Sovetsky Sport. April 8, 1975. The second international competition in gymnastics for the prize of the Moscow News newspaper ended at the Luzhniki Palace of Sports. On Sunday, awards were contested in the individual events.
As previously reported, Nelli Kim and Viktor Klimenko became the winners in the all-around. But if the world champion competed in essence only with Lidia Gorbik, then for the men the struggle between our and the Japanese gymnasts flared up in earnest, and this must be mentioned in more detail.
Competing with the Japanese is always an event. And two world champions arrived at once: in the all-around, Shigeru Kasamatsu, and in the team, Hiroshi Kajiyama. Moreoever, Kajiyama is only 21 years old, and the coaches of the Japanese team consider him Kasamatsu's successor. It was also interesting to compare the class of Shindo Shiraishi (eighth place in the Japanese championships) and Takashi Kume (thirteenth, and national champion on the high bar). The tactics of our old rivals is clear: if they shoot young guys at international competitions, it means they are preparing them for the Olympic team.
Our mini team was composed according to the same principle: it was headed by Olympic champion Viktor Klimenko, and his 'helpers' were 17-year-olds Alexander Dityatin and Gennady Krysin, and 18-year-old Vladimir Tikhonov - also candidates for the Olympic team. Klimenko's task was more difficult - after the failure at the world championships, he treated his shoulder for a long time, could not compete at the USSR Cup, and now he had to prove that he had returned to fighting form.
After floor exercise, where Klimenko had 9.35, he clearly stumbled on the pommel horse (9.1), and it seemed that Viktor would not be able to control his nerves - he was too noticeably worried. Strict and silent, Kasamatsu, no matter how interested in the performances of his competitors, worked calmly but without inspiration. He understood that our youth would try not to lose face and would show everything they were capable of. Indeed, Tikhonov and Dityatin started excellently, and Kajiyama vaulted badly and also made a gross mistake on the parallel bars.
After three rotations, Dityatin was in the lead (28.4), Kasamatsu was 0.1 behind, and then Klimenko, Kajiyama, Krysin... But what about Shiraishi and Kume? Both of them made mistakes, and only Kume did well on the high bar (9.5). In general, the Japanese lost to our guys in terms of difficulty of the routines but, as one coach noted, they all have 'a rich motor reserve.' What is that? The Japanese performed their exercises with huge amplitude, and still there was a feeling that they could add something, jump even higher, show even more virtuosity on their dismounts. That's what Japanese style is!
Since Tikhonov and Dityatin performed their vaults unsuccessfully, Kasamatsu and Klimenko, feeling that the first prize apparently would have to be won among themselves, went for broke and then the situation became very tense. Kasamatsu took the lead, and Viktor lagged behind by 0.35 points. Viktor later said: "The fifth apparatus is the most accountable. I went to the parallel bars, and Kasamatsu to the pommel horse, I had no right to give in here, although the Japanese, thanks to his long arms, works great on the horse. I was glad I was performing my routine well, everything worked out for me. And I didn't hear the audience gasp - Shigeru sat down on the horse. I got 9.5, and he got 9.15."
That's where those thirty-five hundredths were hiding! Now there were two leaders. But Kume and Kajiyama were pressing on their heels (after all, Tikhonov and Dityatin once again had trouble, this time on the parallel bars - their difficulty was in order but not their stability).
Klimenko stood, worried, under the high bar, and his brother and coach Mikhail massaged his shoulder. Of course: a fundamental duel! The Japanese do not work half-heartedly, as was the case last year. He tried, but Kasamatsu finally threw off his mask of detachment and kept looking toward the high bar, where our guys were warming up... The world champion's nerves failed him: he pulled and pulled to do a combination on the rings, but was unsuccessful. The judges gave him only 9.1. And Klimenko - well done! - with great speed famously took off in a moon salto high above the platform. He stood it up! 9.5. Victory!
Kim and Gorbik shone in the event finals. The vault was won by 13-year-old Olga Koval, who performed an excellent twisting Tsukahara.
In the men's finals, strong routines were shown by Dityatin on vault and Kume on high bar. In an exhibition performance, Gennady Krysin performed a triple somersault dismount on the high bar. Excellently done.
TECHNICAL RESULTS
II international gymnastics competitions for the prize of the Moscow News newspaper. Moscow. April 5-6.
Women. All-around. 1. N. Kim (URS) - 38.3, 2. L. Gorbik (URS) - 38.05, 3. O. Koval (URS) - 37.5, 4. L. Bogdanova (URS) - 37.35, 5. A. Glebova (URS) - 37.3, 6. H. Gerisch (GDR) - 36.8.
Men. 1. V. Klimenko (URS) - 56.45, 2. S. Kasamatsu (JPN) - 56.05, 3. V. Tikhonov (URS) - 55.5, 4. A. Dityatin (URS) - 55.45, 5. T. Kume (JPN) - 55.4, 6. H. Kajiyama (JPN) - 55.35
Individual event finals. Finals score is in brackets. Women. Vault: 1. Koval - 18.85 (9.45), 2. Gorbik - 18.75 (9.35) and Kim - 18.75 (9.25). Uneven bars: 1. Kim and Gorbik - 19.15 (9.55), 3. A. Szommer (HUN) - 18.4 (9.3). Beam: 1. Kim - 19.2 (9.6), 2. Bogdanova - 18.95 (9.3), 3. Gorbik - 18.5 (9.05). Floor exercise: 1. Kim and Gorbik - 19.25 (9.65), 3. Koval - 19.05 (9.55).
Men. Floor: 1. Tikhonov - 18.75 (9.35), 2. Kasamatsu (JPN) - 18.7 (9.2), 3. D. Fitzjarrell (USA) - 18.65 (9.25). Pommel horse. 1. Dityatiin - 18.8 (9.2), 2. B. Puszkas (HUN) - 18.75 (9.25), 3. R. Richards (CUB) - 18.5 (9.1). Rings: 1. Klimenko - 18.9 (9.3), 2. Dityatin - 18.7 (9.25), 3. Kim Son Din (PRK) - 18.45 (9.2). Vault: 1. J. Tabak (TCH) - 18.7 (9.3), 2. G. Tannenberg (TCH) and R. Barthel (GDR) - 18.55 (9.2). Parallel bars: 1. Kasamatsu - 19.2 (9.6), 2. Kajiyama - 18.65 (9.4), 3. Kim Son Din - 18.4 (9.1). High bar: 1. Kume (JPN) - 19.05 (9.55), 2. Kajiyama - 18.8 (9.35), 3. J. Cuervo (CUB) - 18.65 (9.35).
V. GOLUBEV