Gymn Forum: Annelore is Here Again

Annelore is Here Again

Neue Zeit, 9 March 1976

In the run-up to the Olympics, our gymnasts also got into conversation in the Olympic winter. They fought 3 dual meets in the past 3 weeks and won them all, with 377.15:353.00 against Norway, 378.55 to 372.45 in Cottbus against the CSSR, and now in Potsdam with 382.30:361.15 against Cuba. In the run-up to the Olympics, however, there was also talk of the four-time European champion Nadia Comaneci, who received the perfect score of 10 on six out of eight apparatus (compulsory and optional) against Canada. Now, she has added three more 10s against a dual competition with the FRG. She seems to be the big Olympic favorite.

That is also the opinion of Annelore Zinke, our uneven bars world champion. It has been very quiet about her in the last few months. On June 11, on the occasion of the Olympic day of athletes in Berlin, Karin Janz brought us the bad news. “Annelore fell badly during training today. Nobody knows what will happen to her at the moment…” The skill of Doctors Ahrendt and Albrecht may be mentioned. Her indomitable will (she received half a meter stack of mail from well-wishers) helped Zinke get over the mountain.

Now, she’s done gymnastics again in Potsdam for the first time, even if it’s “only” in a DTV selection that defeated the Budapest city selection 377.60:367.50. Zinke finished second (75.65) behind her Dynamo clubmate Angelika Hellmann (76.40). “I am very satisfied with this start. I didn’t expect this result after resuming training,” she told us afterwards. Above all, she was excited about her uneven bars routine. She left nothing out, although she improvised a little in between, with the piked somersault, and flickflack to hang. Thunderous applause. “I don’t have the strength right now, but that will come soon,” she said. “Of, course, first of all I’m thinking of getting onto our 10-person Olympic training squad. If everything goes well, I want to reach bars finals in Montreal,” the 17-year-old student said as she outlined her near and distant goals. Coach Jurgen Heritz, who has already led Karin Janz to titles and medals, trusts the 1.55m small and 43kg heavy fighter. “If she hadn’t had a cold in January, Annelore would already be right in front again.” The world uneven bars champion never felt alone in the past nine months. Karin Janz often came to visit, and she herself was invited to many a chat in Karin’s apartment. “Karin also gave me the courage not to give up, although I thought about it often. Now that I’ve almost made it again, I’m very happy about it.”

We can hope again about Annelore Zinke. “But Carola Dombeck has the best chances on our team at the moment,” summed up Annelore. The 15-year-old girl from Halle has received a 10 like Comaneci for a technically perfect and super high vault. The international competition has already adjusted to the brave GDR vaulter. Nadia recently said, “I also have to come up with something new…”