Category: USSR

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1972 Books MAG Olympics USSR

1972: Mikhail Voronin on His Final Olympics

In Voronin’s 1976 autobiography titled Number One (Первый номер), he reflects on his final Olympic Games. By his standards, he struggled during the Soviet competitions prior to the Olympics, and while in Munich, he injured his ankle. Arthur Gander refused to let him pull out of the all-around final, so he competed after receiving an injection that made him black out. (Note: Korbut also got an injection before the all-around final that caused her legs to go numb.) 

In the end, the Soviet men’s team won two golds, three silvers, and one bronze. They had made progress in the two years between the Ljubljana World Championships and the Munich Olympics. But in the end, Voronin recognized that they were unable to put together a team that could match Japan’s team.

Here’s what else he said about Munich… 

Datum: 07.05.1972 Athlete: Mikhail Voronin, Copyright: imago/Sven Simon, Note: This photo is not from the Olympics.

Note: Chapters of Voronin’s book were translated into Estonian for the newspaper Spordileht, and I have translated the text from Estonian into English. The following excerpts come from the February 8, 1978, February 10, 1978, and February 13, 1978 issues of Spordileht.

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1972 MAG Olympics USSR

1972: Sovetsky Sport’s Coverage of the Men’s Event Finals

In 1972, there were no Soviet men’s artistic gymnasts on the all-around podium. Afterward, the Soviet press noted that the fight was not over. The Soviet gymnasts could still take home gold during the event finals, and indeed, they did. Nikolai Andrianov and Viktor Klimenko became Olympic champions on floor and pommel horse, respectively.

Here’s what the main Soviet sports newspaper wrote about the men’s artistic event finals. Though the Soviet and Japanese gymnasts were rivals, the press was quite complimentary towards the Japanese gymnasts, especially Tsukahara’s high bar routine.

MUNICH, WEST GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 01: Viktor Klimenko of the Soviet Union competes in the Pommel Horse of the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Apparatus final during the Munich Olympic Games at the Sporthalle on September 1, 1972 in Munich, West Germany. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)
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1972 Olympics USSR WAG

1972: Sovetsky Sport’s Coverage of the Women’s Event Finals

Only two countries medaled in the women’s event finals: the Soviet Union and East Germany. Sovetsky Sport concluded that “the Soviet and German sportswomen now fully dominate in women’s gymnastics and determine the course of its development.”

Given the newspaper’s emphasis on the friendliness between the gymnasts of both countries, it had to tread lightly when discussing the uneven bars final. Without saying that Olga Korbut should have won the title, it implied as much. But it was quick to point out that the fault was with the FIG and the judges.

Here’s what Sovetsky Sport wrote about the 1972 event finals.

Olga Korbut (USSR), Munich 1972
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1972 MAG Olympics USSR

1972: Sovetsky Sport’s Coverage of the Men’s All-Around in Munich

Soviet gymnasts first competed at the Olympics in 1952, and from 1952 through 1968, there was always a Soviet gymnast on the men’s all-around podium at the Olympics. Then, 1972 happened, and there were no Soviet all-around medalists in men’s artistic gymnastics.

Here’s what Sovetsky Sport, the primary sports newspaper of the Soviet Union, wrote.

Copyright: imago/Werner Schulze, Nikolai Andrianov (UdSSR)
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1972 Olympics USSR WAG

1972: Sovetsky Sport’s Coverage of the Women’s All-Around Final

For the Soviet team, the 1972 all-around final was a whirlwind. There were six Soviet gymnasts in the final and only one Soviet coach on the floor. Polina Astakhova had to run from apparatus to apparatus to spot, adjust equipment, encourage, and comfort.

Sovetsky Sport captured the excitement of the competition by giving a rotation-by-rotation analysis. In the end, the newspaper of record praised the friendship between the Soviet and East German gymnasts: “They were sitting side by side — the gymnasts from the USSR and the GDR. It was their evening, their celebration.”

Copyright: imago/Colorsport Gymnastics – 1972 Munich Olympics – Women’s Individual All-Around The gold medal winner, USSR’s Ludmilla Tourischeva
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1972 MAG Olympics USSR

1972: Sovetsky Sport’s Coverage of the Soviet Men’s Fourth-Straight Silver

What did the Soviet press think about the Soviet men’s team winning silver for the fourth-straight Olympics?

Here’s what Sovetsky Sport, the primary sports newspaper of the Soviet Union, wrote.

Olympische Spiele München 1972. Turnen: Siegerehrung Mannschaftsmehrkampf: Japan Gold, UdSSR Silber und DDR Bronze
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1972 Olympics USSR WAG

1972: Sovetsky Sport on the Soviet Women’s Team Gold

In 1972, the Soviet Union won its sixth-straight team title, and Sovetsky Sport, the main sports newspaper of the Soviet Union, printed over 1,000 words about the competition. The article highlighted the star power of Korbut and Tourischeva, the gentle guidance of coach (and former Soviet star) Polina Grigoryevna Astakhova, and the team’s ability to rally after Antonina Koshel’s mistakes on floor and bars.

Here’s how the 1972 women’s optional competition was covered in the Soviet press.

Datum: 31.08.1972 Copyright: imago/Pressefoto Baumann Olympische Spiele München 1972 , Turnen Frauen Olga KORBUT (UdSSR)

Note: In this photo, you can see how the beam was just wood without padding.
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1972 MAG Olympics USSR WAG

1972: Sovetsky Sport’s Coverage of the Compulsories in Munich

After the compulsory program, Sovetsky Sport, the main sports newspaper of the USSR, printed its recap of the competition. Not surprisingly, the writer was complimentary toward the entire Soviet women’s artistic gymnastics team, adding delightful lines like, “For O. Korbut, with her unique tricks on uneven bars, performing the compulsories is as easy as shelling peas.” Of course, there were some rough spots on beam, but as the writer points out, all the teams struggled with beam. 

As for the Soviet men, that was a different story. The newspaper only had good things to say about Andrianov and pointed out that Alexander Maleeev and Vladimir Shchukin did not have enough experience to be strong contributors to the team score.

Below, you can find a translation of Sovetsky Sport’s coverage.

Copyright: imago/Werner Schulze Nikolai Andrianov (UdSSR) – Barren
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1972 Interviews & Profiles USSR WAG

1972: A Profile of Tamara Lazakovich in Soviet Life

Going into the 1972 Olympics, Tamara Lazakovich was one of the favorites. At the 1971 European Championships, she tied with Ludmilla Tourischeva for all-around gold. In addition, she won gold medals on the uneven bars and balance beam, as well as silver medals on vault and floor exercise. At the time, Berthe Villancher, President of the Women’s Technical Committee, held Lazakovich up as the ideal on beam.

The magazine Soviet Life ran a short profile of Lazakovich before the Olympics. It gives the details of her career.

Note: You can read an interview with Lazakovich here. It gives some interesting details about her career. For example, Lazakovich wanted to quit the sport.

The cover of Soviet Life, August 1972

Author: Lev Kuleshov
Photographs: Sergei Lidov
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1972 Interviews & Profiles MAG USSR

1972: A Profile of the Klimenko Brothers

In 1971, Viktor Klimenko won the all-around at the European Championships, but he tore his Achilles tendon during warmups the next day. Mikhail Klimenko, his brother, was his coach, and he knew firsthand what it was like to go through a significant injury. While Mikhail would later become known for being Elena Mukhina’s coach, he once was remembered as a junior national champion, who had to quit due to injury. 

What follows is a 1972 profile of the two brothers from Nedelia.

Viktor Klimenko, 1970
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