Leningradskaya Pravda. November 23, 1965. My first encounter with Natasha Kuchinskaya (like, probably, for most Leningraders) was thanks to Central Television. A report from the national gymnastics championship was being broadcast from Kiev. After the exercises on two apparatuses, the announcer declared: "Before the balance beam competition, leading in points is the Leningrad schoolgirl Natasha Kuchinskaya..." It was incredible! A fifteen-year-old girl was vying for the title of champion of the world's strongest gymnastics nation, in a competition where world-famous gymnasts were participating.
When Natasha began her routine on the balance beam, not only the audience in Kiev Palace of Sports but also all the television viewers held their breath: there as so much grace and inspiration in her elegant movements on the narrow wooden beam. And the arena gasped when, during a simple element, the slender figure of the gymnast with her playful bows suddenly swayed and fell off the beam. A second later, however, the young gymnast was back on the apparatus - Natasha completed the routine, but precious points had already been lost.
Natasha Kuchinskaya did not win a medal at her 'debut' championship. However, even those unfamiliar with the intricacies of gymnastics could see that a new, bright talent had arrived in the world of competitive sports.
Readers are already familiar with Natasha Kuchinskaya's sporting achievements. But probably few know that her younger sister, Marina Kuchinskaya, at the age of fourteen, has already won several sports awards. This year she met the requirements for the Master of Sports title, becoming the Leningrad champion in rhythmic gymnastics and the winner of the All-Union competitions of the Trud sports society. And her coach was...her mother, Ekaterina Yakovlevna. It's quite a sporty family! After all, her father, Alexander Alexandrovich Kuchinsky, currently heads the sports games department at the physical education department of the Leningrad Institute of Railway Engineers.
"Yes, having such daughters is certainly a great happiness," said Alexander Alexandrovich. "Sometimes people tell my wife and me: 'Your girls are child prodigies, they were born athletes!' But recalling every step in their lives, I, as a teacher, must say that they became like this when they truly befriended physical education..."
It turns out that the sisters didn't stand out in any particular way during their childhood. Like everyone else, they ran around and jumped rope. However, Natasha and Marina became regulars at sports gyms a very long time ago - their parents often took them to their training sessions when they were still very young. That's probably why, as soon as Natasha turned ten, she appeared at the doorstep of a children's sports school.
"Gymnastics didn't immediately become my strong point," says Natasha. "At school, I initially signed up for six sports sections and four clubs!"
However, everything soon fell into place: Natasha retained two great passions - gymnastics and mathematics. She is currently successfuly completing the 10th grade at specialized mathematics school No. 239.
"Why do I like mathematics?" Natasha asks, and after a moment's thought, she replied: "You see, it feels so good when you struggle and struggle with a problem and then suddenly you solve it!"
Apparently, this character trait helps her successfully solve sports challenges as well. Her gymnastics coach, Vladimir Mikhailovich Reison, likes to choose the 'easier, more well-trodden paths' for his talented student. However, Vladimir Mikhailovich sometimes gets angry because Natasha occasionally comes to training tired (after competing for her class in swimming or track and field). But this is also a trait of her character: she cannot live apart from the interests of her friends, from the life of the group.
"We once decided to relieve her of her morning duties at school (since she has to train a lot in the gym these days)," recalled the school principal, Marina Vasilievna Matkovskaya. "But that wasn't going to happen. 'I will do everything that my class does!' Natasha declared. We had to back down..."
That evening, I couldn't resist and asked the sensitive question: how long did Natasha dwell on her failure at the championship, when she fell off the balance beam? "Failure? But isn't the fact that I was able to compete on equal terms with the strongest competitors a success in itself?!"
This revealed another side of Natasha's character - the character of an optimist who believes that all the best is yet to come!
Training for three to four hours five times a week, competing in competitions at the Master of Sports level, and getting only A's and B's in school. Difficult? Absolutely! "But it makes life so interesting!" said Natasha.
The best gymnasts in the country once again took to the platform of the Moscow Sports Palace yesterday. The 32nd USSR championships opened in Luzhniki. And we will once again be watching and cheering for Natasha Kuchinskaya on our television screens.
A. TSELYAK