Balance beam and uneven bars were definitely more exciting back then, and had a lot more individuality. Today its like watching every gymnast perform the same routine and the same moves over and over again. B-O-R-I-N-G!
Just for the record if Elena seems tired on floor she was. This was after her coaches forced her out of her cast prematurely and put her back in the gym. Her broken leg came apart requiring surgery. Sadly this was the beginning of the end for Elena. She was forced back into gymnastics prematurely after her leg surgery. And we all know what that culminated in.
I think gymnastics at this time were much more exciting. I enjoyed watching gymnastics up to about 2000. Maybe its because I really don't understand the points system, even though its been around a long time now.
Vanessa Casey the same happened to me, even earlier perhaps, when Bogi retired in '96... I can't really work out the new scoring system, before it was so clear and straightforward.... (sigh of nostalgia)
That is because it is different sport. The artistic gymnastics that Nadia inspired millions of young girls to try, no longer exists. Although the name hasn't changed, it is now acrobatic gymnastics. I wish they would bring back artistic gymnastics because I would much rather watch beautiful and elegant young gymnasts performing their artistry and ballet type moves over short freaks of nature performing circus acts.
Nadia is beautiful, elegant, and graceful. You seldom see that in today’s gymnasts and never in elite gymnasts. There is something special but undefined about Nadia that makes me want her to win when I watch her performances. When I watch their performances no other gymnast does that. The only one that came close was Mary Lou Retton. With her beauty and elegance Nadia was the very best artistic gymnast. Simone is the best acrobatic gymnast. I don't compare Nadia vs. Simone because, although the sports are similar, they performed in different sports--artistic vs. acrobatic. Nadia was 5'-4". Nadia proved you could win at that height in artistic gymnastics. Simone is 4'-8" an 8" height advantage (a 12% strength to weight advantage and a 25% moment of inertia advantage) in acrobatic gymnastics. It is not possible for someone 5'-4" to win at the Olympics in acrobatic gymnastics. I wish they would bring back artistic gymnastics because I would much rather watch beautiful and elegant young gymnasts performing their artistry over short freaks of nature performing circus moves.
Its not dance, dance is where the elegence should stay, or even in Rhythmic gymnastics, where as artistic gymnastics is about the acrobatics as you would see in a circus put together into routines, and there is still plenty if balance involved. Just like baaketball, soccor, etc. It's now less sexist.
Mukhina had such wonderful technique and lines. Her floor exercise was so balletic and you can tell she was a dancer. It is sad she was a late bloomer because she probably could have competed at the 1976 Olympics and won more than one World Championship. It is also very sad that she didn't have a coach and was in a system that looked after her instead of training her to a horrible end. I have to say that her and Nellie Kim were my favorite gymnasts. Nadia was amazing. All these gymnasts were stoned faced all the time though. Nellie Kim was the only one that seemed to smile once in a while. I am sure a lot of it was the miserable conditions they had to endure.
at one point Bela trained his best to be competitive on vault. I know Kim was injured but she performed the second vault that Nadia did 13 years later. At one point Kim had a Cuervo.
@Star Tetrahedron Mukhina's story and accident breaks my heart. She was clearly suffering here. While Europeans were held in May 1979, and the Olympics were held over a year later, everyone knew something was wrong when Elena was not at Worlds later on in 1979. Terrible tragedy.
You know what makes me mad?? They _STOPPED_ Nadia from training with Bella after the Olympics! So in 78 she was not doing much. She only had a short time for him to get her back in gear, and her body had grown so she had a lot of adjusting to do. lf she had STAYED with the Karolis _the whole time_ she wouldn't have fallen off the bars during that release move lemmetelya! She could have been in top form! Stinking Communist country wanted to ''punish Nads from being too famous! lt wasn't about the individual, only the collective!'' She said it herself!