pressures they had faced to reach the top. I wanted to point out these censorship possibilities so viewers know which part of the footage they should trust, and which parts should be questioned. Mukhina took a keen interest in children and young gymnasts both before and after her injury. La trgica historia de la gimnasta que venci a Comaneci. Coming to the Olympics and being head star isn't an easy feat, so we're just trying to take it one day at a time and we'll see.". She hails from Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, and her zodiac sign is Gemini. During her Ogonyok magazine interview, she said one of the National Team coaches showed up at her hospital room the day after her surgery and flat out told her that she wasnt conscientious, and that she could still train in a cast. Group #2: Elena Mukhina, Elena Naimushina, and Svetlana Agapova. No you cant. I almost screamed with joy, she said. All at the 1976 Olympics, where she also scored the perfect ten. Comaneci would help the Romanians to team gold at the World Championships, despite her own struggles with blood poisoning resulting from a cut. The people responsible for following those guidelines were the ones in the room at the time of the accident, not the coach 440 miles away. The injury would eventually lead to her premature death at the age of 46. When an athletic scout visited her school, she volunteered to try out for the gymnastics team. And I realized that, compared to the ability to think, the inability to move is such nonsense. I think I mentioned before that I wanted to be a gymnast growing up but didnt have the discipline because you know when youre ten years old your priority is having fun and pretty much nothing else. She was popular for being a Gymnast. That there is a direct connection between them and how a person feels. Finally, word got out that she had fallen horribly during a floor exercise. Remember, you don't have to agree with my opinions but I am still free to express them. They suggested this was something that Biles should have done for her team - pushed through the pain. Only about 1,600 of the 5,000 athletes expected -- half the total that was anticpated before the U.S.-led boycott of the Games because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan -- have moved into the Olympic Village. It was perfected by American gymnast Kurt Thomas, hence the name the Thomas salto. According to the reports Mukhina was practicing the difficult maneuvers in disregard of orders from her coach and virtual foster father, Victor Klimenko, who had left Minsk for Moscow. I realized that I needed to radically change my attitude to life, Mukhina said. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Dos semanas antes de los Olmpicos en Rusia qued tetrapljica . It would ultimately result in her premature death at the age of 46. He sensed that his legacy as a trainer was bound up in Mukhina's fate. On July 3, 1980, two weeks before the Moscow Olympics, Mukhina was practicing the pass containing the Thomas salto when she under-rotated the salto, crash-landed on her chin, and her spine snapped. You can share this story on social media: Subscribe to RT newsletter to get news highlights of the day right in your mailbox, Elena Mukhina soared to incredible heights before her tragic accident. I like Ernest Hemingway most of all. The fact is that gymnastics is an extremely dangerous sport, and one that involves a great risk of injury - even when a gymnast is in peak health. In trying to complete the salto, the gymnast landed on her chin and effectively snapped her spine. Her childhood was not a happy one. Mukhinas usage of the term has as much to do with this mindset coming naturally to her as it does with Klimenko instilling that mindset on her. But the nightmare and the pain wasn't over. One of Europes top right-wing extremists: Who is the neo-Nazi behind this weeks Ukrainian attack in Russias Bryansk Region? After analyzing all the information available, I believe Mukhina is completely correct to pin a majority of the blame on the Soviet WAG program as a whole. Her condition was unclear. Perhaps the most significant part of the footage comes when Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci is invoked in the discussion. She matched that achievement at the European Championships in Copenhagen, where she also added a silver medal in the floor exercise. One of the common themes in Soviet sports media is coaches frequently boasted about their ability to invoke psychology as a training tool. She dies decades later at 45. It would ultimately result in her premature death at the age of 46. She is too sensitive a girl to be a great athlete. Reinforcing the idea on Mukhina that she is a burden to him. Klimenko, however, had other ideas, reportedly removing her from hospital and directly back to training, taking off the orthopedic brace from around her neck. No era una gimnasta brillante hasta . At the age of five years Elena lost both of her parents. Mikhail Klimenko deserves significant blame for Mukhinas injury, but there is one particular detail that is frequently overlooked. Just admit you did badly, made mistakes, and will strive to do better next time. The story of Elena Mukhina, the gymnast who became a quadriplegic at age 20, pushed to the limit to beat Nadia Comaneci 7/28/2021, 11:02:10 AM The Soviet was destined to regain the throne of that sport for her country, but a few weeks before