Yelena Shushunova
Encyclopedia
Yelena Lvovna Shushunova (born April 23, 1969, in Leningrad
) is a Russian (former Soviet
) gymnast
, World, European, and Olympic Champion. Shushunova is renowned for her dynamic vaulting and tumbling skills as well as her longevity and exceptional consistency. Shushunova was the first to perform several unique and difficult skills including a Yurchenko vault with 1.5 twists, a release on the unevens, and her signature Shushunova (a straddle jump to land in a front lying support) on floor exercise.
Shushunova's career highlights as a junior gymnast include gold medals at the 1982 Moscow News (now known as Moscow Stars of the World) and the Junior European Championships. In 1983 she won the USSR Cup, which she won every year until 1988 with the exception of 1984. Shushunova was unable to compete at the 1984 Summer Olympics
, which were boycotted by the Soviet Union
. Instead, she competed at the 1984 Friendship Games in Olomouc
, Czechoslovakia
, where she finished third all around and helped the USSR to a gold in the team event, which they dominated.
The following year she made her breakthrough by winning the all around title at the European Championships. She also won the three gold medals in the event finals on vault, floor exercise, and uneven bars which she shared with East German Olympian Maxi Gnauck. At the World Championships
she won five medals including the all-around title, which she shared with compatriot Oksana Omelianchik
. She took first on vault, third on beam, and second on floor to her teammate Oksana Omelianchik. In her floor exercise set to the Charleston she tumbled a double layout, and side Arabian 1 and 3/4 salto, both rare skills for women at that time; in fact, women are no longer allowed to compete saltos which end in a roll. Here she displayed her signature skill, a straddle jump to prone support, rare and innovative for the 80s but fairly common for recent gymnastics exercises. Neither Shushunova nor Omelianhchik actually qualified to the all around as their teammates Irina Baraksanova and Alternate Games Champion Olga Mostepanova
earned higher preliminary scores. However considering their recent successes at the European Championships, the Soviet coaches guessed that they were the two best hopes for a world title.
Shushunova's dominance in women's gymnastics continued at the 1986 World Cup in Beijing. There she won the all around, vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise titles. In this competition she displayed an increased level of difficulty on two apparatus, showing a Rulfova flic (full twisting Korbut flic) on balance beam and a tucked full in double salto dismount on the uneven bars.
1987 showcased the growing rivalry between the Soviet Shushunova and Romanian Daniela Silivaş. In Moscow, Shushunova was not in peak form and she lost the European title to Silivaş, suffering a costly fall on a double layout dismount from the unevens. At the Europeans she earned a bronze in the all around and a gold on vault, a low medal count for her standards. She continued to show increased difficulty on all apparatus by competing a double layout dismount on the unevens, a layout Thomas salto
on floor, and a full in dismount on beam. Later that year her team lost the World Championships team title, placing second to the champion Romanians in an upset defeat. This was only the third time the USSR failed to win the team title. Elena also lost the world title to the graceful Romanian Aurelia Dobre
, finishing in second place. In the event finals Elena did provide them with one taste of gold, retaining her vault title with her textbook Yurchenko full and Yurchenko 1.5, beating Romanian Eugenia Golea
who showcased a Yurchenko double full. She also earned a bronze medal on uneven bars, debuting a unique and difficult skill, a giant with a half turn to a Markelov (commonly called a full twisting Tkatchev). She also won the world title on floor exericse sharing the title with Daniela Silivaş, with both gymnasts earning a perfect combined score of 20.
Next year Elena was a leading contender for the all-around title at the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul
. After defeating the Romanians in the team competition there was a close battle for the title between Shushunova and Daniela Silivaş
(Romania). Shushunova entered the all around competition with a lead of 0.05 points, competing with Silivaş in the same rotation. What followed was a closely matched and exciting battle with both gymnasts fully aware that any error could cost them the gold. Each was majestic, and the pair scored multiple tens. In the last rotation on vault, Silivas performed first and did well enough to ensure that Elena required a ten to take the title, which she did to become Olympic all-around champion. In the finals she won only two more medals; a bronze on uneven bars and a silver on balance beam. The tally could have been higher, but Elena faltered on her two strongest apparatus, falling on a Yurchenko double full and making an uncharacteristic stumble on floor exercise.
Shushunova retired after the Olympics and currently lives in her hometown of Saint Petersburg
, site of the 1998 European Championships which she helped to organize. In 2004 she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
. iN 2005 She was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame.
Shushunova is 1 of only 2 women ( Ludmilla Tourischeva
being the other)who has won the grand slam of All-Around titles : Olympics,World Championships,World Cup,European Championships.
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
) is a Russian (former Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) gymnast
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, World, European, and Olympic Champion. Shushunova is renowned for her dynamic vaulting and tumbling skills as well as her longevity and exceptional consistency. Shushunova was the first to perform several unique and difficult skills including a Yurchenko vault with 1.5 twists, a release on the unevens, and her signature Shushunova (a straddle jump to land in a front lying support) on floor exercise.
Shushunova's career highlights as a junior gymnast include gold medals at the 1982 Moscow News (now known as Moscow Stars of the World) and the Junior European Championships. In 1983 she won the USSR Cup, which she won every year until 1988 with the exception of 1984. Shushunova was unable to compete at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, which were boycotted by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Instead, she competed at the 1984 Friendship Games in Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, where she finished third all around and helped the USSR to a gold in the team event, which they dominated.
