Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina ( Russian: ; first name sometimes rendered "Yelena", last name sometimes rendered "Muchina"; 1 June 1960 - 22 December 2006) was a Soviet gymnast who won the all-around title at the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg, France. It occurred alongside contemporary examples such Olga Mostepanova, the top Soviet gymnast of 1984 who first competed against Olympians, in a British competition that was being broadcasted on television when she was only ten years old. The unlikely gymnast and the unlikely coach is an important component to Mukhinas story because the combination of an unconventional gymnast joining forces with an unconventional coach was a key reason for their shared success. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Are mental health issues now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? Moreover, her family lovingly calls her Katia. 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. After the injury, the Soviet Gymnastics Federation remained secretive about the events surrounding Mukhinas injury. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Remember Kerri Strug? Both Mukhina and Klimenko used the term psychological when they were interviewed in news articles. You always learn how to be safe, but then you start thinking: Will you be able to prevent an accident if you do something badly? In the quiet corner of a Moscow cemetery, a black slab of marble stands surrounded by the December snow. A . At the time, Soviet officials were being pressured to build a team which was superior to that of the Romanians. Somewhat darkly, Mukhinas first thoughts as she lay stricken on the ground were said to be relief that she would finally be given some respite. Mostepanovas Romanian rival Ecaterina Szabo had a similar story. RT / Liam Tyler, Mukhina threw herself into gymnastics. Ex-Stratfor Chief George Friedman: Neither Russia nor Ukraine can win, war can only end via negotiation! Read RT Privacy policy to find out more. Elena Mukhina-__bilibili I also hope 2022 is a lot better than the past two years have been. Her stupid coach should have listened to her. The mantra appeared clear: injury was weakness or unwillingness, Mukhina had to break through the pain to achieve greatness. She was instantly rendered a quadriplegic.\r\rElena Mukhina died of apparent complications from quadriplegia on December 22, 2006 Klimenko had so much success invoking psychological tactics with Mukhina because Mukhina herself bought into this mindset. She also took some of the responsibility for not being more forceful about not wanting to perform the move and shared that her first thought when she was laying on the floor with a broken neck was, Thank God, I wont be going to the Olympics.. 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. 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. She had set numerous records, including getting the first perfect score in gymnastics Olympic history. Before I go I want to leave you with some wise words from former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver, Antonio Brown;Every day is a half day if you just f****** leave.Happy 2022 everyone! And it certainly didnt help that before Nadia, the title for the most famous gymnast in the world was a Soviet athlete and they wanted that title back. She likes music, poetry and to sit and think. She became famous for her unique working capacity and rejection, as well as her tragic fate. RIA Novosti, Mukhina was happy among teammates when not carrying out her demanding training regime. Elena Mukhina injury Video - Elena Mukhina Thomas Salto Accident Elena Mukhina died of apparent complications from quadriplegia on December 22, 2006 (aged 46). This article reminded me a lot of the recent NY times piece by Maggie Astor on this topic, thanks for highlighting the importance of mental health to maintain safety in high level sport. After her injury, Mukhina was grateful to her former teammates who kept in touch with her, especially Yelena Davydova, whom she called A real friend. RIA Novosti, Mukhina was taken under the tutelege of Klimenko. Gymnastics Angel. Elena Mukhina. RIP - YouTube Mukhina took up gymnastics late, at age 9, but won the Soviet junior championship within six years. 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. 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. Mukhina took an interest in gymnastics and figure skating at an early age. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Elena Mukhina dead at 46 - Gymnastics Coaching.com We are only left to assume that there were controversial exchanges that never made it into the published version. Otherwise, you can go crazy. Just admit you did badly, made mistakes, and will strive to do better next time. Biles would later say she had suffered from the twisties, a form of gymnastics yips that leaves its sufferers feeling lost in the air. Mukhina was rushed into surgery that afternoon, but the damage had already been done to her reputation. She was 46 years old. That was the story of Elena Mukhina a star that had just begun to rise before her Olympic career was tragically cut short. Information began to emerge slowly. At 3:00 Mukhina and Klimenko have a conversation regarding personal goals. Strug never competed again. - YouTube Strasbourg Gymnastics Champion History Fitness Historia Physical Exercise When the doctors removed the cast against her wishes and had her attempt to walk on the leg, she said she knew that was walking crookedly, and that something wasnt right. But do not break down and go on living in spite of everything, understanding all her tragedy . But none of this is a work of fiction. Elena Mukhina-41977 1978 1979 UPUP One further detail that is critical to understanding the Mukhina-Klimenko coaching relationship is that they had risen up the Soviet ranks together. . Would Elena Mukhina Have Made the Olympic Team if Not For Her A memorial service was held in her honor on December 27 . [] 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. Afghan officials would not confirm reports that seven wrestlers had defected last week to Pakistan