Sovetsky Sport. May 20, 1981. On the eve of the men's European Gymnastics Championships in Rome, the capital of Italy, the sports desks of TASS and ADN conducted interviews with Roland Bruckner (GDR), the 1980 Olympic champion in the floor exercise, and Alexander Dityatin, the world and Olympic all-around champion and two-time World Cup winner.
What attracts you to gymnastics?
Bruckner: What appeals to me most of all is the multifaceted nature of this sport. Strength, speed, endurance, and coordination of movement merge into a single whole - otherwise, success is impossible. In no other sport can one express one's individuality as fully as here.
Dityatin: Gymnastics is a magnificent sport. It sculpts an athlete's physique, making them slender, superbly coordinated, courageous, and agile. Modern gymnastics is a formative discipline. It teaches one to take risks - but to take justified risks. It encourages every individual to become a creator; without this, one cannot achieve victory on the international stage - one must be distinctive and unique. And in terms of the sheer beauty of movement, in my opinion, no other athlete can rival a gymnast.
What accounts for the rapid progress of gymnastics in recent years?
Bruckner: Striking new elements, showcased by athletes at major competitions, become publicly accessible and are immediately adopted by dozens of gymnasts who, in turn, strive to offer a more original interpretation of the trick. International regulations encourage this pursuit. This serves as a vital catalyst for the development of gymnastics.
Dityatin: First, gymnastics has become immensely popular in many countries around the world in recent years, giving rise to dozens of talented young athletes who are certainly not lacking in ambition. This has significantly broadened the field of contenders for medals at major competitions and intensified the battle for them - a dynamic that typically provides a powerful impetus for the further development of any given sport. Second, this progress is driven by increasingly rigorous demands regarding the complexity and originality of the exercises performed. Indeed, virtually every gymnast stepping onto the podium at a major tournament today executes routines that, just ten years ago, neither experts nor athletes could have even dreamed of.
Who serves as your ideal in gymnastics?
Bruckner: I am currently the oldest gymnast at my club, Dinamo (Berlin). In years past, I was an admirer of Klaus Koste from Leipzig - the 1972 Olaympic champion in the vault. He was a role model for me. Klaus was able to extract the absolute maximum from every single event.
Dityatin: The first Soviet all-around Olympic champion: Viktor Chukarin. Not only a a gymnast - selflessly devoted to his sport - but also as a human being. He is a man of extraordinary charm, filled with a wonderous love for people.
Which gymnasts from various eras would you name as the most outstanding, and why?
Bruckner: I would like to name three gymnasts. First and foremost, the Japanese gymnast Sawao Kato and the Soviet gymnast Nikolai Andrianov. For many years, they remained among the very best, demonstrating new and increasingly beautiful routines. Sustaining this level of excellence over such a prolonged period is extremely difficult - and truly worthy of admiration. Currently, I am captivated by Alexander Dityatin, whom I condsider the ideal all-arounder - a world-class specialist on every apparatus.
Dityatin: Chukarin - as well as the Soviet gymnast Mikhail Voronin and the Japanese gymnast Sawao Kato. I have already spoken about Chukarin. Voronin brought to the competition floor a light, elegant style of working on the apparatuses, a perfection and polish to his routines, and a completeness of line. Kato is a truly fascinating gymnast - a unique phenomenon in the world of sport, distinguished by his talent, his athletic longevity, and his sheer willpower.
What is your opinion on modern women's gymnastics, and whose style appeals to you the most?
Bruckner: The developmental trends in women's gymnastics largely mirror those of men's gymnastics. It is truly admirable that female gymnasts are adopting many elements traditionally performed by men - most notably on the uneven bars, where they execute skills such as the Delchev Salto, the Tkachev release, and giant swings. There are several gymnasts whose achievements command my deep respect. However, I would like to place my clubmate, Maxi Gnauck, at the very top of that list. She embodies confidence and composure; for her, committing a major error during a performance is simply unthinkable. She executes exceptionally difficult elements and has made significant strides in terms of artistic expression.