The following year she made her breakthrough by winning the all around title at the European Championships. She also won the three gold medals in the event finals on vault, floor exercise, and uneven bars which she shared with East German Olympian Maxi Gnauck. At the World Championships
World Gymnastics Championships
The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique organises World Gymnastics Championships for each of the gymnastic disciplines:...
she won five medals including the all-around title, which she shared with compatriot Oksana Omelianchik
Oksana Omelianchik
-Early life and career:Omelianchik was born on January 2, 1970 or December 31, 1969 in Ulan-Ude, USSR). She was originally a figure skater, and participated in her first skating meet at the age of 6. She began gymnastics on the recommendation of her skating choreographer, who believed she had...
. She took first on vault, third on beam, and second on floor to her teammate Oksana Omelianchik. In her floor exercise set to the Charleston she tumbled a double layout, and side Arabian 1 and 3/4 salto, both rare skills for women at that time; in fact, women are no longer allowed to compete saltos which end in a roll. Here she displayed her signature skill, a straddle jump to prone support, rare and innovative for the 80s but fairly common for recent gymnastics exercises. Neither Shushunova nor Omelianhchik actually qualified to the all around as their teammates Irina Baraksanova and Alternate Games Champion Olga Mostepanova
Olga Mostepanova
Olga Vasilyevna Mostepanova is a retired prominent Soviet gymnast. Her birth year has been variously reported as 1968 or 1969, but Mostepanova herself has stated that she was actually born in 1970.-Gymnastics career:...
earned higher preliminary scores. However considering their recent successes at the European Championships, the Soviet coaches guessed that they were the two best hopes for a world title.
Shushunova's dominance in women's gymnastics continued at the 1986 World Cup in Beijing. There she won the all around, vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise titles. In this competition she displayed an increased level of difficulty on two apparatus, showing a Rulfova flic (full twisting Korbut flic) on balance beam and a tucked full in double salto dismount on the uneven bars.
1987 showcased the growing rivalry between the Soviet Shushunova and Romanian Daniela Silivaş. In Moscow, Shushunova was not in peak form and she lost the European title to Silivaş, suffering a costly fall on a double layout dismount from the unevens. At the Europeans she earned a bronze in the all around and a gold on vault, a low medal count for her standards. She continued to show increased difficulty on all apparatus by competing a double layout dismount on the unevens, a layout Thomas salto
Thomas salto
The Thomas salto is an extremely difficult and dangerous move performed during the floor exercise in Artistic gymnastics. It is named after American gymnast Kurt Thomas.-Technical details:...
on floor, and a full in dismount on beam. Later that year her team lost the World Championships team title, placing second to the champion Romanians in an upset defeat. This was only the third time the USSR failed to win the team title. Elena also lost the world title to the graceful Romanian Aurelia Dobre
Aurelia Dobre
Aurelia Dobre is a former artistic gymnast from Romania, who was the 1987 World Champion. She is still held in high esteem by many gymnastics fans today for her clean technique as well as balletic and artistic flair...
, finishing in second place. In the event finals Elena did provide them with one taste of gold, retaining her vault title with her textbook Yurchenko full and Yurchenko 1.5, beating Romanian Eugenia Golea
Eugenia Golea
Eugenia Golea is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast, who competed in international events between 1984 and 1988. She is known for scoring a perfect 10 for the vault optional in the team competition of the 1987 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and for being the first gymnast to compete...
who showcased a Yurchenko double full. She also earned a bronze medal on uneven bars, debuting a unique and difficult skill, a giant with a half turn to a Markelov (commonly called a full twisting Tkatchev). She also won the world title on floor exericse sharing the title with Daniela Silivaş, with both gymnasts earning a perfect combined score of 20.
Next year Elena was a leading contender for the all-around title at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. After defeating the Romanians in the team competition there was a close battle for the title between Shushunova and Daniela Silivaş
Daniela Silivas
Viorica Daniela Silivaş-Harper , best known as Daniela Silivaş, is a Romanian gymnast who is most famous for winning six medals in women's artistic gymnastics at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea...
(Romania). Shushunova entered the all around competition with a lead of 0.05 points, competing with Silivaş in the same rotation. What followed was a closely matched and exciting battle with both gymnasts fully aware that any error could cost them the gold. Each was majestic, and the pair scored multiple tens. In the last rotation on vault, Silivas performed first and did well enough to ensure that Elena required a ten to take the title, which she did to become Olympic all-around champion. In the finals she won only two more medals; a bronze on uneven bars and a silver on balance beam. The tally could have been higher, but Elena faltered on her two strongest apparatus, falling on a Yurchenko double full and making an uncharacteristic stumble on floor exercise.
Shushunova retired after the Olympics and currently lives in her hometown of Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, site of the 1998 European Championships which she helped to organize. In 2004 she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, located in Oklahoma City, USA, is a hall of fame dedicated to honoring the achievements and contributions of the world's greatest competitors, coaches and authorities in artistic gymnastics....
. iN 2005 She was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame.
Shushunova is 1 of only 2 women ( Ludmilla Tourischeva
Ludmilla Tourischeva
Ludmilla Ivanovna Tourischeva is a former Russian gymnast and a nine-time Olympic medalist for the Soviet Union.Tourischeva began gymnastics in 1965 and began competing for the Soviet team as early as in 1967...
being the other)who has won the grand slam of All-Around titles : Olympics,World Championships,World Cup,European Championships.
See also
- List of select Jewish gymnasts
