In 1973, Larisa Latynina — gymnastics legend and head coach of the USSR at the time — offered her take on the star of world gymnastics, Olga Korbut. Latynina praised her talent, certainly, but she also delivered a cool splash of honesty:
True, from fans of Olga Korbut’s gymnastics talent, you often hear: “If not for that unfortunate mistake on the uneven bars in Munich… If not for that unexpected leg injury in London…” But here lies the very line that separates a true leader from any — even a magnificent — master. The strength of a leader lies in this: there can be no “ifs”; she must be able to win under any circumstances. And, for that, one must first of all be a true person in every respect: in relation to sport, to oneself, to one’s own fame, and especially to the fame of others. And Olga Korbut does not yet possess these qualities. So yes, there are many bright “stars” in Soviet gymnastics today, but there is only one leader among them — Tourischeva.
Though Latynina sprinkled plenty of compliments elsewhere in the interview, this one paragraph in Komsomolskaya Pravda ricocheted across the globe.
Below, you’ll find the full article, along with a follow-on piece from Japan — proof of just how far Latynina’s remarks traveled.