rather than come to Moscow. Everyone is looking at the platform, where a little girl with tousled bangs is soaring through the air. These gymnasts were identified at a young age not just for their athletic attributes, but their mental attributes as well. Soviet Gymnast Elena Mukhina Broke Her Neck and Was Paralyzed While However, unlike the popular narrative - Strug performed that vault under pressure from her coach, injuring her ankle further. We love, we remember. Hi, slightly off topic but there is a film called Something different by Vera Chytilov that features Eva Boskov, a Czech gymnast of the 1950s and early 60s. Mukhina is confined to a wheelchair that she knows she may never be without. She is from Russia. As the current star of the Soviet program at the time, Mukhina received top billing and a majority of the camera time. Usually when a gymnastics documentary is being selectively edited to present a more favorable narrative, the controversial moments are excluded entirely. But for both of their sakes, it would have been better if they never met at all. At 1:13 Klimenko talks about how being a gymnastics coach is hard work. Watch: Susie O'Neill on her 'failure' at the Sydney Olympics. None of this is to say I completely absolve Klimenko of blame, as I do consider his coaching tactics to be a significant factor leading to Mukhinas paralysis and even agree with Soviet officials on that particular point. 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. Surveillance video sheds light on 'cartel . Nothing exists except work and pressure, which constantly increase, and sometimes it seems thatthat's it, you haven't got any more strength. 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. Gymnastics prodigy who tragically broke her neck while practicing a dangerous move, just two weeks before the Olympics, and shortly after her 20th birthday. Mukhina Badly Hurt In Gym Fall Washington Post, I have always wanted to take my favorite subjects; true crime, sports, and anything macabre and take time to write about them. 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. Crucially, Mukhina possessed a remarkable persistence and a talent for carrying out Klimenkos instructions to the letter. Psychology has positive values when deployed on children, especially in the realm of education. ELENA MUKHINA 1978 WORLD'S ALL-AROUND-ALL 4 ROUTINES! Klimenko was back in Moscow for a short trip, desperate to persuade sporting officials that his charge was fit enough to be included in the team, despite lingering doubts. 5 Gymnasts' Catastrophic Crashes - US News & World Report Up until 1975, Mukhina was an unremarkable gymnast, and Soviet coaches largely ignored her. MS ALL DE SUS LMITES porque eso fue lo que Klimenco con Mukhina. Main:Elena Mukhina | Gymnastics Wiki | Fandom Now her coach is gone too. No you cant. "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. Daniel Hale blows the whistle on the US drone wars, Is Julianna Penas destruction of Amanda Nunes really the biggest upset in MMA history? She was also inducted into the CSKA Hall of Fame. At the time Nadia Comaneci was Romanias top gymnast. Sputnik, Mukhina was paralyzed by the accident. It didnt seem like Mukhina was very cooperative with the film crew which is why they went with such unusual pans, cuts, and pivots. On July 3, 1980, two weeks before the Moscow Olympics, Elena Mukhina was practicing the pass containing the Thomas salto when she under-rotated, and crash-landed on her chin, snapping her spine and leaving her quadriplegic. The following quote comes directly from Elena Mukhina: Im not condemning anyone or blaming anyone for what happened to me. Because of the devastating injury, Elena Mukhina could not be added to the 1980 Soviet Union Olympic team roster. Yelena Mukhina Interview - oocities.org And they dont take offense at fate.". In the event, the Games would be remembered for the iconic performance from Nadia Comaneci, the Romanian who picked up a haul of three golds including the all-around title and five medals in total. She would eventually get inducted into the CSKA Hall of Fame. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Gymnast Elena Mukhina's net worth is $1-5 Million before She died. She was popular for being a Gymnast. She was taken unconscious to a hospital. Now his WAG coaching career was experiencing a rut as Mukhina entered a decline in 1979. In the context of larger geopolitical events, Soviet leadership wanted results and were willing to push the limits. For Mikhail Klimenko, Mukhina was too important to his career for her to fail. Mukhina herself eventually succumbed to complications from her condition on December 22, 2006. However, Mukhina had not fully healed from her leg injury while she worked on perfecting this stunt. She has been placed in a neck cast and will be immobilized for several weeks. Mikhail Klimenkos treatment of Mukhina was atrocious, and there is so much to say on that topic that it deserves its own separate article. The exchange is roughly 3.5 minutes in length and is broken up into four clips throughout the half hour documentary. 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. After Mukhinas paralysis and other close calls with Olympic-eligible female gymnasts, the Thomas salto was removed from the Code of Points as an allowed skill for women. They ended up getting more than they bargained for, and the price for that was paid by Elena Mukhina. The Thomas salto is now banned for both men and women. "She is too easily touched," a team coach said at the time. Just look at the cautionary tale of Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina, . "She is too sensitive. I was so tired then, both physically and psychologically.". Mukhina spoke up and tried to convince her coach of how dangerous the element was. Action Images, Mukhina had emerged as a world-beating force but faced increasing pressure. I feel sorry for Klimenko hes a victim of the system, a member of the clan of grownups who are doing their job.. YouTube, Mukhina regularly battled with injuries. Elena Mukhina Olympic Champion by Alberto Capra | Goodreads
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