Komsomolskoe Znamya. May 11, 1988. World-class Soviet gymnasts with the same name 'Olga' periodically appear: Karaseva, Korbut, Bicherova, Mostepanova. It looks like now it's Olga Strazheva's time.
She just became the all-around champion of the USSR. At the age of fifteen, Strazheva already is in her third year as part of the national team. Moreover, unlike many debutantes, she never experienced shyness or trepidation in front of the most famous, most experienced gymnasts.
Graceful (150 centimeters tall, weighing 38 kilograms) yet physically strong, and possessing beautiful facial features, she always knows what she wants and sweeps aside barriers to advance toward her goal. Her gymnastics is characterized by consistency, cutting-edge difficulty, and expressiveness - all within the bounds of moderation.
"We Soviet gymnasts - myself included - face a primary objective: to outperform the Romanians, who have taught us some valuable lessons in recent years," says Strazheva. "The strength of the Romanian athletes lies in their consistency and their ability to win over the audience even before the competition begins. I believe we are capable of that, too. But it requires the right tactics. We need to approach the main event - the Olympic Games this year - at the peak of our physical and mental readiness. We cannot afford to squander our potential in other competitions or during training. I certainly don't mean to suggest that one should train at half-capacity leading up to the Olympics. Yet, deep down, each of us still holds a reserve of strength in reserve. That is precisely what needs to be tapped into when the decisive moment arrives. I believe I am up to the challenge this season, and I have no intention of stepping onto the Olympic stage merely to make up the numbers. I did lose some ground last year, but that was due to a leg injury - I even had to undergo surgery in the autumn. I feel very good now, though I can't say I'm always satisfied with myself."
Olga has been involved in gymnastics for ten years. She was frequently ill during her kindergarten years, so her parents enrolled her in a gymnastics class to improve her health. Her father, Vladimir Strazhev, is a metallurgist by profession, and her mother, Valentina, works as an accountant. Her twelve-year-old brother, Roman, is seriously dedicated to music. No one else in the family was particularly keen on sports, with the possible exception of her mother, who enjoyed skiing. The Strazhevs live in Zaporozhie.
Unfortunately, Olga cannot recall the surname of her first coach, Liana - though, after all, she was just a tiny child back then. For the past eight years, however, she has been training under the husband-and-wife team of Alexander and Viktoriya Zaruba.
Strazheva made her international debut at the 1986 Junior European Championships, finishing second in the all-around behind her compatriot and contemporary Svetlana Boginskaya; both were thirteen years old at the time. She subsequently won a team gold medal at the Goodwill Games in Moscow and placed second all-around and first on the uneven bars at the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR. Last year, at the American Cup, she won the vault and uneven bars events and finished second on the balance beam and in the all-around. That same season, she won the top prize at the international tournament organized by the Moscow News newspaper. Strazheva began the current year with a similar tournament, taking the bronze medal in the all-around. Then, in April, came the day of her triumph at the USSR Championship in Chelyabinsk.
Alexander Zaruba says that his trainee has an extraordinary capacity for hard work. Coaches find it easy to work with Olga; she is composed, and her temperament is stable and balanced.
Among the gymnasts Olga admires most are Elena Shushunova, Natalia Yurchenko, Yuri, Korolev, and Vladimir Artemov, as well as the Chinese athlete Li Ning. As for international female gymnasts, she singles our Daniela Silivas of Romania, whose cheerful nature she finds particularly appealing.
V. NIKIFOROVA