Elena mukhina family, childhood, life achievements, facts, wiki and bio of 2017. Mukhina soon realized the thomas salto was extremely dangerous for a woman because it depended on being able to get enough height and speed to make all the flips and midair. Its just not something that anybody can process, her longtime personal coach thomas alberti said. Shortly after her paralysis elena mukhina wrote a letter an old. As of the 20172020 quad, rollout skills including the thomas salto have been banned for both men and women. Our next outing in 2012 will be loaf life and other art festival over the weekend of 14th and 15th july. Sep 16, 2016 years later, in 1978, elena mukhina destroyed a filledout and less focused nadia comaneci at the world championships in strasbourg, france. The move is effectively banned for women as it was removed from the code of points following several serious accidents, most notably the paralysis of elena mukhina in 1980. Mukhina soon realized the thomas salto was extremely dangerous because it. Why an exgymnast thinks elite gymnastics should be banned.
This is a layout thomas with an additional full twist back one and three quarter salto with two and a half twists to dive roll. Shortly before the 1980 olympics elena mukhina who had won the. Elena mukhina biography 2017 facts, childhood, wiki. Mar 12, 2018 about kurt thomas, and kurt thomas 1978 worlds ef floor. So in 1996, the us women won their first ever team gold. Mukhina, the embodiment of elegance and strength, sacrificed her life and health in attempt to win an olympic medal for her country.
June 1, 1960 december 22, 2006 was a soviet gymnast who won the allaround title at the 1978 world championships in. At the age of five years elena lost both of her parents. Gymnastics deaths are rare, but previous disasters have prompted. Proprio il salto thomas doveva essere lasso nella manica di elena mukhina per conquistare una medaglia doro alle olimpiadi di mosca del 1980. Elana thomas phone, address, background info whitepages. Nov, 2019 in 1980, soviet gymnast elena mukhina was attempting a thomas salto when she broke her neck and became paralyzed. Elena mukhina, the girl with ice eyes elena mukhina was born on june 1rst, 1960 in urss. Thomas salto, rollout skill named after american mag kurt thomas. Find elena thomass phone number, address, and email on spokeo, the leading online directory for contact information. She nails it, though the thomas has since been banned from both female and male g. If there was one soviet gymnast who exemplified the ideal, it was mukhina. As a memorial to one of the greatest sovietera gymnasts ever, the biggest sports newspaper in russia, sovietskij sport, dedicated the cover of their christmas 2006 issue to her. About kurt thomas, and kurt thomas 1978 worlds ef floor. At a young age she took an interest in gymnastics and figure skating.
E lena mukhina muore a mosca il 22 dicenbre del 2006. June 1, 1960december 22, 2006, born in moscow, russian sfsr, was a former soviet gymnast who won the allaround title at the 1978 world championships at strasbourg, france. Last time a thomas salto performed in female gymnastics. After her injury a soviet coverup hurt elena mukhina even more. Kurt thomas wins gold on floor at the 1978 world championships. Made even more a tear jerker if there is a song playing just before it happens. I know many wont watch it mainly due to the length of it, but i had to just explain. Klimenko was not present at the time of the accident. Clip also includes snippets of thomas performing on pommel horse and high bar at the 1978 american cup. Mukhina and klimenko are shown in the edit to have problems. Womens artistic gymnastics during the cold war and its aftermath.
O salto thomas fora retirado do cop feminino e permaneceu no masculino ate 2008. Oc 18 months after her injury, elena mukhina wrote a letter. Having only her grandmother, there was nobody who could protect her. This page is a tribute to the wonderful russian gymnast yelena mukhina 19602006, who was. A mistake can involve a neck injury resulting in paralysis. Elena mukhina died of apparent complications from quadriplegia on.
But the story ends before elena was paralyzed in a training accident thomas salto 2 weeks before the opening of the 1980 summer olympics. Because of her devastating injury, mukhina could not be added to the 1980 soviet olympic team roster. Mukhina, who was learning a new tumbling move, the thomas salto, which had only been performed by men, attempted to do it on the floor. Some examples include this quintessentially greek farewell to the flame at the end of the 2004 athens games, the 2012 london closing ceremonies when take that performed rule the world, and at the 2010 vancouver closing ceremonies when neil. Many gymnasts have suffered serious concussions on these skills. When it was discovered that the fracture had not healed properly, mukhina was rushed into surgery again. Comaneci did win the world title on beam, and a silver on vault. Mukhina, the embodiment of elegance and strength, sacrificed her life and health in attempt to. Elena vyacheslavovna mukhina was a soviet gymnast who won the allaround title at the 1978 world championships in strasbourg. Every time the olympic flame is extinguished at the end of the games. In the entire eight years that have passed since the fateful injury suffered by mukhina at the training camp in minsk only two weeks before the start of the moscow olympics, the newspaper sovetsky sport has mentioned her twice the first time in a brief report that elena mukhina had suffered an injury and in all probability would not be. Whitepages people search is the most trusted directory.
The skill is banned in gymnastics competitions because it is. Davydova kept in contact with her and mukhina described her as a real friend. There had to be a way to incorporate her into the olympic record book. Before that, the best they could do was bronze in the 92 olympics. June 1, 1960 december 22, 2006 was a soviet gymnast who won the allaround title at the 1978 world championships in strasbourg, france. Song shed, unique in owned by elena thomas and dan. June 1, 1960 december 22, 2006, born in moscow, the. Nadia comaneci daily mirror frank taylor 1976 olympics ebay. She nails it, though the thomas has since been banned from both female and male gymnastics contests. Dec 27, 2019 thats why competitors need to stay away from moves like the thomas salto, which left elena mukhina quadriplegic when she landed on her chin before the moscow olympics in 1980. Moscow, 1987, book, in publications of the noc of the.
