Larisa Latynina, the most decorated Olympic gymnast, turned 80 years old in December. Leading up to her birthday, she gave an interview to TASS.
Q: Larisa Semyonovna, first of all, tell us how and where you will celebrate your birthday?
A: You know, I don’t know yet, because it’s all being organized by my children. Since my spouse is sick, I didn’t want any celebration, nothing. And my daughter told me: “Mom, it’s not just your celebration or Yura’s celebration [Yuri Feldman, Latynina’s husband]. It belongs to the whole country, all of us – fans and family. So, we’ll do everything by ourselves.
Q: Have you ever had to celebrate your birthday at training camps or competitions?
A: Yes, I remember one such occasion. We celebrate my 40th birthday in Australia. There was a show there and that was when my birthday happened.
Q: Are you by any chance planning to visit the gymnastics school in Obninsk that was named after you?
A: Almost every year, the kids would organize their New Year’s fairy tale performance when they dance, do some acrobatics, perform on some apparatuses – I think they’ll do it again this year as well. I would always come on December 27th, watch it, and after that we would have a small celebration. For me, those trips to my school are one of the dearest things.
Q: When you came to artistic gymnastics, could you imagine that in 15 years, you would win all the possible and impossible gold medals?
A: I didn’t think about it at all. Although, my personality is that of a leader. And I always try – or tried, at least – to be ahead. After graduating high school with a gold medal, I was admitted to a polytechnic institute because I really loved math and I really liked technical sketching. I applied to the institute without any doubt. But after studying there for two years and leaving for camps and various competitions, after coming home, I would neglect gymnastics and do homework and study at night. And I still felt like I couldn’t quite catch up with the rest of the class, this really affected me negatively. Once, I missed a chemistry test because I was at a competition in Paris. When I came back, I had to take the test alone and the professor – unfortunately, I don’t remember her name now – asked me: “And why didn’t you take it with the rest of the class?” I got up such courage and pride and said: “You know, I was at a competition in Paris”. She looked at me and said: “Girl, this is the Order of Lenin Polytechnic Institute. Here, you need to grind away day and night and not travel to some competitions”. I got so offended by that that I went to the dean of our faculty right away and gave notice that I was transferring to the Physical Education Institute. No matter how they tried to persuade me – they promised individual schedule and different attitudes from professors – I didn’t want to stay anymore. So, I transferred to the Physical Education Institute and graduated with honors. So, everything’s fine. By the way, at the institute, I did all the sports we were supposed to do. [1] Even coming from Kherson where winters are very warm and there’s little snow, I spent a month at a ski training camp in Goloseevskiy forest in order to learn how to ski. And when I came back from the Olympic Games in Melbourne, I needed to take the swimming tests that I missed, so I took them at our pool. When I was swimming on my back, I swallowed so much chlorinated water, that I threw up. But I still took all the test – athletics, volleyball, basketball – as I was supposed to. Unlike current athletes – they have it easier somehow. The only thing was that javelin throwing was really hard for me because my shoulder would hurt sometimes. Once, a hurdles runner in our class got sick and I was entered in a race instead of her.
Q: And how did you do? Successfully?
A: You know, I got third-class sportsman rank right away! [2] And the funniest thing was when the students who were at the stands laughed because I would point my toes when jumping over the hurdles. The runners actually flex them. I did it because of gymnastics but it caused laughter in the stands.
Q: Did you enjoy the sport when you started? Often future athletes were signed for classes by their parents, often without asking their opinion.
A: The thing is that in our time, people started sports much later. At least, gymnastics. Well, at 10-11, or even at 12. For example, I came to gymnastics at 12, after doing ballet for a year. And only because there was no ballet school in Kherson and I took classes at a local dance studio. It was financed purely by the parents but it was not enough, so the studio was closed. Then, when I saw through a glass door how girls did floor exercises at a gym, I thought it reminded me of ballet somehow. So I asked to admit me to the gymnastics class, and Mikhail Afanasyevich Sotnichenko took me as his pupil. So, we would choose sports that we liked. But now parents bring children who don’t really understand what they will be doing. And that’s why, I think, they don’t like what they do. But there is a reason gymnastics is called the mother of all sports, because thanks to it children gain a lot – their coordination and posture improve, they run and jump in the gym. So, all of it can be very useful in other sports if a child wants to switch sports.