the 1980 Moscow Olympics she suffered a terrible fall. In one of her few interviews about the tragedy, she criticized the Soviet gymnastics program for deceiving the public about the severity of her injury, and for the systems insatiable appetite for gold medals and championships. "I felt like an animal being whipped along an endless corridor. She was permanently paralyzed and died in 2006, at the age of 46, from. (LogOut/ In a 2004 interview, Larisa Latynina claimed that Mukhinas coach, Mikhail Klimenko, was affected by her injury. Her injury resulted in her becoming a quadriplegic, and the move that she had been injured attempting - the Thomas salto - was removed from the women's competition. Elena MUKHINA (*born: 1960, June 06 - +died: 2006, . When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Because that will tear you apart.. But it also made their relationships mutually self-destructive. It was Comaneci who took the all-around title as part of three golds. People named Elena Mukhina. These are real clips of a real person who in the end, really did get hurt, and the damage couldnt be undone. karma. Klimenko was a former Soviet junior gymnastics champion known for coaching male athletes. In a post-finals press conference alongside her teammates, she said: "Whenever you get in a high-stress situation, you kind of freak out. I do not believe it was a coincidence that this story ended in tragedy, but the tragic ending was a direct byproduct of the unconventional backgrounds Mikhail Klimenko and Elena Mukhina shared. After her world title success, Mukhina would say: I cried on the pedestal in France not out of joy, but because I understood: no one would let me go.. These tactics not only existed during the Cold War, but took on new importance in the aftermath of the Cold War when it became less socially acceptable to resort to physical abuse as a way to motivate a gymnast. On July 3, 1980, Mukhina was practicing the part of her routine containing the Thomas salto. As Mukhina would later recall, her hand shot up without hesitation. The expectation was huge. For Mukhina, a disturbing pattern had already emerged of an athlete being forced to push through injury in a clamor to the pinnacle of her sport. Aged 18, Mukhina was imperious as she won gold in the all-around, team and floor events, as well as picking up silver medals in the uneven bars and balance beam. Gymnasts . So, for an athlete to know when something is increasing that risk, is significant. However, until now, it has almost been unheard of for any high-level gymnast to withdraw from competition for health reasons. It took near-perfect timing to avoid either under-rotation and landing on the chin or over-rotation and landing on the back of the head. "She is too sensitive. At age 15, American. Logr en tampoco tiempo lo que otras lo hicieron en ms aos. Now she will watch the games from her hospital bed, her future uncertain but her gymnastics career surely ended. He returned immediately when informed of the accident. At the time Nadia Comaneci was Romanias top gymnast. Required fields are marked *. Daniel Hale blows the whistle on the US drone wars, Is Julianna Penas destruction of Amanda Nunes really the biggest upset in MMA history? Most notably Aleftina Pryakhina who won two medals at the 1987 European Championships, exactly ten years after Mukhina achieved breakout success at this very same competition in 1977. Just a month prior to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, 20-year-old Elena Mukhina under-rotated the Thomas salto, landing on her chin. She said she begged them not to remove her cast and discharge her because she knew she was not healed yet. Gymnastics. Mukhina also pioneered new elements on the bars and in her floor routines. A . The Code of Points was later modified to ban standing on the high bar during routines. She tied for the gold medal in the floor exercises and won silver in the balance beam and uneven bars. They ended up getting more than they bargained for, and the price for that was paid by Elena Mukhina. Jun 7, 2020 - A catastrophic injury cost Mukhina the use of her limbs. En 1981, el Comit Olmpico Internacional le otorg la Orden Olmpica de Plata , la segunda mayor . Even though she won the all-around and floor exercises in 1978, with her daring bar routine, a revolutionary balance beam dismount, and a floor routine with a signature move, Mukhina was pressured by Kilmenko and other high-ranking Soviet coaches to add the mens element to her floor exercises. Every single factor dictated that a gymnast needed time to rise that fast. By the time of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, she was already making a name for herself but was not yet consistent enough to earn a place among the Soviet ranks. Siempre me ha fascinado su historia: perdi a sus padres cuando era muy pequea y se fue a vivir con su abuela y, muy pronto, empez a dedicarle su vida a la gimnasia. 