Join facebook to connect with elena thomas and others you may know. The tragic tale of soviet gymnastics star elena mukhina. Gymnastics tragedy the story of elena mukhina youtube. The thomas salto was named after american gymnast kurt thomas.
Oc 18 months after her injury, elena mukhina wrote a. Nov 05, 2007 this is a layout thomas with an additional full twist back one and three quarter salto with two and a half twists to dive roll. After surgery mukhina s training continued despite her leg having not completely healed. Elena mukhina lost both of her parents by the time she was five years old. I also learned about elena mukhina, the world champion in 1978. All i can say now is that im glad the thomas salto is banned even kurt thomas himself agrees and rest in peace, yelena. Eleven years ago, former gymnastics star elena mukhina, whose life and sports career were ruined by a tragic training accident, passed away in moscow at the age of 46. Elena vyacheslavovna mukhina 19602006 home facebook.
Mukhinas floor exercise tumbling passes were considered revolutionary at the time because they included a neverbefore seen combination salto the muchina, but in 1979, her coach wanted her to become one of the few female gymnasts doing an element taken from mens gymnastics, the thomas salto a 1 and 34 flip with 1. Mukhina name sometimes smacks of elena, the name sometimes gave muchina. A fall from the uneven bars resulted in a fourthplace finish in the allaround behind soviets elena mukhina, nellie kim, and natalia shaposhnikova. E di una vittoria immortale elena mukhina, chiamata piu amichevolmente lena, aveva tutte le ragioni per sentirne il bisogno. Mukhina pioneered skills so far ahead of her time that, over four decades later, her eponymous skill on floor a fulltwisting double tuck remains a very common element and was even used albeit as a final pass by simone biles, widely considered the greatest gymnast of all time, to win three gold medals at the 2016 olympics and this in. Last time a thomas salto performed in female gymnastics competition. The move is effectively banned for women as it was removed from the code of points following several serious accidents, most notably the paralysis of elena mukhina in 1980 1.
But do not break down and go on living in spite of everything, understanding all her tragedy, only a real olympic champion can do it. Instead elena mukhina would find herself in a hospital bed after. Gymnastics deaths are rare, but previous disasters have. In 1978, thomas was the first american male gymnast to win a gold medal in floor exercise in a world championship. Elena vyacheslavovna mukhina was a soviet gymnast who won the allaround title at the 1978. I suppose the soviet sports machine was exactly that a machine. Elena mukhina, the 1979 worldchampion, was pressured by her coach to perform a thomas salto now a banned skill. The skill is notably dangerous since its roll out characteristic requires exact precision on landing.
View phone numbers, addresses, public records, background check reports and possible arrest records for elana thomas. Not only the thomas salto but all roll out skills are banned for women, in fact, the rules now specificy that all tumbling passes must be landed feet first. Because of her injury, she had great difficulty remastering a signature tumbling run, a thomas salto a 1 and 34 flip with 1 12 twists. The tragic tale of soviet gymnastics star elena mukhina rt sport. More recently, the debate over dangerous skills emerged this year when olympic champion simone biles introduced a doubledouble dismount off the. This is probably the longest video i will ever make. After surgery mukhinas training continued despite her leg having not completely healed. Her career was on the rise and she was widely touted as the next great gymnastics star. Mukhina was too significant of a figure to be excluded from olympic history. Russia, typically an womens gymnastics powerhouse, was determined to have an allaround gymnast victory in the 1980 olympics.
Elena mukhina died of apparent complications from quadriplegia on december 22, 200620061222 aged 46. There was little doubt that the soviet olympic womens gymnastics team. The problems in elite gymnastics are deeprooted and originated long ago. Elena mukhina olympic champion is the story of elena mukhina, soviet gymnast, world champion 1978, who had an injury just few days before the 1980 moscow olympics. Mukhina was practicing the pass containing the thomas salto when. Elena mukhina was paralyzed training the thomas salto just two weeks. Womens gymnastics, a history lesson and being haunted by. Elena mukhina artistic gymnastics international standard book number. In 1980, soviet gymnast elena mukhina was attempting a thomas salto when she broke her neck and became paralyzed. At the age of five she lost both her parents and from then her.
When an athletic scout visited her school, she eagerly volunteered to try out for gymnastics. The tragic tale of soviet gymnastics star elena mukhina rt. Get traffic statistics, seo keyword opportunities, audience insights, and competitive analytics for wogymnast. Kurt bilteaux thomas born march 29, 1956 in miami, florida is an american olympic gymnast. Elena mukhina performing her version of the korbut flip by adding a twist. There was absolutely no regard for the gymnasts as people. Womens gymnastics, a history lesson and being haunted by the. Clip also includes snippets of thomas performing on pommel horse and high bar at the 1978 ame. But do not break down and go on living in spite of everything, understanding all her tragedy, only a real olympic champion can do. June 1, 1960 december 22, 2006, born in moscow, russian sfsr, was a former soviet gymnast who won the allaround title at the 1978 world championships at strasbourg, france. Elena mukhina interesting stories about famous people. Why would the usa gymnastics coach mary lee tracy be fired.