Zinaida Voronina
Encyclopedia
Zinaida Voronina, born Zinaida Borisovna Druzhinina (also Druginina) (10 December 1947 – 17 March 2001) was a Soviet gymnast
who competed at the European, World, and Olympic level from the mid 1960s to early 1970s. She was born in Yoshkar-Ola
, Russia
.
Voronina's major debut came at the 1966 World Championships
in Dortmund, Germany, where, as a member of the 1966 Soviet team, she also won a bronze medal on the floor exercise with an enthusiastically received 9.933, which was the highest individual score of any gymnast - male or female - at those games. (Due to scores carried over from the team competition, Natalia Kuchinskaya
and Věra Čáslavská
placed higher than Voronina in the medal standings.)
She went on to further successes at the European and Olympic level, winning several individual medals over the next 4 years, most notably at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics
where she won the individual all-around silver behind Caslavska.
Around the time of the 1968 games, she married fellow soviet gymnast, European and World All-Around Champion and Olympic Vault and High Bar Champion Mikhail Voronin. She had a child with him shortly thereafter and came back to further successes at the 1970 World Championships
, among other games. She attempted to make the Soviet team for the 1972 Olympics, but in a deep field including Ludmilla Tourischeva
, Olga Korbut
, and Tamara Lazakovich
, she only placed 10th in the individual all-around at that year's USSR Championships and did not make it onto the team for that summer's games in Munich.
Saddled with a very difficult childhood (alcoholic mother, father she never met), Voronina's post-competitive life was punctuated by, as a gymnastics coach, struggling with alcoholism. She was divorced from her husband, Mikhail, in 1980, and spent the remainder of her years working in a factory in Balashikha
, Russia, dying in March 2001 at the age of 53 years old.
In 1969, she was awarded the Soviet award for gymnasts, "Order of the Badge of Honor".
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...
who competed at the European, World, and Olympic level from the mid 1960s to early 1970s. She was born in Yoshkar-Ola
Yoshkar-Ola
Yoshkar-Ola is the capital city of the Mari El Republic, Russia. Population: Yoshkar-Ola means red city in Mari. The current name is the third to have been given to the city. The city was known as Tsaryovokokshaysk before 1919 and as Krasnokokshaysk between 1919 and 1927...
, 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...
.
Voronina's major debut came at the 1966 World Championships
1966 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 16th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Dortmund, West Germany, in 1966.-Medals:-All-around:-Team final:- Floor exercise :-Pommel horse:-Rings:-Vault:-Parallel bars:-Horizontal bar:-All-around:- Vault :...
in Dortmund, Germany, where, as a member of the 1966 Soviet team, she also won a bronze medal on the floor exercise with an enthusiastically received 9.933, which was the highest individual score of any gymnast - male or female - at those games. (Due to scores carried over from the team competition, Natalia Kuchinskaya
Natalia Kuchinskaya
Natalia Alexandrovna Kuchinskaya , also known as Natasha Kuchinskaya is a retired Soviet Olympic gymnast....
and Věra Čáslavská
Vera Cáslavská
Věra Čáslavská is a Czech gymnast. Blonde, cheerful and possessing impressive stage presence, she was generally popular with the public and won a total of 22 international titles...
placed higher than Voronina in the medal standings.)
She went on to further successes at the European and Olympic level, winning several individual medals over the next 4 years, most notably at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics
Gymnastics at the 1968 Summer Olympics
At the 1968 Summer Olympics, fourteen different artistic gymnastics events were contested, eight for men and six for women. All events were held at the National Auditorium in Mexico City from October 21 through October 26.-Format of competition:...
where she won the individual all-around silver behind Caslavska.
Around the time of the 1968 games, she married fellow soviet gymnast, European and World All-Around Champion and Olympic Vault and High Bar Champion Mikhail Voronin. She had a child with him shortly thereafter and came back to further successes at the 1970 World Championships
1970 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 17th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 1970.-Medals:-All-around:- Floor exercise :-Pommel horse:-Rings:-Vault:-Parallel bars:-Horizontal bar:-Team final:-All-around:- Vault :...
, among other games. She attempted to make the Soviet team for the 1972 Olympics, but in a deep field including 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...
, Olga Korbut
Olga Korbut
Olga Valentinovna Korbut , also known as the Sparrow from Minsk, is a Belarusian, Soviet-born gymnast who won four gold medals and two silver medals at the Summer Olympics, in which she competed in 1972 and 1976 for the USSR team....
, and Tamara Lazakovich
Tamara Lazakovich
Tamara Vasilyevna Lazakovich , born 11 March 1954 in village Gusevo in the Pravdinskiy rayon of the Kaliningrad region of Russia, was an Soviet gymnast whose competed at the European, World, and Olympic level during the early 1970s.Described as a "perky sparrow" with a "purity of line", Lazakovich...
, she only placed 10th in the individual all-around at that year's USSR Championships and did not make it onto the team for that summer's games in Munich.
Saddled with a very difficult childhood (alcoholic mother, father she never met), Voronina's post-competitive life was punctuated by, as a gymnastics coach, struggling with alcoholism. She was divorced from her husband, Mikhail, in 1980, and spent the remainder of her years working in a factory in Balashikha
Balashikha
Balashikha is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Pekhorka River east of Moscow. It is known for its unique river and waterway system. The Pekhorka River system covers an area of from north to south and from east to west, and many small lakes and ponds were created by damming to...
, Russia, dying in March 2001 at the age of 53 years old.
In 1969, she was awarded the Soviet award for gymnasts, "Order of the Badge of Honor".