Yuri Korolev
Encyclopedia
Yuri Nikolaevich Korolev , born August 25, 1962 in Vladimir
, Russia
is an artistic gymnast who competed for The USSR
during the 1980s, winning many World and European Medals. Part of a deep Soviet team that, throughout the 1980s, featured such names as Dmitry Bilozerchev
, Valeri Liukin
, Vladimir Artemov
, and Valentin Mogilny
, Korolev still managed to distinguish himself for the greater part of the decade by becoming World All-Around Champion in 1981 and 1985, as well as being World Cup All-Around Co-Champion (with Li Ning
) in 1986, among many other titles and medals.
, where his consistent, strong performances (highest 6-event composite score in the team compulsory segment of the competition, highest 12-event composite score throughout both segments of the team composition) won him the All-Around Champion title. He was the youngest Men’s World All-Around Artistic Gymnastics Champion up to that point.
The next year, he continued to be the first, or among the first, male gymnasts to successfully compete certain yet more difficult moves, such as doing a handstand in the middle of a Pommel Horse routine as well as doing consecutive repetitions of the Tkachev release move on High Bar, at the 1982 World Gymnastics Cup in Zagreb
, Yugoslavia
where yet more strong performances helped him to 3rd place in the All-Around competition behind Chinese gymnasts Li Ning
(1st) and Tong Fei
(2nd). He would also take 5 out of a possible 6 medals in the event finals (Parallel Bars title, plus 3 silvers and a bronze).
1983 was not as good a year for Korolev as the previous 2 had been. He did manage to place 2nd to Bilozerchev in the All-Around at that year’s European Championships in Varna, as well as winning 2 event titles (Floor, shared with Plamen Petkov of Bulgaria
, and Vault). But a disastrous performance on high bar (score of 8.85) in the team compulsories segment of competition at that year's World Championships in Budapest
dropped him to 5th on the Soviet team, although his 6-event team composite score in team optionals was second, among his teammates, to Bilozerchev’s. Not being among the top 3 men on his team, he did not qualify to the Individual All-Around Final, nor did he win a medal on any of the 3 individual event finals to which he qualified. Interesting to note is that although the Soviet team was able to throw out Korolev’s 8.85 High Bar score (their other 5 scores were all 9.7 or above), they still lost the World Team Title to China by only .100 (a very small margin in a team competition), and this was the only World or Olympic Team title the Soviet men would lose at a non-boycotted World Championships or Olympics from 1979 to 1992.
In 1984, any hopes Korolev would have realistically entertained about any Olympic successes were dashed by the Soviet-led boycott
, and then his father’s death prevented him from participating in the Alternate Olympics that year.
at the 1985 World Championships in Montreal
. With Bilozerchev (who had won the European All-Around Title earlier that year) unfortunately sidelined because of a severe leg injury sustained in a car accident, Korolev had more free rein to collect medals at this competition, where he also won 3 of the 6 individual event titles.
Like the mid-point year in the preceding quadrennium, 1986 was another stellar year for Korolev, as he won or co-won the All-Around at that year’s 2 most significant international competitions. At that year’s World Cup in Beijing
, he shared the All-Around title with Li Ning
, and came back to best the home-country-advantaged Li in the individual event finals winning 3 golds and 2 silvers vs. Li’s 2 golds and 1 bronze. Also, that year, at the first Goodwill Games
in Moscow
, among a deep international field, Korolev won the All-Around title again by a huge margin of .600 over compatriate Artemov. He logged the highest 6-event composite score in the preliminaries as well as again the in All-Around final, truly dominating the competition. That dominance stretched over into event finals as well where he snared 3 out of the 6 individual event titles.
1987 saw Korolev even better-poised to go into the succeeding year’s Olympics than at the same point in time in the previous quadrennium. Despite the very successful return of Bilozerchev and the rise of younger Soviet stars such as Valeri Liukin
and Valentin Mogilny
, Korolev still managed to win his 3rd European All-Around Silver Medal, behind Liukin, at that year's competition in Moscow, adding to that 1 gold and 1 silver in event finals. Even more impressive was his performance at the 1987 World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam
. Although Korolev only qualified 4th among his Soviet teammates, compatriate Liukin had to withdraw from the Individual All-Around because of an unfortunate knee injury, freeing Korolev to compete in the All-Around final where he placed 2nd behind Bilozerchev and, buttressed by a perfect score of 10.00 on vault, even logged a higher 6-event composite score in the all-around final than Bilozerchev (or anybody else). (Under the New Life rules instituted two years later, he would have been World All-Around Champion.)