Q: Well, it’s still a surprising level of independence for a 12-year-old. So, even back then you knew what you wanted from life?
A: At first, I just thought that gymnastics was very similar to ballet. Because after taking classes at the studio, I only saw myself as a ballerina. And for many years, while doing gymnastics, being an Olympic champion, I still envied ballerinas, looking at how they were dancing and flying. I guess the reason I managed to win gold on floor at three Olympics was because I started out in ballet. And I have to say, I think no one else yet won gold on the same even at three Olympics. But when I look at the videos, what we did then, the current girls, looking at us – adult women – are surprised and astonished. Like, what was so special about what they did? We are doing it all at our early levels! But it has to be said that at the time, no one else did it, only we did. And I think I’m the only currently living gymnast who got her Master of Sports when we still had to do high bar, swinging rings, and parallel bars. And the apparatuses were not even close to the current quality. For example, we did floor exercises on a wooden floor.
Q: But that must be quite dangerous.
A: See. Can you imagine how it was to do acrobatic elements then? But everything changes and I think it’s good that the FIG made the decision that there have to be turns and jumps on floor. This adds to the score and it’s great. But then the FIG made the decision that now you are able to compete on only one event and in the all-around like we all had to do back in our time. We had compulsories and optionals, too. But now everyone does what they want and can, including, of course, the federation’s recommendations.
Q: Out of that whole heap of medals at your home, is there one that is especially dear to you?
A: One of the dearest if the gold medal for graduating high school. And also the gold medals I won at the 1958 World Championships in Moscow when I was 4 months pregnant. And my daughter – she was around two years old then – when journalists came to our home, would take them to the medals and say: “My mom and I won these medals together!” And I would also like to not that when I became the head coach of the USSR national team, our girls won three Olympics, just like me. And won ten gold medals. So, my nine medals plus their ten…
Q: An absolutely unreachable level!
A: Yes, quite so.
Q: Can you remember the happiest and the hardest moments in your career?
A: It’s hard to say. When I competed at the Spartakiade, the competition was at the Young Pioneers Stadium. My shoulder hurt so much I could not even warm up. Of course, that was difficult. And only when I was called to compete, I did the routine, without even noticing the pain. I think it’s an amazing quality – when an athlete is so focused they don’t even notice pain. But about five months after that competition, the Olympics took place, where I managed to win four gold medals, one of them as a part of the team. Those medals were very dear to me as well and I gave one of them to my first coach Sotnichenko, because I thought and still think that no matter how talented a gymnast is, they will not be able to do anything without a coach.
Q: You are a nine-time Olympic champion, one of the most decorated athletes in history. Can you say that you have achieved everything in the sport or was there a summit that you still wanted to conquer?
A: I retired at 32. So, I did gymnastics for 20 years. But after I retired, I was offered to head the USSR national team. I was an adult already, I had a degree, so I knew quite a lot of things by that time. When I was on the team, there were some things that I didn’t like or that annoyed me. And during my work as the head coach, I tried to avoid those things. For example, I thought that if a girl did something wrong, I wasn’t supposed to go up to her and correct her. I went to her coach and talked to him. And the coach went to the gymnast and did what he thought was right – to convey what I said or not. That was on him. I still think that the head coach is not supposed to have their own gymnasts. First, in order not to have a conflict of interests, and second, judges are people, too. And some of them, in order to have a better standing with the head coach, will add a tenth here and there.
Q: Can you talk about your gymnastics school?
A: First of all, I want to say that the school named after me is a state school, not a private one. And when Olga Korkach – the manager of the school that occupied a tiny gym came to my village and said they wanted to build a new gym and name it after me, I didn’t agree right away. First, I went to Obninsk to look who is training who there. And when I saw the inspiration and the incredible desire to do gymnastics, I, of course, agreed for the school to be named after me. And I persuaded Korkach to go Anatoly Artamonov, the governor of Kaluga region. Together with him and with the gym plan we went to Vyacheslav Fetisov who was the Minister of Sport at the time. Artamonov and Fetisov made a deal that half of the money would be given by Kaluga region and Fetisov would ensure the other half. We built a great gym to which even kids from other schools and other countries come to visit. And for the second year in a row, we’re hosting an international competition Golden Seagull. Seagull in Greek is Larisa.
