I love that the coach is yelling out grades/marks for their flips like in school. He even gives a girl an "edinitsa", which is like the equivalent of F-minus. Brutal.
Natalia was born in a place called Norilsk - even for the USSR they don't come much more extreme - or grim. One of the coldest, Northernmost inhabited places on earth, it was a originally a gulag. Horribly polluted, freezing and with infrastructure and buildings now crumbling, life expectancy is in the early 40s Check it out - both its sad history and the many pics on places like Flickr and Google maps etc.
A life of few and simple pleasures, almost no distractions, and lots of hard work - that's what makes a champion at this level. This is why the Soviets DOMINATED for so long. And also why Romania did. And why America never did and never will.
yeah she does but right now i heard her mom got into a car crash so she's not working right now.She still has really dark black hair and she has a russian accent still but its so cool!
Natalia Yurchenko was a magnificent and awe inspiring gymnast. As my coach, she gave me the gift of grace and beauty and I thank her for everything she has done.
I missed out on Natalia Yurchenko. She was a gymnast who lost out in participating in a fully attended olympics in both 80 and 84. I never did see any of her routines during that time. The broadcasters in the US were usually interested in one or two gymansts during any given meet, ususally Nadia and later, Mary Lou. I thought the '84 games were diminished without Yurchenko. Glad to have found this video about her.
Those Games were diminished indeed-by the abscence of the entire Soviet team. That year Olga Mostepanova was at the top of her game winning the 1984 Alternate Games in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia with a 10.00 on every event in the AA. Her compulsories make Mary Lou's look like a joke, and her optionals would have rolled over Retton's like a Soviet tank.
I agree. It would had been awesome to compare her gymnastics to Retton's and Szabo's. OTOH I'm sure East European judges tried to give a statement to the world by giving MOstepanova a perfect 40.0. What a gorgeous story this was! I woder what happened to those former soviet coaches.
I love the cinematography of these movies. They look so enigmatic, so faraway from the western side of the globe and so distant. As fas as I know, Klimenko just died after working In Italy, Alexandrov just returned to Russia and so Ostapenko. I would like to know more about this man. He was a genious...!
The cinematography gives it such a spooky feeling, like you're going into the deep, dark communist Russia all of us in American were taught to be afraid of. I love this documentar so much!
No, that looked like they were watching the 1987 World Championships. The girl in the video seems to be Baitova in the same leo they wore to that competition (WC1987). You can look up Baitova's BB routine on YouTube. Oksana did her Korbut froma Forward Roll.
I wonder why all the documentaries for the USSR gymnasts (Olga/Ludmilla/natalia) was set in a very grey, dull and "somber" mood. Isn't this sport is all about energy, charm and strength??
I think that is mostly because even though it has a facade of beauty and perfection gymnastics is a very painful sport, both physically and emotionally. I was a gymnast for a long time...so I know. It's fun though ^_^
I think it is rather more serene than somber. I guess if an American documentarian would have filmed it it would have a different perhaps more cheerful aspect. Also Soviet films of the day all seemed to have that quality.
thanks
Sweetcleopatraa 1 month ago
i like the slightly psychadelic dream sequence!
Kulpa71 1 month ago
I love that the coach is yelling out grades/marks for their flips like in school. He even gives a girl an "edinitsa", which is like the equivalent of F-minus. Brutal.
vauloo 9 months ago
did i hear one of them say "thank you" in English at around 5:14??
LMA629 1 year ago
@LMA629 I heard it too.. really weird!
afgymnast96 10 months ago
Natalia was born in a place called Norilsk - even for the USSR they don't come much more extreme - or grim. One of the coldest, Northernmost inhabited places on earth, it was a originally a gulag. Horribly polluted, freezing and with infrastructure and buildings now crumbling, life expectancy is in the early 40s Check it out - both its sad history and the many pics on places like Flickr and Google maps etc.
custardaghost 1 year ago
Cinematography was clearly not an important part of Soviet film making. This video has an eerie feel to it.
Dar0922 2 years ago 3
A life of few and simple pleasures, almost no distractions, and lots of hard work - that's what makes a champion at this level. This is why the Soviets DOMINATED for so long. And also why Romania did. And why America never did and never will.
GymFloozie 2 years ago 10
@GymFloozie Really? What more do American gymnasts need to do besides going 1-2 in the all-around? You're being a bit unfair.
QueenieQue 1 year ago
Is this rare?
gymnasticsloverxoxo 2 years ago
@gymnasticsloverxoxo it may have been before it was on youtube....
evoandy 2 years ago
anyone speak russian and can translate?
at about 4:25 she says (i assume it is natalia's voice) "gimnastica eta moja *******"
"gymnastics is my ******"
anyone know?
thanks for posting this!
tedsler 2 years ago
"gymnastics is my life"
("gimnastica eta moja jiz'n'")
SmartShArk1986 2 years ago 2
Thank you very much! :))
tedsler 2 years ago
Does anyone know the name of the music at like 1:30? and that is played several other times..