With the previous year’s successes established, it looked like Korolev would have another chance to finally prove himself on the world’s biggest stage, the Olympics, but fate adversely intervened again when he injured his achilles, making his bid for the 1988 Seoul Olympics
impossible.
, he placed 7th at that year’s USSR Championships and then retired.
Vladimir
Vladimir is a city and the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. Population:...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
is an artistic gymnast who competed for The USSR
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....
during the 1980s, winning many World and European Medals. Part of a deep Soviet team that, throughout the 1980s, featured such names as Dmitry Bilozerchev
Dmitry Bilozerchev
Dmitry Vladimirovich Bilozerchev is a Soviet/Russian gymnast. One of the most accomplished gymnasts in history, he is a two-time World All-Around Champion and three-time Olympic Champion. He trained at the Armed Forces sports society in Moscow....
, Valeri Liukin
Valeri Liukin
Valeri Viktorovich Liukin is a retired competitive artistic gymnast who competed for the former Soviet Union. Liukin is the 1988 Olympic Champion in the team competition and individually on the horizontal bar and Olympic silver medalist in the all-around and the parallel bars...
, Vladimir Artemov
Vladimir Artemov
Vladimir Nikolaevich Artemov is a former Russian gymnast, Olympic champion and world champion who competed for the Soviet Union.He was born in Vladimir....
, and Valentin Mogilny
Valentin Mogilny
Valentin Mogilny is an artistic gymnast who competed for the USSR during the 1980s, winning many World and European Medals. His teammates were Yuri Korolev, Dmitri Bilozerchev, Valeri Liukin, and Vladimir Artemov. He trained at the Army Club in Leninsk-Kuznetsky, then moved to Moscow to work with...
, Korolev still managed to distinguish himself for the greater part of the decade by becoming World All-Around Champion in 1981 and 1985, as well as being World Cup All-Around Co-Champion (with Li Ning
Li Ning
Li Ning is a well-known Chinese gymnast and entrepreneur. He was born in an ethnic Zhuang family.-Gymnastics career:...
) in 1986, among many other titles and medals.
1981 - 1984
As Korolev had been winning many titles and medals for years as a Junior at such competitions as the Jr. USSR Championships and Jr. European Championships, it was no surprise that his senior debut in 1981 would be quite major. At that year’s European Championships in Rome, where he became the first gymnast to compete a triple back dismount from the Rings as well as a full-twisting double layout dismount from the High Bar, he won the silver medal in the Individual All-Around, as well as taking 4 out of a possible 6 event finals medals – 2 gold and 2 silver. He was no less successful at that year’s World Championships in Moscow1981 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 21st Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Moscow, the capital of the USSR, in 1981.-Medals:-All-around:- Floor exercise :-Pommel horse:-Rings:-Vault:-Parallel bars:-Horizontal bar:-Team final:-All-around:...
, where his consistent, strong performances (highest 6-event composite score in the team compulsory segment of the competition, highest 12-event composite score throughout both segments of the team composition) won him the All-Around Champion title. He was the youngest Men’s World All-Around Artistic Gymnastics Champion up to that point.
The next year, he continued to be the first, or among the first, male gymnasts to successfully compete certain yet more difficult moves, such as doing a handstand in the middle of a Pommel Horse routine as well as doing consecutive repetitions of the Tkachev release move on High Bar, at the 1982 World Gymnastics Cup in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
where yet more strong performances helped him to 3rd place in the All-Around competition behind Chinese gymnasts Li Ning
Li Ning
Li Ning is a well-known Chinese gymnast and entrepreneur. He was born in an ethnic Zhuang family.-Gymnastics career:...
(1st) and Tong Fei
Tong Fei
Tong Fei is a male Chinese gymnast. He competed at 1984 Olympic Games, and won a silver medal in men's horizontal bar . He also helped Chinese men's gymnastics team to win a silver medal in team competition....
(2nd). He would also take 5 out of a possible 6 medals in the event finals (Parallel Bars title, plus 3 silvers and a bronze).
