Sovetsky Sport. December 14, 1967. The strongest participants competed for the USSR Cup in gymnastics at the Kuibyshev Sports Palace. After the compulsory program, the experienced Army man V. Kerdemelidi is in the lead with 55.1. Twenty-two-year-old A. Kozeev from Burevestnik is five hundredths behind him. Third place is shared by Dinamo competitors M. Bogus and V. Shamenko with 54.85
So, the compulsory program. Its routines are very cold and short - there is no room to really show off. Looking ahead, I will note that the highest score of the day was 9.45. The average score was approximately 9.15. Most likely, the gymnasts should have thought about how to present this not-very-spectacular part of the competition more effectively to the picky judges. In general (and based on the day's results in particular), the more experienced gymnasts coped better with the compulsory program.
By increasing the amplitude of movements (not to mention other elements of the execution of a routine - posture, pointed toes), one can stand out from the crowd. The amplitude of movements probably depends on the so-called 'feel for the apparatus.' This is achieved not only through a gymnast's affinity for a particular apparatus, but also through confident and fearless work.
Kerdemelidi managed, in a very difficult routine on the horizontal bar, to highlight each element, decipher it, and supplement it with his own understanding and feeling for the apparatus. This is called a creative approach to the task.
Unfortunately, many lacked the element of improvisation altogether. For example, a gymnast performs floor exercises - diligently, following the routine exactly, from beginning to end. But the score is low. If only he added a subtle turn of the head, a different hand position, a smoother swing here, a sharper one there - and the exercise would acquire a different emotional coloring and express the athlete's mood. In this respect, the experienced Yu. Tsapenko distinguished himself favorably. His routine was elegant and at the same time distinctly rigorous. Incidentally, the members of the Olympic reserve teams were lucky. In the absence of most of the strongest competitors, it's the perfect time to shine, to show everything you're capable of. A year ago, D. Trishkin (Army) and V. Komissarov (Trade Unions) made significant progress. But now they are nowhere to be seen, they have blended in with the general mass, faded into the background. Perhaps they simply weren't prepared for the compulsory competition, didn't pay enough attention to it? We'll see what happens in the optional competition.
The battle for all-around supremacy unfolded mainly between Kerdemelidi and Kozeev. Kozeev led until the fifth apparatus, and only after the last event - floor exercise, where it is especially difficult to make up for lost ground - did Kerdemelidi pull ahead.
In the team competition, there was a surprise. The gymnasts of the second Trade Unions team are in the lead. The recognized favorites, the Army and Dinamo teams, are in third and fourth place in the standings, respectively.
V. GOLUBEV, Master of Sports (our special correspondent)