Soviets Gymnastics Montage

[dmolena]

The song went so well with the video that it seems to have been made specially for it!

Amazing job!

Most beautiful montage about the soviet team I've ever seen!

[justin1gibson]

russia has alot of tall gymnasts. svetlana khorkina does alot of ugly gymnastics, and by ugly i mean alot of form breaks. i was an elite gymnast in 1998-99 and i am tall for an elite gymnast. it was hard for me because my legs are very long and you could see every mistake i made, unlike some of the shorter girls who could hide their mistakes with there short legs. i was so tall that my bar settings were illegal settings , i would smack my toes on every giant i did, so i do feel for her.

[ieatmops]

I cant find the piano version of this song on limewire D:

[wcgymnastics]

There is no genetic superiority. Think about it. Why did the Soviets DOMINATE like they did? Is there a lesson for the U.S. in there?

[D4NI3LMS]

Musica Perfeita para a Ginástica Perfeita!

ISSO É GINÁSTICA DE VERDADE!!!

beleza, elegância, plasticidade!

não essas macacas acrobatas de hoje em dia! rammm

(claro, há exceções!)

^^ Loved It

[usbeko]

The soviet era was the golden era of gymnastics. I like all, but my fav are Olesya dudnik and Boginskaya XD

[ferency98]

Too bad that Irina Baraksanova was pulled from the 1985 All-Around competition with "injury." I truly believe that she would have won the Gold.

She was so underrated.

[cheer4gym]

well the people they replaced her with DID win the gold, or should i say golds

[gymmy1102]

thank you so much!

[gymmy1102]

what is this song called?

[imcck]

Scarborough Fair

[GymFloozie]

The Russians were break dancing before break dancing existed. They did all kinds of stuff nobody even knew how to categorize. People would stare at it and say, What the hell is that??? I've seen Shushunova do things on the floor that should not be scientifically possible for a human being.

[bzach71]

Thank you soo much viennalove. Magnificent video...magnificent accompnaying music. God i miss gymnastic of the 80s so much..so much elegance and beautiful feminine dance in there.

[Paraiah]

Who is the girl in the yellow leotard?

[ferency98]

I am sure the yellow-clad girl on floor was Oksana Omelianchik in 1988. She was grown into a young woman by then.

[wdavi022]

I really wish i could've gotten into gymnastics when I was young

[cutechilean]

i love gimnastics and the music is just beautiful

[kalaway]

Such beautiful dancing and flexibility!

Gorgeous video, even more amazing if it was in high quality.

[lrnmegan]

gymnastics was so much more creative back then

[Gymnastique4eva]

what is the music it is lovely and i also think that gymnastics has got easier and harder it is more about power tha it was back then it was skill and the routines were complicated and aso most of the moves they did would be called too dangerous for anyone to attempt which is a shame

[krakenwave]

I think the tune is an English traditional folk song "Scarborough Fair" (Simon & Garfunkel had a hit with the voval version). Dunno who this is playing though. Liberace ? ;}

[kashmirpage]

It is indeed Scarborough Faire.

[Catyalina96]

Nice video! Gymnastics was at its perfected form in the 80's imo. It wasn't neccessary to change anything. The idea that more spins equals greater difficulty and skill is just bullshit. It's not like the moves they did then were totally easy. In fact, the way they used to go from one move to the next fluidly requires more endurance than today's boring jump-pause-throw-in-doubles crap. Now it's double backs over and over and biased judges will still over-score their favorites.

[bzach71]

Well said.

[kashmirpage]

I believe Mukhina is featured at :04, :32, and 1:38.

[SilivasGold]

:04 is Mostepanova ('83 Worlds), :32 is definitely Aleftina Priakhina (minor meet; but I believe it's '86 or '87 Chunichi Cup?), and 1:38 is still Priakhina, same meet & vid. I would say the most likely reason that Mukhina is missing is because this montage appears to be exclusively footage of 1980s Soviet gymnastics?

[krakenwave]

That's surely Elena Mukhina FX at 0.22

[SilivasGold]

No, I'm pretty sure that's Natalia Frolova. That's her middle tumbling pass and choreography from her 1986 FX.

[krakenwave]

Mukhina also at 0.43 beam

[KarenLovesGymnastics]

At 0:43 it is Irina Baraksonova.

[krakenwave]

Yes - its hard top tell and I wasn't so familiar with her but Karen is right here.

