Komsomolets. March 9, 1978. "If you were to take one of the most valuable qualities of each gymnast who competed at the 1976 Olympics and combine them, you'd get a portrait of Natalia Shaposhnikova, a schoolgirl from Rostov-on-Don. She seamlessly combines musicality, artistry, elegance, and a strong character. Over the five years of training together, I've gotten to know Natasha well. I think Shaposhnikova will dominate the world stage at the Moscow Olympics." This is how outstanding Soviet gymnast Lyudmila Turischeva described Natasha Shaposhnikova.
The current champion expressed a very compelling opinion. After Lyudmila Turischeva, Olga Korbut, and Elvira Saadi left the big stage, a period of 'multi-power' began in the USSR women's team. Last spring, Maria Filatova became the all-around national champion, defeating Elena Mukhina and Natalia Shaposhnikova. A month later, at the European Championships in Prague, Mukhina set the tone, outscoring both Filatova and three-time Olympic gold medalist Nellie Kim, who was making her first appearance after a long break. Shaposhnikova could only envy this trio: a bronze medalist at the USSR Championships, she was an alternate in Prague, but in October, Natasha won the USSR Cup. Her success seemed complete and profound. But a month later, at the World Cup in Oviedo, Spain, Filatova was back in action, taking first place. Shaposhnikova, meanwhile, finished third in the all-around and first only on the vault.
This is a brief chronology of last season. And although Shaposhnikova, as we can see, wasn't among the best in every tournament, it was arguably in 1977 that she first made a serious bid for leadership.
Vladislav Rastorotsky, the coach who trained Lyudmila Turischeva, is a straightforward and open person. I remember before the Montreal Olympics, upset that his second student hadn't made the Olympic team, he said on the sidelines of the Minsk Sports Palace:
"It's okay, it's okay, the whole world will hear about her! It's my fault she fell through the cracks. I was paying all my attention to Turischeva - after all, she was preparing for her third Olympics. Natasha trained almost entirely on her own. But it will do her good..."
Shaposhnikova made her senior debut in the spring of 1976 at the Moscow international tournament for the Moscow News Prize. Her debut was a success, finishing third. A year later, at this traditional competition, Natasha placed second, behind only Olympic champion Maria Filatova. The girl from Rostov hasn't changed much in a year. Her program, however, has. Her balance beam and floor routines were a real spectacle, engaging and dramatic. It's a shame that Natasha fell on the balance beam...
Shaposhnikova performed her floor rotuine to music from the ballet The Nutcracker. Natasha has an amazingly sensitive sense of music - both the fluidity of her movements and the playfulness of a true Nutcracker. You don't even notice the complex acrobatic sequences. She takes off diagonally: a whirlwind of acrobatic leaps, and suddenly, as if from a catapult, her body soars high into the air - a double pike somersault! An element that not all male gymnasts can master.
Lyudmila Turischeva and Natalia Shaposhnikova. Two dissimilar students of the same coach. Turischeva is a symbol of patience and obedience, while Shaposhnikova is a debater. The two gymnasts' athletic biographies are somewhat similar. Turischeva started in a ballet studio, then switched to gymnastics. Natasha began practicing rhythmic gymnastics in second grade and later became interested in competitive gymnastics. Lyudmila was named to the national team at fifteen, and Natasha donned the USSR national team uniform at the same age in 1976. Turischeva was the hardest worker in Rastorotsky's group, and Shaposhnikova trains the hardest.
Let's remember: Turischeva also had her share of setbacks early on. At her first Olympics in Mexico City, she placed 24th in the all-around competition. But she never wavered from her goal. And in this, Shaposhnikova takes her older friend's example.
I saw how tenderly Lyudmila cared for Shaposhnikova at the World Cup in Oviedo, Spain, in October 1977. In fact, it was Natasha's first major competition abroad. She arrived with a wonderful new program. On the uneven bars, she mastered a truly unique giant swing on the top bar, with a double somersault. But she especially excelled in her floor exercises to the music from the ballet Carmen. The author of the musical arrangement, the USSR team's accompanish, Evsey Vevrik, and choreographer Lilia Sokolova named the composition "Little Toreador." And it must be said that Shaposhnikova's routine simply captivated the Spaniards.
She, however, stumbled on the uneven bars and tripped on the balance beam. Rastorostky even got angry, lost his temper, and said something harsh to Natasha. She looked at him with her tear-filled eyes and remained silent. It was then that Turischeva hugged the little girl, consoling her. And Shaposhnikova calmed down, pulled herself together, and executed her vault perfectly. Third place in the all-around - a stroke of luck. And in the final - a shared joy. The gold medal for a wonderful Tsukahara with a twist on the vault.
Turischeva says:
"The most important thing about Natasha's character is that she takes failures acutely, but not for long. She strives to be first. Her talent lies in an amazing combination of flexibility and sharpness. Shaposhnikova's mind-boggling tricks have a feminine softness, executed without visible strain. She's a very engaging gymnast."
V. GOLUBEV, Master of Sports