Moskovsky Komsomolets. January 1, 1971. Her name is well known to sports enthusiasts in many countries. It is spoken with admiration in Prague and Tokyo, Berlin and Mexico City, Moscow and Ljubljana. Olympic champion, world champion, champion of the Soviet Union, and Merited Master of Sports - Zinaida Voronina is, by all accounts, pleased with the past season. This is primarily because 1970 marked her return to elite-level competition. Following a successful performance at the national championships held in Minsk, Voronina traveled to Yugoslavia as a member of the USSR national team to compete in the world championships, where she won four medals - one gold and three bronze. Furthermore, at the conclusion of the competition, Zinaida was presented with a special award - the title of "Miss Gymnastics" - recognizing her as the most beautiful and graceful gymnast of the championship.
Today, foregoing a traditional interview with the athlete herself, we have asked Larisa Semyonovna Latynina - Senior Coach of the USSR Women's National Team and Merited Master of Sports - to tell us about Voronina.
Speaking about Zina Voronina is just as easy and pleasant as working with her. She is an extraordinarily gifted athlete. One never has to explain anything to her more than once. Zina catches on immediately. Largely thanks to her natural gifts, Voronina was able to quickly regain her form after a year-and-a-half hiatus following the birth of her son.
But do not imagine that this is solely a matter of those qualities that are, as the saying goes, "God-given." Far from it. I can recall many instances where gymnasts possessing extraordinary natural talent never quite became true masters of their craft; throughout their entire athletic careers, they remained merely "promising." What, then, were they lacking? A competitive spirit - that is, the ability to pull themselves together at the crucial moment and, undeterred by fierce competition, fight to the very end.
Zina is a fighter in sports. For her, no situation is ever hopeless. Voronina can always be relied upon. That is precisely why her presence on the national team was essential.
Q: So, Voronina is the ideal athlete?
A: Not exactly. She lacks just a touch of diligence - probably because everything in gymnastics comes relatively easily to her. Yet, if Zinaida were to put in just a little more effort, she could achieve even greater things in the sport than she already has.
Q: However, there are specialists who believe that 23 is a critical age for gymnastics. What is your opinion on this matter?
A: I am convinced that a gymnast attains true maturity only by the age of 20. And over the subsequent five or six years, one can expect consistent results from her. Only now - having passed through the crucible of competition, and having learned the true cost of both victory and defeat - does she become a truly reliable athete.
Q: And Zinaida - as you've already mentioned - is she a reliable athlete?
A: Undoubtedly. For instance, when the coaching council was finalizing the roster for the USSR national team, it turned out that the squad consisted half of young gymnasts; however, the cohesive force binding the team together was provided by its three most experienced athletes - Z. Voronina, O. Karaseva, and L. Petrik. Incidentally, in my view, each member of this trio is yet to make a significant mark on the sport of gymnastics.
Q: Zinaida Voronina's performances were always distinguished by grace, lightness, and fluidity. Now, to these virtues has been added a certain academic quality - so characteristic of her husband, Mikhail.
A: This is indeed the case. Mikhail exerts a noticeable influence on his wife's mastery; he frequently attends her training sessions, offers pointers, and helps her master new, complex elements. However, I would like to point out that familial involvement in gymnastics does not by any means always have a beneficial effect on the athletes.
Judge for yourselves: she steps onto the podium, while he - who is scheduled to take to the apparatuses himself just a few hours later - sits in the stands, worrying enough for both of them. Admittedly, Zinaida and Mikhail Voronin possess sufficient composure and self-control to keep their "fan-like" passions in check. Yet this is, perhaps, the exception that proves the rule regarding the anxiety spouses feel for one another both before the start and during their performances on the podium.
Q: What would you like to wish Zinaida for the New Year?
A: I know she has a lot of domestic responsibilities right now. I would like to wish her success in raising her son and well-being in her family life. And, as a coach, I wish her even greater diligence. And let her know that I believe in her.
N. BATAEN