1983 was not as good a year for Korolev as the previous 2 had been. He did manage to place 2nd to Bilozerchev in the All-Around at that year’s European Championships in Varna, as well as winning 2 event titles (Floor, shared with Plamen Petkov of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, and Vault). But a disastrous performance on high bar (score of 8.85) in the team compulsories segment of competition at that year's World Championships in Budapest
1983 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 22nd Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, in 1983.-Medals:-All-around:- Floor exercise :-Pommel horse:-Rings:-Vault:-Parallel bars:-Horizontal bar:-Team final:-All-around:...
dropped him to 5th on the Soviet team, although his 6-event team composite score in team optionals was second, among his teammates, to Bilozerchev’s. Not being among the top 3 men on his team, he did not qualify to the Individual All-Around Final, nor did he win a medal on any of the 3 individual event finals to which he qualified. Interesting to note is that although the Soviet team was able to throw out Korolev’s 8.85 High Bar score (their other 5 scores were all 9.7 or above), they still lost the World Team Title to China by only .100 (a very small margin in a team competition), and this was the only World or Olympic Team title the Soviet men would lose at a non-boycotted World Championships or Olympics from 1979 to 1992.
In 1984, any hopes Korolev would have realistically entertained about any Olympic successes were dashed by the Soviet-led boycott
1984 Summer Olympics boycott
The boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. The boycott was a follow up to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The boycott involved 14 Eastern Bloc countries and allies, led by the Soviet Union who initiated the boycott on May 8, 1984, and joined...
, and then his father’s death prevented him from participating in the Alternate Olympics that year.
1985 - 1988
The beginning of this quadrennium saw Korolev make an impressive resurgence back onto the international competitive scene as he clinched the All-Around title by a large margin of .300 over Soviet teammate Vladimir ArtemovVladimir Artemov
Vladimir Nikolaevich Artemov is a former Russian gymnast, Olympic champion and world champion who competed for the Soviet Union.He was born in Vladimir....
at the 1985 World Championships in Montreal
1985 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 23rd Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Montreal, Canada, in 1985.-Medals:-All-around:- Floor exercise :-Pommel horse:-Rings:-Vault:-Parallel bars:-Horizontal bar:-Team final:-All-around:- Vault :...
. With Bilozerchev (who had won the European All-Around Title earlier that year) unfortunately sidelined because of a severe leg injury sustained in a car accident, Korolev had more free rein to collect medals at this competition, where he also won 3 of the 6 individual event titles.
Like the mid-point year in the preceding quadrennium, 1986 was another stellar year for Korolev, as he won or co-won the All-Around at that year’s 2 most significant international competitions. At that year’s World Cup in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, he shared the All-Around title with Li Ning
Li Ning
Li Ning is a well-known Chinese gymnast and entrepreneur. He was born in an ethnic Zhuang family.-Gymnastics career:...
, and came back to best the home-country-advantaged Li in the individual event finals winning 3 golds and 2 silvers vs. Li’s 2 golds and 1 bronze. Also, that year, at the first Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, among a deep international field, Korolev won the All-Around title again by a huge margin of .600 over compatriate Artemov. He logged the highest 6-event composite score in the preliminaries as well as again the in All-Around final, truly dominating the competition. That dominance stretched over into event finals as well where he snared 3 out of the 6 individual event titles.
1987 saw Korolev even better-poised to go into the succeeding year’s Olympics than at the same point in time in the previous quadrennium. Despite the very successful return of Bilozerchev and the rise of younger Soviet stars such as Valeri Liukin
Valeri Liukin
Valeri Viktorovich Liukin is a retired competitive artistic gymnast who competed for the former Soviet Union. Liukin is the 1988 Olympic Champion in the team competition and individually on the horizontal bar and Olympic silver medalist in the all-around and the parallel bars...
and Valentin Mogilny
Valentin Mogilny
Valentin Mogilny is an artistic gymnast who competed for the USSR during the 1980s, winning many World and European Medals. His teammates were Yuri Korolev, Dmitri Bilozerchev, Valeri Liukin, and Vladimir Artemov. He trained at the Army Club in Leninsk-Kuznetsky, then moved to Moscow to work with...
, Korolev still managed to win his 3rd European All-Around Silver Medal, behind Liukin, at that year's competition in Moscow, adding to that 1 gold and 1 silver in event finals. Even more impressive was his performance at the 1987 World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam
1987 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 24th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in 1987.-Medals:-All-around:- Floor exercise :-Pommel horse:-Rings:-Vault:-Parallel bars:-Horizontal bar:-Team final:-All-around:- Vault :...