NzenitraM 3 years ago
I think it's Chopin's Prelude E-moll
SmartShArk1986 2 years ago
It's "Elegia" by Massne
SmartShArk1986 2 years ago
No, it's not.
It's the Prelude in E-Minor (op.28 no. 4) by Frédéric Chopin
NzenitraM 2 years ago 3
Ouch... my first mind was right...:)
SmartShArk1986 2 years ago
Does anyone know which competition is shown at the very beginning, when she injures her ankle?
OwlyMIrror 3 years ago
It looks like 1983 World Championships. I'm not sure...
espinaca79 3 years ago
matalia works at my gym called parkettes
tatulover2120 3 years ago
WHAT? REALLY????? Yurchenko at Parkettes!She should own her own gym by now. That woman is a legend, what a handful of secrets she should have!!
espinaca79 3 years ago
yeah she does but right now i heard her mom got into a car crash so she's not working right now.She still has really dark black hair and she has a russian accent still but its so cool!
tatulover2120 3 years ago
no kidding?! that is so awesome.
missjpace 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
i hate her
dandog34 3 years ago
why?
sprinklefriend 3 years ago
i like her i just dont like her style of gymnastics
dandog34 3 years ago
Does anyone remember the name of her coach?
espinaca79 3 years ago
Vladislav Rastorotsky; he also coached Natalia Shaposhnikova.
ralucagymnast 3 years ago 2
Thank you! He was a genious!
espinaca79 3 years ago
And before Shaposhnikova, he coached Ludmilla Tourischeva amongst many other stars. :)
audie83 3 years ago
slava cccp!
ivan351 4 years ago 2
can someone translate this???
brianmulligan 4 years ago
Natalia Yurchenko was a magnificent and awe inspiring gymnast. As my coach, she gave me the gift of grace and beauty and I thank her for everything she has done.
krasavitca333 4 years ago 3
I missed out on Natalia Yurchenko. She was a gymnast who lost out in participating in a fully attended olympics in both 80 and 84. I never did see any of her routines during that time. The broadcasters in the US were usually interested in one or two gymansts during any given meet, ususally Nadia and later, Mary Lou. I thought the '84 games were diminished without Yurchenko. Glad to have found this video about her.
yellowbianca 3 years ago 3
Those Games were diminished indeed-by the abscence of the entire Soviet team. That year Olga Mostepanova was at the top of her game winning the 1984 Alternate Games in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia with a 10.00 on every event in the AA. Her compulsories make Mary Lou's look like a joke, and her optionals would have rolled over Retton's like a Soviet tank.
audie83 3 years ago 3
I agree. It would had been awesome to compare her gymnastics to Retton's and Szabo's. OTOH I'm sure East European judges tried to give a statement to the world by giving MOstepanova a perfect 40.0. What a gorgeous story this was! I woder what happened to those former soviet coaches.
espinaca79 3 years ago
As I understand it-many moved to the U.S. or other Western nations-for better opportunities.
audie83 3 years ago
I love the cinematography of these movies. They look so enigmatic, so faraway from the western side of the globe and so distant. As fas as I know, Klimenko just died after working In Italy, Alexandrov just returned to Russia and so Ostapenko. I would like to know more about this man. He was a genious...!
espinaca79 3 years ago
The cinematography gives it such a spooky feeling, like you're going into the deep, dark communist Russia all of us in American were taught to be afraid of. I love this documentar so much!
GymFloozie 2 years ago 9
Magnificent documentary! A contemplative and realistic look at Natalia Yurchencko. She was always so serene and captivating.
Was Natalia viewing Oksana Omelianchik on TV at 6:04?
VictoriaAbrilenAtame 4 years ago 2
No, that looked like they were watching the 1987 World Championships. The girl in the video seems to be Baitova in the same leo they wore to that competition (WC1987). You can look up Baitova's BB routine on YouTube. Oksana did her Korbut froma Forward Roll.
GoSveta 4 years ago
when was this documentary then ? Natalia Yurchenko was before Baitova...
elisabetanistor 4 years ago
This documentary is perhaps from 1983, 1984.
espinaca79 3 years ago
I wonder why all the documentaries for the USSR gymnasts (Olga/Ludmilla/natalia) was set in a very grey, dull and "somber" mood. Isn't this sport is all about energy, charm and strength??
sakurasoh 4 years ago
I think that is mostly because even though it has a facade of beauty and perfection gymnastics is a very painful sport, both physically and emotionally. I was a gymnast for a long time...so I know. It's fun though ^_^
friendly406 4 years ago
Or maybe it's because the USSR was a miserable place for everyone.
gutsfinky 4 years ago
no youre wrong for some it wasnt good for others it was great! same in your usa i dont think everyone has a great life there do they?
ivan351 4 years ago 3
I think it is rather more serene than somber. I guess if an American documentarian would have filmed it it would have a different perhaps more cheerful aspect. Also Soviet films of the day all seemed to have that quality.
audie83 3 years ago