How many Olympic Champions turned out to be great coaches?
Not all that many.
It’s great to see 1980 Olympic Champion Yelena Davydova coaching a wonderful gymnast, Kristina Vaculik from Canada.
Yelena was one of the coaches on the Floor when Canada took the silver medal as a team at Pacific Rim. Kristina finished 6th all-around. (58.425)
… Davydova said that, although the Canadian women did not qualify as a team for Beijing, their performance in San Jose indicated potential for the next Olympic cycle.
Vaculik, who will turn 16 in July, may well be part of the next Olympic cycle, as well. …
Davydova said the Canadians’ team silver medal will benefit not only Vaculik, but the next generation of Canadian talent.
“For the future, it gives us confidence that we can do well,” Davydova said. “It will give confidence to the whole team.” …
Behind the Scenes: Pacific Rim Championships by John Crumlish on IG
Here’s Yelena stretching another one of her prominent gymnasts from a few years ago, Sarah Deegan:
Watch Elena’s bar routine from over 25yrs ago on YouTube.
Just before the 1980 Olympics, Romanian Head Coach Béla Károlyi named Davydova as Nadia Comaneci’s main rival for the Olympic title. (Ahead of Shaposhnikova.) Nadia finished 2nd, tied with Maxi Gnauck of East Germany.
That victory must have been bittersweet for the very modest Davydova. Those Games were boycotted. And her friend Elena Mukhina was paralysed in a training accident during a National Team Olympic training camp the same year.
Yelena Davydova – Wikipedia
Related post: International Gymnastics Hall of Fame inductees 2007
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