Sovetsky Sport. April 16, 1981. LENINGRAD, April 15 (our special correspondent). The team competitions for the USSR Cup in gymnastics have concluded at the Yubileiny Sports Palace. A crystal vase was presented to the Army athletes. In the individual standings - ahead of the all-around finals - Muscovite Alexander Tkachev and Minsk native Vladimir Artemiev are currently in the lead, tied with 111.7 points each.
How fascinating the men's competition has become with the arrival on the podium of a large group of young gymnasts who have graduated from the youth national team! Only a short while ago, we marveled at the exercises performed by our Olympic champions - routines remarkable for both their complexity and their harmony. Yet today, these former juniors injected a breath of fresh air into the proceedings - bringing with them verve, improvisation, and more original compositions. And the Olympians - who, after all, are by no means veterans themselves in terms of age - have not realized just how tough the battle for spots on the European and world championship teams is going to be.
The "new wave" of gymnasts was, naturally, nurtured in their own hometowns and clubs. Yet all their coaches remain indebted, first and foremost, to the "chief theorist" - the head coach of the youth national team and Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, A.F. Rodionenko. It was he who, together with his colleagues and sports scientists, developed a series of promising routines for his charges several years ago. There were many debates, disagreements, and clashes of opinion along the way; however, the results speak for themselves. Upon making their debut on the senior stage, these newcomers not only held their own against the sport's renowned veterans but, in certain aspects of technical mastery, actually surpassed them.
Before the tournament began, Andrei Fyodorovich was visibly anxious: how would the young team fare? And although the lads had performed admirably in youth and junior competitions - and Yuri Korolev, the team captain, had already distinguished himself at a recent international tournament in Moscow - going head-to-head against Olympians remained, nonetheless, a very serious step.
Not all of the debutants, of course, fully rose to the occasion - they experienced slips and falls. Yet virtually every one of them demonstrated novel elements in their routines, an elegant style, and originality in individual events. Although they did not yet break into the top ten, several newcomers left a lasting impression: the 1979 national youth champion, Yuri Balabanov from Minsk (coached by A. Ovsyak); Muscovites Dmitry Skakodub (coached by A. Alexandrov) and Alexander Yevseev (coached by V. Kolchev); Alexei Tikhonkikh from Leninsk-Kuznetsk (coached by G. Stolyarov); and Maksim Tsygankov from Alma-Ata (coached by V. Turovtsev).
And the tone was set right from the very first apparatus. Artur Akopyan - a 20-year-old from Yerevan and a world team champion. On the high bar, he unleashed a "fireworks display" - the term gymnasts use for an ultra-complex routine. It featured a Tkachev release, followed immediately by a Delchev salto (an incredibly difficult technical feat!), and a towering triple somersault dismount. But above all, Akopyan captivated the audience with his elegance and precision - earning a 9.9, the highest score of the day!
Artur immediately leaped from fifth place to second; his coach Genrikh Vanetsyan - a cheerful, witty storyteller in everyday life, yet serious and composed beside the podium - tightened his grip on his emotions even further and, refraining from praising his pupil, focused instead of steeling him for the fight ahead. It was a pity; Artur - that blue-eyed youth who has blossomed into a magnificent gymnast - still struggles, at times, to maintain full control over himself. On the pommel horse, he fell right at the very end of his routine (8.9), and on the vault he failed to stick the landing (8.7).
The group of top contenders was led - alternately - by Vladimir Artemiev and Pavel Sut. They stood out in the compulsory exercises, and in the optional program they once again "shouldered the burden." I have already introduced Pavel; now, allow me to introduce Artemiev - though, in truth, he had already competed in last year's USSR Cup, where he first caught everyone's attention.
Volodya lived in Kursk and grew up in a working-class family. He began practicing gymnastics in the third grade. Incidentally, he graduated from school with top honors - receiving only two "8" grades. Four years ago, he moved to Minsk. He is currently a third-year student at the Institute of Physical Education. His coach, Anatoly Vorontsov, remarked: "Many people pay tribute to Vladimir's courage. After all, he went a long time without competing and underwent two surgeries on his leg - he had a broken bone in his shin. Typically, athletes quit the sport after such an injury. But he didn't. Everyone can see that Volodya's performance on the vault and in floor exercises still lags behind - his leg simply didn't allow him to train. But as for his overall readiness - well, the results speak for themselves."
Indeed, Artemiev looked in fine form. And although he was indeed let down by his vault (8.65), he still managed to make up for lost ground, scoring 9.7 on both the pommel horse and the high bar. There were mishaps for Bogdan Makuts (rings - 8.75), Yuri Korolev (high bar - 8.75), and Pavel Sut (floor exercise - 8.95) as well; nevertheless, heading into the final, the field remains tightly bunched. Olympic champion Alexander Tkachev is gaining momentum - he, too, is among the frontrunners.
TECHNICAL RESULTS
USSR Cup in gymnastics. Men. Sum of compulsory and optional programs. 1. A. Tkachev (Dinamo, Moscow) and V. Artemiev (Dinamo, Minsk) - 111.7; 3. P. Sut (Red Star, Minsk) and B. Makuts (Army, Lvov) - 111.1; 5. E. Azaryan (Army, Yerevan) - 110.85; 6. S. Khizhnyakov (Army, Rostov-on-Don) - 110.55; 7. Yu. Korolev (Spartak, Vladimir) - 110.35; 8. V. Turbanov (Army, Volgograd) - 110.05; 9. A. Akopyan (Labor Reserves, Yerevan) - 110.0; 10. A. Popov (Dinamo, Voronezh) - 109.8; 11. V. Markelov (Army, Moscow) - 109.75.
Team competition. 1. Army 1; 2. Dinamo 1; 3. Burevestnik.
V. GOLUBEV