. Although Korolev only qualified 4th among his Soviet teammates, compatriate Liukin had to withdraw from the Individual All-Around because of an unfortunate knee injury, freeing Korolev to compete in the All-Around final where he placed 2nd behind Bilozerchev and, buttressed by a perfect score of 10.00 on vault, even logged a higher 6-event composite score in the all-around final than Bilozerchev (or anybody else). (Under the New Life rules instituted two years later, he would have been World All-Around Champion.)
With the previous year’s successes established, it looked like Korolev would have another chance to finally prove himself on the world’s biggest stage, the Olympics, but fate adversely intervened again when he injured his achilles, making his bid for the 1988 Seoul 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...
impossible.
After 1988
In 1989, incredibly, Korolev kept competing. He almost made that year’s World Championship team for the Soviets, but with yet more up-and comers in the Soviet system like Vitaly Marinich and Valery BelenkyValery Belenky
Valery Vladimirovich Belenky is a retired Soviet/Azerbaijani/German artistic gymnast who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics and in the 1996 Summer Olympics.He is Jewish, and was born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR....
, he placed 7th at that year’s USSR Championships and then retired.
The Most Decorated Non-Olympian in Gymnastics?
Korolev is, quite arguably, the most decorated non-Olympian (male or female) gymnast of all time.- With a total of 34 individual medals at World Championships, World Cups, and European Championships competitions, Korolev has more such medals than any other non-Olympian with Bogdan Makuts (18), and Valentin MogilnyValentin MogilnyValentin Mogilny is an artistic gymnast who competed for the USSR during the 1980s, winning many World and European Medals. His teammates were Yuri Korolev, Dmitri Bilozerchev, Valeri Liukin, and Vladimir Artemov. He trained at the Army Club in Leninsk-Kuznetsky, then moved to Moscow to work with...
(17) being the next highest in this sort of medal count. Even stretching this medal count to include individual Olympic (Official or ‘Alternate’) medals, Korolev’s medal haul is tied with Alexander DityatinAlexander DityatinAlexander Nikolaevich Dityatin is a Russian gymnast, three-time Olympic Champion, and Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR. Winning eight medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics, he set the record for achieving the most medals of any type at a single Olympic Games. The American swimmer Michael Phelps...
for 3rd all-time for men behind Vitaly ScherboVitaly ScherboVitaly Venediktovich Scherbo , born 13 January 1972 in Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, is a Belarusian and former Soviet artistic gymnast...
(51) and Nikolai AndrianovNikolai AndrianovNikolai Yefimovich Andrianov was a Soviet/Russian gymnast. He held the record for men for the most Olympic medals at 15 until Michael Phelps surpassed him at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics...
(48). The non-Olympian woman gymnasts with the highest such medal hauls are the deceased 1978 World All-Around Champion Elena MukhinaElena MukhinaElena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina , born in Moscow, Russian SFSR, was a former Soviet gymnast who won the All-Around title at the 1978 World Championships at Strasbourg, France...
, with 13, and her Soviet compatriate, 1985 World All-Around Co-Champion Oksana OmelianchikOksana 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...
, with 11.
- His World Championship and World Cup individual medals tally of 21 is also far higher than any other non-Olympian with Kurt ThomasKurt Thomas (gymnast)Kurt Bilteaux Thomas is an American Olympic gymnast.While at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, Thomas became a member of the US Olympic team at the 1976 Summer Olympics. In 1978, Thomas was the first American male gymnast to win a gold medal in floor exercise in a world championship...
having 11.
- Even going strictly by individual World Championship individual medals alone, Korolev has more (9) than any other non-Olympian, with Thomas being the runner-up again with 6.
- Korolev’s 8 European / World Championship / World Cup / Olympic All-Around medals is the 3rd highest ever among men, behind Scherbo and Andrianov who each have 9. Korolev’s 8 such All-Around medals also makes him the most prolific All-Around Medalist of the 1980s.
- Korolev’s 21 individual World Championship and World Cup medals is the 2nd highest all-time among all male or female gymnasts, surpassed only by Scherbo’s 26. Among these, 11 were gold and that, again, is surpassed, among all male or female non-Olympian gymnasts, only by Scherbo’s 13.
- On WorldGymRank’s list of the “50 Greatest Gymnasts of Our Time”, Yuri Korolev is 8th all-time among the men in this weighted, sophisticated, deeply detailed, gymnast ranking system, a higher ranking in that system than any other male or female non-Olympian gymnast.