The Tragic Story of Elena Mukhina And Twisted History of Gymnastics …
We start with Elena Mukhina, a Soviet gymnast, who was born June 1, 1960 in Moscow, Russia. Both her parents died when she was five years old. She was raised by her grandmother, Anna Ivanovna, and took an interest gymnastics from an early age.
Up until 1975, Elena Mukhina was an unremarkable gymnast, and Soviet coaches largely ignored her.
Then, two separate incidents brought her skills to the forefront for the Soviet team
Romanian domination of the Soviet gymnastics machine at the 1976 Olympics, and Mukhina’s transition to working with men’s coach Mikhail Klimenko, who transformed her into one of the most show-stopping gymnasts of her time.
She burst onto the scene at the 1978 World Championship in France, and in one of the most stunning all-around performances in history, she won the gold medal, beating out Olympic Champions Nadia Comăneci (remember that name) and top-ranked Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim, among others.
She also tied for the gold medal in the floor exercise, as well as winning the silver in balance beam and uneven bars.