Q: That’s symbolic.
A: Yes. I attended the competition, the last one was on December 4th. I really liked everything. I think this is what every athlete should strive for. Many build gyms in order to earn money. I think it’s not quite right. For example, our only classes that charge tuition are for little kids. But as soon as the coaches notice talented pupils, they move them to free classes. We have a boarding school as well, kids study and train. It’s all great, I’m really happy. And I’m proud that Korkach is still in charge of the school. She’s a former gymnast, coached by Konstantin Veselov who passed away a long time ago. And she still organizes a competition named after him. This says a lot about her as a person. Plus, she has to be commended for being very strict with her staff. That’s why even though the school has been open for more than 10 years, it still looks like it’s been just opened. Clean, well-maintained, all thanks to Olga and her employees.
Q: What do you think about the success of our national team?
A: I’m really happy that our men’s team, won the team competition after 19 years. We have such good guys – they’re just great. But I’d like the girls to follow their suit.
Q: Why do you think our women have not yet been able to reach the heights that Soviet gymnastics did?
A: It’s hard for me to say because I’ve been living 100 km outside of Moscow for more than 20 years. So, I rarely get invited to Round Lake where the team trains. Perhaps, they think we’re, let’s say, obsolete, and are not likely to give useful advice. I don’t see much of their training and preparing for competitions.
Q: Unfortunately, one of the main topics causing anxiety in Russian sports is the doping scandal. What do you think about it?
A: It’s outrageous what’s happening with the doping. That never happened in our time. If an athlete did something for themselves, they should be the one personally responsible for that. Why are there talks starting about banning all sports or even the whole country? And Vladimir Putin said it right – why is the country supposed to be responsible? Why is WADA dealing with it and not the IOC? You can’t say it better than him.
Q: Back in 1964, you competed in Tokyo where the next Olympics will take place. What was memorable about those Games? And what piece of advice can you give to our gymnasts who will go there?
A: I’d like to note something. In 2006, there was a really nice reception for the Olympic champions who competed at the 1956 Games. This year, it’s 55 years since the Tokyo Olympics. Perhaps, someone wrote to me but I didn’t see it. It’s really upsetting that we forget our successes and those who achieved them. I gladly watch Irina Rodnina on TV, that moment where tears roll down her cheeks during the medals ceremony – it causes, you know… I can’t even find words to express this state. Although, when we competed, they didn’t show us on TV. Maybe, that’s why we were less known. But, at the same time, I want to thank our government and Putin for the awards I got, for the invitations to all sorts of events. Recently, when we celebrated 90th birthday of Aleksandra Pahmutova [3], I was invited to the Bolshoi Theater. I’m very grateful for that. Regarding a piece of advice… Many are talking now whether we’ll go or not. But I believe that our gymnasts have to go. Men have to prove they’re the best. And women should catch up with the guys.
Q: You mentioned this quality of athletes – to focus on the competition and not notice the pain. But I’ve always been amazed by your ability to do everything. As I remember, your daughter was born in the winter of 1958 and in the spring of the next year, you graduated from the institute with honors. And you managed to combine studies with the sport. Share your time-management secret with us.
A: First, you have to really-really love what you do. And then you won’t count the hours you spend on it, the nights on which you don’t get enough sleep because of it. And everything will work out.
[1] In Russian and Soviet education system, future coaches were supposed to learn how to do several sports in addition to their own sport. This requirement is largely waived for the current national team athletes who are studying for a coaching diploma.
[2] USSR had a unified system of levels for elite athletes starting with third-rank. There are certain requirements to achieve (usually, a specific score, time or placement) for each of the ranks. The system still exists in Russia.
[3] Aleksandra Pahmutova is a very popular composer in Russia.
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