Sovetsky Sport. April 11, 1975. The fifth Riga-75 international gymnastics competition, with the participation of athletes from twenty-two countries, continues in the capital of Latvia. World champion Nina Dronova became the winner in the all-around optional program. She was awarded the main prize, the amber beam.
Again, the representatives of the Soviet school of gymnastics are ahead. An involuntary comparison arises: in our team there were more and more schoolgirls - tenth-grader from Vitebsk Svetlana Kudinova, ninth-grader from Voroshilovgrad Elena Kolesnikova, eighth-graders Elena Primak from Chelyabinsk, Alla Zelenko from Minsk, and Ilona Yarans from Riga. Only Nina Dronova is already a student. She is studying at the Institute of Physical Culture in a new department: sports commentator.
The Course of the Fight
Primak and Dronova had 9.4 on uneven bars, but Lena's routine was more difficult - she performed it sharply, recklessly, and with visible pleasure. Nina won me over with her elegaic performance, and a smile never left her face. Kolesnikova started her exercise perfectly, but the small red-haired girl missed the pole, stood on the mat and looked sadly at her coach M. Artemenko. However, she gathered her strength and finished her exercise to the end.
In the first shift, none of the foreign gymnasts except for Heike Gerisch of the GDR could compete with them.
Kolesnikova rehabilitated herself on the beam. Here she had the best score (9.5) and she moved to fourth place. Dronova and Primak again received the same score (9.4) and continued to lead.
Who Are You, 1976 Olympian?
They are so different, our young gymnasts. They have something siilar to each other. In each you can guess the features of those who glorified our sport...
Svetlana Kudinova is a student of Vikenty Dmitriev. They call her 'our little Lazya.' Indeed, Sveta resembles Tamara Lazakovich, who recently became a mother and helped Dmitriev coach Kudinova. Sveta's manner of execution is the spitting image of Lazakovich: the same toes stretched to their limit, an eagle profile, and a sporting anger.
Alla Zelenko is a student of Viktor Khomutov. You can see the features of Polina Astakhova in her; she is just as lyrical and sublime. But I would say that Alla is similar to Lida Gorbik, with whom she trains - the same hairstyle, the same smart eyes, and the same bright talent. In general, Zelenko is the discovery of this year. People liked her performances at the USSR Cup, despite her fall on the uneven bars. And now, she showed a good class but she fell again on the uneven bars. Her coach Khomutov severely reprimanded her for this, and the subject, lowering her eyes, listened to him attentively and promised to improve.
On floor exercisese, Alla Zelenko (her routine was choreographed by the Merited Coach of the Byelorussian SSR Larisa Gudieva) received an excellent score - 9.6 points. Khomutov rushed to congratulate the accompanist of the national team, Alexander Makarov. The choreographer of the national team, Galina Savarina, applauded for the first time, although she never does this. Then she excitedly said, "This is a marvelous occasion. The floor routine really made a sensation. How well everything turned out - the music seemed to have been written for Zelenko." What happened?
Monologue
Alexander Makarov says: "Imagine, they forgot Alla Zelenko's floor exercise music in Moscow. During the warm-up, I tried to select other music. I tried one melody after another - they didn't work. And suddenly improvisation was born. I remembered the music of Antonina Koshel. And I decided to play the music from the film The Godfather. And now everyone has seen that this melody is surprisiingly suitable for Zelenko. By the way, her exercise almost exactly repeats that of Koshel, a student of Khomutov. Of course, I was very worried when I was playing, but Alla subtly felt the music and everything turned out great."The Course of the Fight
So, I've already told you about Alla Zelenko's floor exercise. Kolesnikova had a great performance. As always, Dronova looked excellent. Her composition to music from the film Heavenly Thunder was choreographed by Galina Savarina. Nina got her second score of 9.5. After three events, Dronova took the lead (28.3), and Primak lagged behind by 0.05 points.
On the final rotation, the vault, Dronova performed best of all. Her handspring with a twist received 9.45 from the judges. And she became the all-around winner.
TECHNICAL RESULTS
V Riga-75 international gymnastics competition. Riga April 9. Women. Optional program. All-around. 1. N. Dronova (URS) - 37.75; 2. E. Primak (URS) - 37.55; 3. E. Kolesnikova (URS) - 37.25; 4. S. Kudinova (URS) and A. Carr (USA) - 37.0; 6. H. Gerisch (GDR) - 36.85.