Sovetsky Sport. December 13, 1967. Yesterday morning, the competitions for the USSR Cup, youth championship and Olympic reserve teams match in gymnastics began in the Kuibyshev Sports Palace. First, the young men took to the platform - participants of the youth championship. After the first day, Vyacheslav Fogel (Spartak - 54.95), A. Trifonov (54.7), and S. Suprunov (both Dinamo - 54.15) are in the lead. Spartak gymnasts are leading the team competition.
Naturally, Fogel performs confidently - this year he has already participated in three international competitions. He approaches the apparatus with a solid, composed demeanor, and apparently knows how to attract attention. His impressive physique is reminiscent of Diomidov's, and he jumps powerfully, making the platform groan.
Of course, the young guys are nervous - some approach the apparatus with their eyes downcast, and the coach doesn't think to tell them: straighten your shoulders, stand up straight, make yourself taller! But Fogel understood this. It's a pleasure to watch him.
I think that national team coaches will notice 18-year-old Volodya Safronov from Kazan. What an incredible floor routine! A prolonged 'Gromov-style' somersault (the spectators, understandably, gasped): two in a row - and the height of the jumps is excellent. He himself is lean and 'stretched out' - he looks great. Before gymnastics, Safronov did acrobatics, so that certainly helped. Generally, the acrobatics in the floor exercises are quite good for most of the guys. The routine, however, was transformed: the beginning is a round-off, back handspring, twist, and in the middle - a combination like a forward roll, front somersault. Here Safronov inserted the Arabian element, and the routine came alive. Perhaps it's not necessary to end the routine in the same way - a back handspring followed by a somersault, but if you could come up with some intricate move - everyone would be interested, and the score would likely be higher.
I followed Oleg Chekmarev's progress very closely. After all, at 15 years old he was a candidate for Master of Sport and the Moscow champion among boys. He was unusually physically strong, a real powerhouse. He performs a high 'V' move on the parallel bars and can do about twenty push-ups.
But now I see that Oleg is not the same anymore. He's become indecisive, his toes are pointed outwards, his knees are wobbling. He's not stretching, not trying hard enough. The coach needs to pay attention to this.
Evgeny Ananskikh from Trud knows, of course, that he doesn't have enough strength. Last year, I remember, he was struggling with this too. And he didn't do anything about it in a year. He couldn't hold on - he fell off the parallel bars. On the rings, in the handstand he was trembling from the strain. Strength comes with age. Everyone understands that. But if you don't acquire it, don't 'build' it, then that strength might not appear at all.
It's difficult to draw conclusions on the first day. Let's see what the young competitors show later, when the nerves subside and the fight for first place intensifies. That's when it will become clear who is more aggressive and who is more composed. That's very important.
V. GOLUBEV, Master of Sports (our special correspondent)