Gymnastics

[lpatrice]

kokopelli said:

lpatrice said:

Check out this awesome montage of Soviet/Russian gymnasts....simply amazing. You might have to wait just a minute for it start. Damn. How is that the sport seems like it was much more creative, artistic, and awe inspiring than it is now.

lpatrice, after clicking on that link, I spent about an hour yesterday surfing YouTube for routines done by Tourischeva, Podkopayeva, Nellie Kim (sorry Swannie), Olga Korbut, etc. The sport's just not the same anymore......

You and me both. I typed in Soviet gymnasts, Russian gymnasts, etc and got a treasure trove of great routines. All I can do is shake my head at what happened to the sport. Things are just not the same anymore. Don't get me wrong, I still watch occasionally but more and more I find myself just thinking about the "golden olden days". LOL.

[Deleted]

I think the thing that always strikes me looking at gymnastics then and now is the lack of musicality and the finishing of dance elements. The Soviet era gymnasts right until the system collapsed could stay in time with the music, could actually feel the music, and had the finishing elements of body line and pointed toes. I don't know what exactly is going on in gyms today, but it just isn't there anymore.

This is especially apparent if you compare the floor exercises from then to the ones now. Today its all herky jerky movements. It's all spastic, and no one is trying to dance anymore. The goal now seems to be filling the time. There are exceptions to the rule. The former Soviet Republics still follow the old standard for the most part, the Chinese are starting to finally put it all together, and the Romanians although never the trend setters in this respect, were always polished, if not too rehearsed. But the I don't know why American gyms can't produce prettier gymnastics. I really miss it.

[lpatrice]

This is amazing. Check out this beam routine from Tatiana Groshkova, I was practically speechless afterwards....incredible.

[Deleted]

lpatrice said:

This is amazing. Check out this beam routine from Tatiana Groshkova, I was practically speechless afterwards....incredible.

One of the best beam routines I've ever seen. Thanks for posting lpatrice

[lyrasilver]

That is an amazing beam routine - thanks lpatrice. I was searching around Youtube and I found some really great stuff. Olesia Dudnik's floor is just gorgeous. She really feels the music - the way she hits the end of the first tumbling pass just as the music swells. Awesome. And she has one of the coolest bar mounts I've ever seen.

[inkster]

Olga Korbut's bar routine at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and the first perfect 10 for Nadia's compulsory bar routine at the 1976 Games in Montreal.

The bars collapse as Ludmilla Tourischeva dismounts, and she doesn't even look back.

Event finals for the 1966 Worlds.

Someone put together an interesting montage of the evolution of the uneven bars from the 1950s to 2004

Paul Hunt's humorous take on the uneven bars.

[Daisy Pusher]

inkster said:

Olga Korbut's bar routine at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and the first perfect 10 for Nadia's compulsory bar routine at the 1976 Games in Montreal.

The bars collapse as Ludmilla Tourischeva dismounts, and she doesn't even look back.

I love that Korbut routine, and the commentators practically peeing themselves with excitement.

In that dismount, Nadia reminds me of a bird, she just looks like she will keep flying.

Tourischeva....wow. Talk about Icewoman. That was awesome.

[swanflake]

Here are a collection of videos of what I consider to be some of the absolute greatest exercises of all time on each women's artistic event in no particular order. I'll do men's and rhythmic later.

I didn't blue any of the links to save time.

VAULT:
Natalia Laschenova, URS/LAT -- 1989 Worlds all-around
Cheng Fei, CHN -- 2005 Worlds event finals -- Vault #1; Vault #2
Elena Produnova, RUS -- 1999 World University Games
Vanessa Atler, USA -- 1999 US Nationals all-around -- Vault #1; Vault #2
Svetlana Khorkina, RUS -- 2004 Olympics all-around
Oksana Chusovitina, URS/UZB -- 1992 Worlds event finals
Annia Hatch, USA -- 2004 US Nationals prelims
Yang Yun, CHN -- 2000 Olympic team finals Vault #2

UNEVEN BARS:
Svetlana Khorkina, RUS -- 2002 Euros team finals; all-around
Svetlana Khorkina, RUS -- 2000 Olympics event finals
Svetlana Khorkina, RUS -- 1996 Olympics event finals
Mo Huilan, CHN -- 1995 Worlds event finals
Lu Li, CHN -- 1992 Olympics event finals
Luo Li, CHN -- 1994 Worlds event finals
Nadia Comaneci, ROM -- 1976 Olympics
Maxi Gnauck, GDR -- 1983 Worlds uneven bars
Fan Di, CHN -- 1989 Worlds all-around

Okay, I might be getting carried away... Either way, I have to go now but I'll return later and add a few more bar routines and then do beam and floor.

[lyrasilver]

Great links, SwanFlake. Looking forward to the next bunch.

[swanflake]

I'm sorry I haven't posted any more YouTube routines yet, but before I do to help put it all into perspective, check out this new floor exercise attrocity from Chellsie Memmel, to the music of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" by Joan Jett[/color]. It is beyond hideous. She has reached a new low. Gymnastics has reached a new low. Any gymnast who would take that horseshit routine to the Olympic Games should be ashamed of themselves.

Her dad is kinda cute for an old guy, though.