Lilia Podkopayeva 🇺🇦 had been a senior since 1993. And while she'd always had the talent, it had taken her some time to gain consistency as an all-around gymnast.
During the AA Final at the 1995 World Gymnastics Championships in Sabae 🇯🇵, the pre-meet favorite, Mo Huilan from China, sat down her beam dismount in the first rotation. This left the door wide open for Podkopayeva to swoop in and win the gold medal. Lilia didn't have a perfect meet, but she had no huge breaks and got some favorable calls from the judges as well. This would be the first of three Major all-around titles Podkopayeva would win in a span of less than one calendar year.
26 авг 2024