Dityatin: Modern women's gymnastics cannot fail to inspire admiration; it has become so rich in content that even men are often astonished by the rapid strides the young women are making up the ladder of dificulty. The athletes' technical proficiency has grown significantly; however, when it comes to artistry, beauty of movement, and charm, I believe they still have serious work ahead of them.
Personally, I prefer the style of gymnastics brought to the floor by my compatriot, sixteen-year-old Elena Naimushina - a team gold medalist at the 1980 Olympics. Her style appeals not only for its polished technique and the high difficulty of her routines but also for its sheer exuberance, sincerity, and charm. She leaves no one indifferent. Such gymnastics is a rarity these days - and that's a pity! I champion a style of gymnastics in which the pursuit of the "trick" does not eclipse the athlete's individuality or unique identity.
What can you say about Soviet (and GDR) gymnastics - and about each other?
Bruckner: Soviet athletes occupy one of the leading positions in world gymnastics. This is evidenced by the fact that an ever-increasing number of young Soviet athletes manage to join the ranks of the elite. No other country in the world can boast such a talent pool.
A long-standing friendship binds us to the Soviet athletes. We meet at competitions and exchange valuable experience. I share a very warm relationship with Alexander Dityatin, about whom I have already said a few words. At the Moscow Olympics, he was the first to congratulate me on my gold medal in the floor exercises.
Dityatin: GDR men's gymnastics has made significant progress in recent years, and I believe the primary architects of this success have been the talented athletes who have emerged in the country - first and foremost, Roland Bruckner and Michael Nikolay. In other words, this already formidable team now boasts strong leaders whom the others can look to as role models.
The success of the GDR national team at the last Olympics was no fluke. The country's gymnasts are distinguished by their strong acrobatics, high leaps, and consistency. Their routines meet the demands of the most modern gymnastics. However, it seems to me that they need to devote greater attention to refining their artistry and the precision of their execution - as well as to their physical conditioning, particularly on the rings.
I know Roland from his performances in numerous competitions. He has always impressed me as a strong and consistent gymnast - an opponent who is both a pleasure and a considerable challenge to face on the competition floor, particularly when the highest honors in the floor exercise are at stake. Yet, beyond that, this smiling athlete possesses a unique ability to create a special atmosphere of warmth and mutual understanding around himself.
In your opinion, what is the balance of power heading into the European Championships?
Bruckner: Making a prediction here is quite difficult. A fierce struggle lies ahead. The Soviet gymnasts, the Bulgarian Stoyan Delchev, and representatives from Hungary and the GDR all have good chances of winning medals. Surprises are also possible.
Dityatin: First and foremost, I would name the winner of two gold medals at the Moscow Olympics - Alexander Tkachev - as well as Delchev and Bruckner.
Tell us a little about your life outside of gymnastics.
Bruckner: Daily training sessions, numerous competitions, and my studies at the Higher School of Physical Education - I intend to become a coach - leave me with very little time for other pursuits. When I do have free time, I devote it primarily to my children: three-year-old Sandra and seven-month-old Thomas. I enjoy reading - above all, contemporary literature. Occasionally, I listen to records of modern music; and, of course, I take an interest in everything related to sports, though I do not give preference to any single athletic discipline.
Dityatin: I am a student at the Leningrad Institute of Physical Culture. My studies take up a considerable amount of time. I enjoy spending time with my son, Alyosha, who is not yet two years old. My wife, Elena, is the same age as I am - she is 23. She is a student at the same institute. In our free time, we enjoy cross-country skiing in the winter, and fishing and mushroom picking in the summer. And, in any season, we are frequent visitors to Leningad's theaters, particularly the Opera and Ballet Theater and the Bolshoi Drama Theater.
V. NIKIFOROVA (TASS - MOSCOW)
G. ELBRACHT (ADN - BERLIN)