Sovetsky Sport. October 25, 1973. The publication of the names of the gymnasts of the GDR who will go to the IX European Championship in London surprised some fans of this sport in our republic. Most believed that in England the honor of our country would be defended by the best gymnasts of the season, Sylvia Schaefer and Inga Hanke (both from Leipzig). But national team coach Heidrun Brunner, who replaced Ellen Berger, was pleased to tell us that Angelika Hellmann would be able to compete again after a long pause caused by a serious injury.
Among other things, Angelika knows how to control her nerves, so her chances in London challenging the Soviet gymnasts Turischeva and Korbut in the vault and on the uneven bars are not so bad. Angelika has a Tsukahara vault, on the uneven bars she retained her polished Olympic program and included some elements from the now-classic program of her friend from the club (Dinamo Berlin), Karin Janz.
I recently spoke with Karin Janz. Here is her opinion about the London championship: "Our heiresses must finally realize that everything depends on themselves. Erika and I (she's talking about Erika Zuchold) have achieved everything through a lot of diligence and a lot of experience. I believe that Angelika will be able to achieve a lot on the vault if she has a good landing on both attempts."
It must be said that Hellmann is progressing noticeably both in beam and on floor. But progress is inconceivable without versatility. So, in floor exercises, she performed a double Arabian leap, as well as many interesting connections.
For the first time after a long period of injury, Angelika appeared in public during the four-city competition of Berlin, Leipzig, Rostock and Halle. Sylvia Schaefer, an Olympic reserve team member, won with 37.2, ahead of the young Gitta Escher (36.95) and Angelika Hellmann (36.9). Hellmann would have won, if not for a fall during the execution of the 'wheel' on the balance beam. Fourth at this competition was Kerstin Gerschau (36.8), who is now going to London. She really showed herself well at the international competition in April, where she took fourth place.
Kerstin is not someone who, having once won a sports competition, goes through life easily and then disappears from sight. She was born in Leipzig into a well-known gymnastic family: her mother was a gymnast, and her father, Helmut Gerschau, brought generations of Leipzig sportsmen to the gymnastic platform - from Ute Starke, to Marita Bauerschmidt, from Erika Zuchold to Sylvia Schaefer. Kerstin also dreamed of becoming a gymnast. For the first two years, she trained with her father who, by the way, did not recognize her talent. But she continued to train. Now she trains with Siegfried Gerisch at the Leipzig Sports Club. The national team coach Heidrun Brunner tells how Kerstin made her way to the national team:
"She invariably finished second at all domestic qualifying competitions. Usually she competes calmly, boldly, and with a smile. If the author is allowed to continue this characterization, he will say: she strongly resembles Erika Zuchold who, by the way, is her idol. At the June tournament in Rostock, she again fought the favorites: Inga Hanke won. Schaefer was second and Gerschau was third, ahead of two Olympians - I. Abel and R. Schmeisser. So Kerstin's stability is quite high."
If in the GDR they are not too optimistic about our chances at the upcoming European Championships, it is only because our young gymnasts, having noticeably made their programs more difficult after the Olympics, still cannot consistently perform them perfectly. Already now we agree on third places: during the festival we were once again convinced of Turischeva's brilliant skills, while Korbut performed no less magnificently at the Universiade in Moscow.
Coach R. Sonntag and judge S. Hlavacek are flying to London with the gymnasts. This is what Sonntag said to us when she left:
"Don't forget that anything can happen at a competition like the European Championships. A big mistake at the Olympics or the world championships can be quickly corrected. But it's hardly possible in London. So, the element of chance is not excluded..."
In the spring our gymnasts performed well. We can only wish them to perform as well in October.
HANS-JURGEN ZEUME, Deutsches Sportecho (GDR)