[dasosexybabygurl]

WHERE'S YELENA MUHKINA ?!!

[caverly]

glorious lyrical moves beautiful done.

a fabulous era.

Thank you.

[tedsler]

Sorry but this question might have been asked already... WHO is tumbling the double front in yellow leotard at 1:54????

[KarenLovesGymnastics]

Olga Strazheva in the 1988 USA vs USSR copetition.

[tedsler]

Thanks a lot for letting me know :))

Wow didn't know she had that skill under her belt, cool!

[KarenLovesGymnastics]

You're welcome, I didn't either until a website said she was the best at double fronts. =)

[SilivasGold]

Sadly I'm guessing they became too risky for her after she blew out her knee in Seoul....but at least she still performed other gorgeous and tricky tumbling in '89 (that laid out 1 3/4 Arabian just takes my breath away!!)

[KarenLovesGymnastics]

Fully agreed :)

[metamoo]

oops, quote is BELOW!

[metamoo]

"...for our country, athletic successes and victories have always meant somewhat more than even simply the prestige of the nation. They embody the correctness of the political path we've chosen, the advantages of the system, and are becoming a symbol of superiority.Hence the demand for victory at any price. As for risk, well, we've always placed high value on risk, and a human life was worth little in comparison with the prestige of the nation; we've been taught to believe this since childhood."

[metamoo]

The above quote was taken from a rare interview with Elena Mukhina eight years after the accident that left her a quadriplegic. Her incisive commentary on elite gymnastics can be found by googling: mukhina "grown up games"

[peanut303]

She could also join rhythmic gymnastics!

[Cassell4]

This may be the best montage I've ever seen.

[ducksandgymnastics]

Scaraborough fair. I think that's how it's spelled.

[MunchTheSilivasFan]

Oh that gymnastics was anything like it was then, the artistry has all but disappeared and very few people actually dance anymore. Lovely video, and excellent choice of music and clips

[LadySelen]

this video is beautiful *-*

[luisafernandasanchez]

hey what is the name of the song?

[PHARRAOH]

this make you miss the days of the soviet union! The federation now is corrupt and week! Just as the U.S. is getting.

[Tammikatu]

Did you live in soviet union? It was terrible place! Now people in russia are happy and free, I think that's more important than gymnastics

[PHARRAOH]

they may be free but if your a woman, your not! and happy? why? no jobs, little money. in ukraine 75 % are forced into prostitution! ya, happy if you like being a whore!

[TuesdayPillow]

Do you live in Russia right now by any chance?

[ducksandgymnastics]

Hey! Can viennalove or someone else tell me the name of the song? Nice video!

[Adiegym]

hus the girl on yellow at .46??

[ca7eduardo]

omelianchik

[gymnastxbabe88]

oksana omelianchik

[susiexxx]

Can anyone tell me who it is at .55 in blue?

[Lizelle48]

That's Olga Mostepanova

[susiexxx]

Thanks Lizelle48!

[JessGreye]

They reall were in a class of their own! I miss gymnastics like this.

[whipback]

wow! A gainer rulfova!

[whipback]

Wow! A gainer rulfova!

[VALYNNLYON]

if only it were still like that... thanks for sharing!

[ilextree]

I see Natalia Frolova in Red! I would love to see the full routine of the most beautiful floor exercise ever with closer camera work as in this wonderful video!

[SibirianHusky]

N1 Skills

otshen krasiwa

i luv the piano music !!!

does any know the title of the music !?!?

[petboyjon]

wow... this really is gymnastics like i've never seen it before @_@

[yeunkim]

Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkel... This is a variation of their original recording

[Sillybilly114]

Anyway we can d/load a copy so we can watch it over and over?!! That was awesome- what grace and originality!

[paleseptember784]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!

[KDJY4]

Beautiful! What set the Soviet's apart was their extreme balletic skill! Compared with Nadia Comaneci, who was perhaps the greatest technician, the Soviets were traditionall better in the grace and high difficulty dance arena!

[Lorianna88]

amazing montage! the mukhina footage just goes to show she could've been one of the greatest ever, had her career not ended so tragically.

[TuesdayPillow]

Mukhina is not featured in this montage as it contains gymnasts from the 80's era.

[krakenwave]

There is some footage from 78/9.

[levlava]

Gorgeous!

[fullybookedbarnzie]

rizzo rocks my world...seriosuly!

;)

[eveai]

Perfection. The world never see there again.

[emma2710gymnastics]

fab!