Sovetsky Sport. October 23, 1970. The weather in Ljubljana was clear and warm. The sun was warm, not at all like autumn, and the mighty chestnut trees were as green as in the height of summer. But a thunderstorm broke out in the evening, and then it started snowing. The next morning, the roofs of the houses were covered with a thin cotton blanket which, however, soon melted. The leaves of the chestnut trees immediately turned yellow, and the fruit of the these trees densely dotted the asphalt paths leading to the famous Tivoli Hall.
Hotels in Ljubljana are packed to capacity. About 400 journalists came here to cover the world gymnastics championships. Buses drive through the streets with participants, and the arena is half full during gymnastics training.
The city is home to Miroslav Cerar, a world-renowned athlete, and therefore gymnastics is very popular. Literally crowds of citizens stop at the store windows, where medals and cups which will be awarded to the winners of the competition are displayed.
Our gymnasts conducted their daily training in various gyms, but as expected, everyone was looking foward to trying out the equipment in Tivolo Hall. This moment is very important. Representatives of the International Federation, judges, and or course numerous spectators come to watch the strongest teams.
I didn't make it to the dress rehearsal (that's what they call podium training) of our girls, so I asked the coaches about it. In their opinion, the warm-up was successful, many gymnasts completed their routines completely, and when the Soviet athletes performed on floor exercise, the audience greeted them with applause. A considerable share of applause went to the GDR team. However, for the time being, no one wants to show their cards completely, and everyone is carefully watching each other.
The judges have a colossal burden on their shoulders. From early morning until evening there are seminars where the activities of the judging teams are worked out and coordinated. As you know, only members of the FIG (International Gymnastics Federation) technical committee can be apparatus judges. The Soviet representative Boris Shakhlin fell ill and did not come to Ljubljana. Consequently, we were automatically deprived of having an arbitrator direct the actions of the judges in pommel horse exercises (where Shakhlin was appointed the head judge). But our leaders took the initiative and reached an agreement - the judge for this apparatus will be the Soviet judge V. Silin, even though he is not a member of the technical committee.
The technical committee meets continuously. There are a lot of questions, and their resolution requires strength, time, nerves, and trepidation. Let's say that the new compulsory program for men for future Olympics was drawn up by FIG president Arthur Gander himself. Experts noticed many errors and inconsistencies in the program. Discussion of the routines turned into hours-long debate, and Gander was forced to make a concession.
The team reserves are having hot days. They demonstrate compulsory and optional routines in front of the judges. And it's very difficult for the gymnasts. For example, Vyacheslav Fogel, our reserve, competed on three apparatus and spent...five hours on these three attempts. Olga Korbut, Rusudan Sikharulidze, and Nikolai Andrianov, the youngest alternates in the championship, left the most favorable impression.
The men's podium training took place on the eve of the opening of the competition. The Soviet and Japanese teams will compete in the same group (for women, the grouping is different - Czechoslovakian gymnasts will perform their compulsory program in the morning, our team will take to the platform in the evening, and the GDR girls will be in the last group).
The Japanese remained true to themselves. They all trained as if it was finals day. Each gymnast performed optional routines at full strength on all apparatus, as if in front of the judges. This certainly had a psychological effect. And it was clear that they tried very hard, although some of them fell.
It's almost impossible to hide a gymnast's class using various tricks during training. And what? Eizo Kenmotsu will play the role of first violin in the Japanese team. He stood out noticeably on this team. Kenmotsu showed a unique element in floor exercise - a triple twist!
And yet, observers called Akinori Nakayama the undisputed leader of the Japanese team. According to the results of this year's qualifying rounds, Nakayama led the team's top six. Unlike the tournaments in the Olympic year, he showed consistency in his performances, although the pommel horse is still his most vulnerable point. However, we have the impression that Kenmotsu, a 22-year-old student at the University of Tokyo, prepared for the championship in the best possible way.
The grand opening of the world championship will take place this evenings. It will be a colorful sight. And the next day the gymnasts will join the fight.
V. GOLUBEV