Soviet gymnast Natalia Kuchinsky: biography, achievements and interesting facts

Kuchinskaya Natalia - the best gymnast of the late 60's, the legend of Soviet sport. At its first international competition (World Championships in Dortmund), seventeen-year-old Natasha won six medals, half of which were gold medals. Similar results at this age did not reach yet none of the gymnasts of the world. Her magnificent technique and amazing grace hit the whole world. Fans eagerly awaited her performances.

Biography of the sportswoman

Kuchinsky Natalia Aleksandrovna, whose biography is closely connected with sports, was born in Leningrad on March 12, 1949. The family of the Kuchinsky can be called sporty: his father was a master of sports in several types, and his mother was a coach in rhythmic gymnastics. This circumstance to a large extent determined the fate of the girl, the fate of the most beautiful athlete in the history of gymnastics, for which sport has become the greatest passion in life.

Having graduated from the school in 1966, she immediately goes to the Leningrad University for the Faculty of Psychology. Natalia Kuchinskaya, gymnastics for which has become a matter of life, explains her act by the fact that in sports psychology is of great importance, and in order to achieve significant victories, the athlete needs serious knowledge in this field.

Further in the biography of the athlete was the World Gymnastics Championships, held in 1966 in Dortmund (West Germany), where the young Soviet gymnast became a three-time world champion.

In the period from 1965 to 1968 he took part in the USSR championships in artistic gymnastics, having won the title of absolute champion.

In 1968 Natalia became a two-time champion at the Olympic Games in Mexico.

It seemed that the future of the gymnast was bright and beautiful, but in reality everything was not exactly like that. According to the head coach of the USSR national team Larisa Latynina, at some point in the character of Natasha something broke, and the sport ceased to be for her the main thing of life. It also seemed likely that the aerial gymnastics, of which Kuchinskaya was the representative, was irrevocably left in the past.

Then there were unsuccessful searches for themselves outside sports, a divorce from her husband. In the early 90's, Natalia moved to the United States of America, where she again reunited with her ex-husband, organized in Illinois her own gymnastics club, in which she trains young athletes.

The beginning of the road to big sport

Kuchinskaya Natalya began to be introduced to the sport by her parents from a small age. It is interesting that my mother "stretched" Natasha at the age of two months. Similar attention was paid to the younger sister Natasha Marina, who later also achieved certain results, becoming a well-deserved master of sports in artistic gymnastics.

As Natalia Kuchinskaya recalled, her childhood was spent in the gymnasium, where her mother trained athletes in rhythmic gymnastics.

The very atmosphere surrounding the girl all the time, finally, caused her to become the best of the best, that is, the world champion. The young gymnast had enough athletic anger to achieve her goal, although, according to Kuchinsky herself, she did not have any special data, except for the ability to take long trainings without outside interference. Of course, the future star of Soviet sport was modest, as evidenced by the upcoming competition in the West German city of Dortmund.

Starry Dortmund of Natalia Kuchinskaya

Young gymnast Natalia Kuchinskaya stormed into the highest echelons of world sports. Passed in 1966 in Dortmund (Germany) World Championships in gymnastics lit her star in the sports horizon. Three gold medals at this age could not be won by anyone. The whole world was subdued by the spontaneity of the girl.

Excellent technique, grace and personal charm allowed Kuchinskaya immediately to achieve great results in a competition of this level. Young age did not become a hindrance to her. On the contrary, from that moment onwards, all the gymnastics began to look forward to the Olympics in Mexico, which was to be held in 1968 with her participation.

Olympiad in Mexico City, 1968

Kuchinskaya Natalia by this time was undoubted leader of the Soviet national team. The Olympic team also included Luda Turischeva, Larisa Petrik, Luba Burda, Olya Karaseva and Zinaida Voronina.

It should be noted that at that time a formidable opponent of the USSR national team was the team of Czechoslovakia, headed by the absolute champion of the Games in Tokyo, World Champion Dortmund Championship Vera Chaslavsky.