1 week ago Now his WAG coaching career was experiencing a rut as Mukhina entered a decline in 1979. The Olympics were barely over before the media had already started to wonder if Nadia would be usurped in 1980 in the same way Korbut had been usurped in 1976. He never reconciled with Mukhina and his death from cancer came on November 14, 2007 his 65th birthday. The moment she fell to the floor, Mukhina described her first thought as, "Thank God, I won't be going to the Olympics.". The Soviet Union downplayed the severity of Mukhinas injury, withheld information as tohow she obtained her injuries and even went as far as to discredit her for inflicting the injury on herself. Adding to the perplexing chain of events making Mukhina was the most unlikely gymnast to have ever achieved breakout success. But that didn't stop her from handwriting a letter 18 months later. Mukhina was keen on keeping up with world events, including in gymnastics, also learning to use her hands again to write. At 2:11 Klimenko outright dares Mukhina to leave him and train without a coach. Elena Mukhina Is A Member Of . Kerri delivered a perfect vault pass on the second try despite the injury and helped the team score the all-around gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The mantra appeared clear: injury was weakness or unwillingness, Mukhina had to break through the pain to achieve greatness. TM. Created by a writer as part of plot-building device to foreshadow the climatic twist to the story where the popular protagonist meets his or her doom. If not in time for 1980, then certainly those who were on a track for 1984. Elena Mukhina died on December 22, 2006 at the age of 46 from complications of quadriplegia. She won gold medals for the individual all-around, the balance beam, and uneven bars. She was able to mix her innovative moves with the classic Soviet-style of gymnastics, inspired by ballet movements and expressive lines. Biryulina became the first woman to throw the javelin more than 70 meters. Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below. "I was stupid. The Soviet Union downplayed the severity of Mukhina's injury, withheld information as to how she obtained her injuries and even went as far as to discredit her for inflicting the injury on herself. https://www.youtube.com/c/RAEscape/videos, Your email address will not be published. The Soviet Union saw Mukhina's injury as creating a poor image of the Soviet program, reflecting just how little consideration they gave to the wellbeing of their athletes. Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina was a Soviet gymnast who won the all-around title at the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg, France. 30th July 2021. in. The Moscow Games have not even begun, but this must be one of their saddest stories. Sending love to you @Simone_Biles -Team UNITED States of America . Moscow remained quiet today, devoid of the festive atmosphere that usually envelops the host city a week before the Olympics. Initial rumors were that she had fallen while making her approach to the vault, then Soviet newspaper reported she had fallen during a dismount from the balance beam and had a blackout, but got back up to finish her routine without knowing how badly she had been hurt. But my coach once told me, 'Until you break, no one will let you go.'". Mukhina was rushed into surgery that afternoon, but the damage had already been done to her reputation. While it does feel as if there were misrepresentations being made, many of these exchanges do seem mostly genuine. Mukhina herself eventually succumbed to complications from her condition on December 22, 2006. Mukhina spent 18 months to go from having never done high level routines to being capable of holding her own against your average Olympian. The real world doesnt think like that.. The tiny, 20-year-old gymnast, whose erratic performances were blamed by coaches on her poetic and romantic nature, reportedly landed on her neck while practicing difficult acrobatic routines by herself. Beijing calls US worlds primary nuclear threat, Top US prosecutor makes surprise Ukraine visit. She would eventually get inducted into the CSKA Hall of Fame. The Thomas salto is a 1 backflip with 1 twists ending a forward roll. Now her coach is gone too. Elena Mukhina, the sensitive Soviet gymnast who won the women's all-around world championship in 1978 and dreamed of regaining her lost form at the Moscow Olympics, crushed several vertebrae in. 261 viewsNov 13, 2020. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. was also an option at one point, but I finally decided on the song you hear in the video, and I'd say the lyrics and tune do the justice. Required fields are marked *. ", Asked her hobbies at a press conference, Mukhina said, "I read books . What a f moron. (Whitney Bjerken Edits)https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5nX9OPpfQhT0TdF7nCkq6gOn this channel I will be showcasing some of the best gymnastics, edits and gymnast compilations! However, unlike the popular narrative - Strug performed that vault under pressure from her coach, injuring her ankle further. But none of this is a work of fiction. Usually when a gymnastics documentary is being selectively edited to present a more favorable narrative, the controversial moments are excluded entirely. . I was so tired then, both physically and psychologically.". She was going to say yes to anything and wasnt willing to question the limits. She returned to train for the Olympics while starting a strenuous workout program at CSKA Moscow to lose the weight she had put on while being laid up from surgery. The weight was becoming intolerable, all the while Mukhina missing out on the carefree life of a regular teenage girl. To see this all laid out and directly explained to Mukhina in a recorded conversation is a very significant piece footage to have.

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