Olessia Dudnik (URS) - Europeans 1989 - Balance Beam Final 

She was so innovative. The risk she was taking was insane and yet it was purely perfection. I miss those days too....

I have somehow never seen this but it is now my favorite all time beam routine. Graceful perfection and innovative difficulty, just pure beauty.

@@ParisInTheSpringtime999 She was glorious.... and an exceptional talent. 💚

It is nice to know, that I am not the only one enjoying the videos up to the end. Everybody knew, this routine was unique... the audience, the trainers, the other contestants... only the judges had other plans obviously. I am glad, she became the european champion anyway. Any other decision would have been scandalous. 🤩🥰🙃😆😇😎

The only possible deductions could be the very slight off balance after the full Pirouette, and a very slight off centre, after the triple twist. But honestly the difficulty score should cancel out the two deductions I found. Does anyone agree with me?

I totally agree with you! I really don't know what the judges saw that day

@@pekenjos It's interesting. Watching this routine after recently marveling over Groshkova's taints how I see this routine. Groshkova had tremendous difficulty while being extremely stylish and artistic. Dudnik's routine is more in the style of her SSR sister Tatiana Gutsu, a collection of tricks. Only she lacked the amplitude and flexibility Gutsu showed in her leaps and jumps. I don't think her leaps were necessarily deduction-worthy in this Code, but they stick out like a sore thumb. I will say this routine 1000% deserved a 10 over the one she got later that year at Worlds during optionals.

She wouldn't be competing as she would be too young.

I enjoy watching this routine over and over again. She was such a great gymnast.

🥰 YES! 💚

I am happy my VHS tapes survived for such a long time...

I've expected a Menichelli after her Arabian also. When I saw her doing this acrobatic series without using her hands, touching the Balance Beam for support I was stunned. This was Artistic Gymnastics from another dimension.... 💚

Sometimes you could just shake your head in disbelieve, while the scores were flashed. This was one of those moments....

Harsh comparison, but I get the gist of it. 😏🤭🤣 Olessia Dudnik was perfoming, like she came from another time or dimension. She was such an outstanding gymnast.... I guess she could still win medals, if she would nail the routine like she did in 1989. 💚

I remember, when I first saw this routine on television while recording it and thought ... this is not possible. I was truly swept away about her stability and technical difficulty. This is so beautiful and I am happy we can all admire her still after all these years. 💚

There is really just one word for this performance: Perfection. 🥰

I miss those times too. The Golden Era of Artistic Gymnastics. 🥰

You are a true fan of her talent and work. That's so nice to see....

@@Boban1611 Absolutely, i didn't know her before! She is gorgeous

You should check out Tatiana Groshkova's routine from the following year. Tremendous difficulty, equal if not superior innovation, sublime originality, and tremendous artistry. It's absolutely in my Top 5 of beam routines ever 🙌

Me too! 💚 There is an interview with her on RU-vid, where she talks about her time as a top contender in Artistic Gymnastics and why she retired and how she felt about it afterwards. She seems to be such a nice and kind person. I really like her a lot!

Pure Perfection! 😍🥰😋

I think she was the first one, performing a layout full on the apparatus. I could not believe, that this was even possible... simply an incredible routine and an outstanding gymnast.... 🥰

@@Boban1611 I FORGOT THE FIRST PASS ARIEL BACK LAYOUT STEP OUT, BACK LAYOUT STEP OUT. LIKE IT WAS NOTHING.😳

@@conradmartinez4175 She didn't even put her foot down after the half turn. Simply beautiful! 🥰

@@Boban1611 RIGHT ON!😳

She was such a great gymnast.... one of the best of all times, even though she had such a short career. 💚

.... and I am stuck with it. 🤗🥰😊😎😏

She deserved a 10. The routine was crazy good then and still is now. The wobbles didn't matter. It is the best beam routine I have ever seen

She should have been the sole European Champion at the Balance Beam. No doubt about it! This routine was perfect. Simply perfect.

Compare this 9.975 with the 10.0 she received in the team event at Stuttgart where she took a slight step forward on the dismount... Hard to believe hey?

@@pekenjos Maybe the judges had a bad day? 😁😀😂

It is her leaps....

@@admetric absolutamente! They are really an eyesore.

Hey there. Sadly I don't have the All Around tape anymore. Somehow it got lost (like the 1990 tapes from the Europeans) over the years. I hope you still enjoy the other videos I've uploaded in decent quality. I am always amazed how good the quality is, after all these years.

I know how do they make a mistake on the full turn there were people that the girls that did this a lot but you know the Top girls like Nadia and Shannon miller they never messed up a full turn but love the other girls did often did at the Olympicssyllabus did it at the Olympics?

I fell for the USSR (when it came to Artistic Gymnastics) - so my view might be a little bit prejudiced. In the end - I am happy - they both managed to get on the top. 😏

Exactly!

I think they put the focus on the most difficult skills and then relax during those 'easy' moves..... and then the insecurity happens.

Looked rather sloppy.... but still.... one of my favorite darlings of all times! 🥰💚😏

The leaps were judged differently at the time. 😊

@@wolfiesownx4893 meh. The Soviets typically went above and beyond what was required or the bare minimum. Dudnik does that with her difficulty and innovation, but many of her teammates showed wonderful extension and amplitude on their leaps and jumps. She obviously didn't need to improve them to score well, but I'm surprised they were so bad.

She did win the Gold Medal... she just had to share it with Gabriela Potorac from Romania.

I remember a time, when the Chinese Team got a deduction, because they wore leotards with a high leg cut. The CoP could regulate that..... I guess....