Gymn Forum: The Last Round (Steffi Kraker)

The Last Round

Neue Zeit, 18 November 1981

This year’s gymnastics world championships will open on Sunday evening in the Moscow Sports Palace on Prospekt Mira. On Monday from 1:30pm to 3:45pm, our men will use the equipment to show the new compulsory exercises that will be valid up to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Our women will compete in the compulsory exercises on Tuesday from 1:30pm to 3:00pm. They will be led by a 21-year-old woman from Leipzig, for whom not only these compulsories, but also this world championships are, so to speak, her “last round.” After that, Steffi Kraker will say good-bye to competitive gymnastics.

At first glance, there are definitely a lot of gymnastics fans who would not put Steffi Kraker into the first row of our rich traditions in women’s gymnastics. Unlike Karin Janz or Maxi Gnauck, she was never an Olympic champion; unlike Erika Zuchold or Annelore Zinke, she was also not a world champion – or unlike Angelika Hellmann, “at least” a European champion. But Steffi’s series is of a length that none of the aforementioned gymnasts can match.

Between 1976 and 1981, Steffi Kraker participated twice in the Olympic Games. As a memento, she got 1 silver and 3 bronze medals. She will be called up for the third time at a world championships for our squad in Moscow – again as captain. Her previous record: four bronze medals. She competed at four World Cup competitions, and brought two gold, four silver and four bronze medals. She competed once at the European Championships, which brought her a bronze medal.

The man who stood by her side on this long journey was Helmut Gerschau at SC Leipzig, a trainer who mostly coaches from the quiet corner of the hall – and who is always there when the gymnast urgently needs his helping hand. Otherwise, he consciously demands independence, “because in a competition the athletes have to go to the equipment alone.” Gerschau also remembers Steffi’s international debut. That took place not at the 1976 Montreal Olympics but in 1973 at the Youth Friendship Tournament in Gera. Because she was one of the youngest, Steffi was only named for our second team, but still came eighth in the all-around competition and on the beam – and third on vault. At that competition, the stars were Nadia Comaneci and Nelli Kim and they fought a great battle. A year later it was Steffi who set the tone at the same competition, the great talent show of our socialist community of countries in distant Pyongyang. She was second in the all-around competition, fourth on vault, on bars, and on beam.

“Steffi has never really been the winner all these years. But you could rely on her 100%,” explained Gerschau, who will be able to send her to Moscow for her “last round” with confidence. “Her weight of 50.4 kg. is ideal, and she doesn’t feel too old among the very young girls,” said Gerschau. Steffi grabs his hand. “But after Moscow I’ll come back to the hall. Maybe I can help here and there.”

The coach nodded and understood. “You can rely on Steffi!”