Larisa Latynina

Larissa Latynina Semyonovna (Russian Лариса Семёновна Латынина, scientific transliteration Larisa Latynina Semenovna; born 27 December 1934 in Kherson, Ukrainian SSR ) is a former Soviet gymnast. With 18 won medals at Olympic Games ( 1956-1964 ), including nine gold medals, it is to date the most decorated Olympian behind the U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps. In addition, it was nine times world champion and European champion seven times and worked after their active career as a successful head coach for the Soviet Turnriege.

Life

Training and successful Olympic debut

Larissa Latynina was born Larissa Dirij and grew up in her hometown of Kherson in difficult conditions on ( "I learned a great truth in my difficult childhood to know. "). Her father did not return from the Second World War, while the mother worked as a cleaning woman 's livelihood. The Ukrainian native Dirij began from the age of eleven to take ballet lessons and counted Maya Plisetskaya to their role models. After the departure of her ballet teacher, she moved to the proposal of the gymnastics teacher Mikhail Sotnitschenko for gymnastics. This discovered her talent and recommended her to continue the Kiev peak coach Alexander Mischakow. Under Mischakow the meantime married Latynina has developed into the competitive gymnast. After her debut at the World Gymnastics Championships in Rome in 1954, where the 19 -year-old still had to pay dues and in the individual competition with a 14th place does not also came, but won as a member of the Soviet women's team gold, two years later won in the Olympic summer Games 1956 in Melbourne four Olympic medals. In the then eight- fight, in the floor exercise, horse jump, and with the Soviet team won gold and another silver and bronze medal. So she was just behind the Hungarian Ágnes Keleti the most successful athletes in the Games. A year later, Latynina was awarded the Order of Lenin and won at the inaugural European Gymnastics Championships women in Bucharest every five to award title.

At the recent successes Latynina was able to continue at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 1958 in Moscow. Although she had to admit defeat on the floor of the Czecho- Slovak Eva Bosáková, but won all the other discharged competitions. The gymnast was pregnant at this time in the fourth month, but this fact had kept secret claims to be in front of their coach Mischakow to compete can. Due to the birth of her first child Latynina was missing at the European Championships 1959 in Krakow, but was able to repeat at the Summer Olympic Games in Rome in 1960 her Olympic victory in the all around, on the ground and with the team, winning three more medals.

Rise to the most decorated Olympian

Also in the following years Latynina dominated the artistic gymnastics. "It was only my determination and my will to win. I had this race gene in me. I never wanted to lose, which I hated. "Said Latynina, looking back in 2012. The Gymnastics European Championships 1961 in Leipzig, she won gold in the all around and on the floor and silver on beam and uneven bars. The World Gymnastics Championships 1962 in Prague, she won medals in all discharged competitions, including gold in the all around, on the ground and with the team. The floor exercise was Latyninas favorite discipline and filled her claims to be, though modified to meet the actual childhood dream prima ballerina. At the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964 was the Soviet gymnast in the shadow of the Czecho- Slovak Věra Čáslavská from which it was defeated in the all around, horse and jump on the balance beam. Nevertheless, Latynina won for the third time after 1956 and 1960 Olympic gold in the floor exercise and in the team competition as well as two silver and bronze medals to the other devices. In total, she won 18 medals in three Olympics, including nine gold medals. This Latynina was for decades the most decorated Olympian, before 2008, the American swimmer Michael Phelps could be achieved more Olympic medals. Your medal record was surpassed in 2012 by Phelps in the Olympics four plaques. Latynina said that they do not begrudge Phelps the record, which she had after his successes in Beijing in 2008 congratulated by letter. "I see the very left. The record has existed at least since 48 years. It was probably at the time that it is broken, "said Latynina on the edge of the Games of 2012 compared to Russian reporters.

Resign and work as a trainer

After the Games in Tokyo Latynina was the artistic gymnastics after two more years. The Gymnastics European Championships 1965, she was again in the shadow of Věra Čáslavská. She won four silver medals and one bronze medal and remained so for the first time without a title. After World Championship silver with the Soviet women's team at the World Cup 1966 in Dortmund, behind the team from Czechoslovakia, the 32 -year-old Latynina ended in November of the same year her career as a gymnast and dedicated himself to family life. From the marriage with the naval architect Latynin a daughter (born 1958 ) and one son ( b. 1961 ). Two other marriages Latyninas broke. Her daughter Tatjana trained as a ballet dancer later. In the years 1960, 1965 and 1972 Larissa Latynina was given the Medal of the Soviet Union.

The artistic gymnastics remained Latynina, who had studied at the Pedagogical Institute of the University of Kiev, connected as point judge, trainer and organizer. 1968 acted the Trainierin at the Olympic Games as a martial judge at the balance beam and uneven bars. In the period from 1974 to 1982 held the office Latynina of the Soviet national team coach. Your protégés erturnten ten times gold at the Summer Olympics in 1968, 1972 and 1976. At the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, she took care of as a member of the organizing committee for the gymnastics competition.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 as a trainer Latynina went to Japan, and later worked for the Moscow Sport Committee and led volunteer the talented gymnast School Golden Seagull in Obninsk, near Moscow. 2012 visited the retiree who lives outside of Moscow, as a guest of the International Gymnastics Federation FIG Summer Olympic Games in London.

Olympic success

Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956:

  • Gold in the Night Fight
  • Gold in the team competition
  • Gold in the horse jump
  • Gold in the floor exercise
  • Silver on the uneven bars
  • Bronze in the group exercises

Summer Olympic Games in Rome in 1960:

  • Gold in the Night Fight
  • Gold in the team competition
  • Gold in the floor exercise
  • Silver on the uneven bars
  • Silver on balance beam
  • Bronze horse in jump

Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964:

  • Gold in the team competition
  • Gold in the floor exercise
  • Silver in the eight- fight
  • Silver in the horse jump
  • Bronze on the uneven bars
  • Bronze on balance beam

Honors

Floor (gymnastics) 1960 Summer Olympics 1964 Summer Olympics December 27 1954 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 1957 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships 1958 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 1962 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Principal dancer 1966 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Order of the Badge of Honour Olympic Order Mary Lou Retton Lilia Podkopayeva Carly Patterson Larisa Petrik Olga Korbut Aly Raisman Ekaterina Kalinchuk Galina Shamrai Aurelia Dobre Shannon Miller Chellsie Memmel Vanessa Ferrari Shawn Johnson Aliya Mustafina Jordyn Wieber Maxi Gnauck Deng Linlin Ana Porgras Beth Tweddle He Kexin
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