The stress of the first day of the main sports competitions was so great that Natasha did not submit to the beams at the crouching crouching - an extremely simple element that she could perform with her eyes closed. And ahead was the second day and an arbitrary program.

It seemed that everything was lost for her, but the girl showed her sports anger in full.

The result was a bronze medal, which caused far more jubilation than Zinaida Voronina's "silver".

The third day of the competition was triumphal for Natasha. "Gold" for the exercises on the beam - is not it a triumph for the athlete, who thwarted the performance on the uneven bars!

Life outside sports

Complicated and vulnerable nature, changed realities in sports, trauma led to the fact that Kuchinskaya Natalya left the sport. However, life outside sports proved to be no less difficult for a girl. Acting skills, journalism - all this did not become a new "business of life."

After graduating from the Institute of Physical Education left for Japan, but a year later returned home. But here she was waited for lack of money and oblivion, divorce from her husband. The husband left for the USA, and Natalia stayed in Kiev.

Then there was life, swiftly rolling towards the "bottom". Only thanks to the fact that the former husband of Natalya Alexandrovna intervened (took her to America), now she works as a gymnastics trainer, prepared the champion of the USA.

Interesting facts about the life of a gymnast

Natalya Kuchinskaya, a Soviet beauty gymnast, almost became a member of the family of the President of Mexico. The fact that the seventeen-year-old athlete with her performances at the Olympics in Mexico City in 1968, combining magnificent technique and amazing grace, "fell in love" with almost all the men of Mexico.

The son of the president of the country was not an exception. To a young Soviet athlete, a high-ranking fiance even offered her hand and heart, but the girl refused him.

Also an interesting story happened to the girl on the first day of the competition in Mexico City, when the members of the Organizing Committee of the Olympiad came to her in the Olympic village in the evening. Their unexpected visit was explained by the fact that Natalia Kuchinskaya was unanimously chosen "the bride of Mexico City" as the most beautiful girl, and she must be sacrificed to the gods. Of course, the gymnast was struck by such "honor" and said that she was from the Soviet Union and she had nothing to sacrifice.

This statement aroused a smile among the guests, but still the beautiful photos of the sportswoman and catchy newspaper headlines about her were taken to the "victim".

Awards Kuchinskaya

Natalia Kuchinskaya, whose awards, given her rapid ascent to the Olympus gymnastics, can only arouse admiration, for quite a short period (1966-1968) managed to put in their "piggy bank" a sufficient number of them.

In 1966, the World Championship in artistic gymnastics brought her six medals: three gold, two silver and one bronze (free exercises, a log and beams - gold, personal and team all-around - silver, supporting jumps - bronze).

At the European Championships in 1967 for free exercises and exercises on a log Natalia became a silver medalist of competitions.

In the same year at the USSR championship the sportswoman won the title of the strongest in the base jump and the exercises on the uneven bars.

The Olympic Games in Mexico City (1968) showed that the Soviet athlete - the strongest gymnast in the world in the exercises on a log. In this case, the team of gymnasts of the Soviet Union, which included Kuchinskaya, also proved to be the strongest.

In 1969 Natalia Alexandrovna was awarded the Badge of Honor for her outstanding achievements in sports.

In 2006, the US authorities decided to introduce Natalia Kuchinskaya to the International Gymnastic Hall of Fame (Oklahoma City).

Kuchinskaya as a unique phenomenon in sports

Soviet gymnastics knew and more titled athletes: Polina Astakhova, Larisa Latynina. The names of these girls rattled on many Olympics. However, there was no more direct and charming gymnast than Natasha Kuchinskaya.

About her film director Vladimir Savelyev was shot a wonderful film "Na-ta-li!", And journalists paid her attention as much as the other members of the USSR national gymnastics team were not honored.

Unfortunately, her sporting fate turned out to be complex and dramatic. The sportswoman could not fully realize her unique talent.