Maria Gorokhovskaya
Encyclopedia
Maria Kondratyevna Gorokhovskaya ' onMouseout='HidePop("58867")' href="/topics/Tel_Aviv">Tel Aviv
) was a Ukrainian
(formerly Soviet
) gymnast
. At the 1952 Summer Olympics
, she won seven medals, the most medals won by any woman in a single Olympics.http://www.hickoksports.com/history/oltopmedalists.shtml
Competing for Stroityel Kharkov, Gorokhovskaya won her first USSR title on the balance beam in 1948. She came to the Helsinki
Olympics as the twofold national champion. Soviet gymnastics had never competed at major international tournaments before, and it was the first Olympics in which the country participated.
The Soviet gymnasts dominated the competition, with Gorokhovskaya leading them. In all four individual apparatus events – the balance beam, floor exercise, the vault
and the uneven bars – Gorokhovskaya finished second. This performance earned her the gold medal in the all-around competition, finishing ahead of team-mate Nina Bocharova
by eight tenths of a point.
With seven of the eight Soviet gymnasts finishing in the top ten, it was clear that the team gold medal would go to them. Gorokhovskaya won her seventh medal in the now discontinued team exercise with portable apparatus, where the Soviet team finished second behind Sweden
.
Gorokhovskaya made one more international appearance as a part of the winning Soviet team at the 1954 World Championships
, and retired afterwards. She then worked as a judge (international since 1964) and a lecturer.
In 1990, she emigrated to Israel
.In 1991 Maria was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame.
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
) was a Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
(formerly Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) gymnast
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
. At the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
, she won seven medals, the most medals won by any woman in a single Olympics.http://www.hickoksports.com/history/oltopmedalists.shtml
Competing for Stroityel Kharkov, Gorokhovskaya won her first USSR title on the balance beam in 1948. She came to the Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
Olympics as the twofold national champion. Soviet gymnastics had never competed at major international tournaments before, and it was the first Olympics in which the country participated.
The Soviet gymnasts dominated the competition, with Gorokhovskaya leading them. In all four individual apparatus events – the balance beam, floor exercise, the vault
Vault (gymnastics)
The vault is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the skill performed using that apparatus. Vaulting is also the action of performing a vault. Both male and female gymnasts perform the vault...
and the uneven bars – Gorokhovskaya finished second. This performance earned her the gold medal in the all-around competition, finishing ahead of team-mate Nina Bocharova
Nina Bocharova
Nina Antonovna Bocharova is a former Soviet/Ukrainian gymnast, who won five medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics....
by eight tenths of a point.
With seven of the eight Soviet gymnasts finishing in the top ten, it was clear that the team gold medal would go to them. Gorokhovskaya won her seventh medal in the now discontinued team exercise with portable apparatus, where the Soviet team finished second behind Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Gorokhovskaya made one more international appearance as a part of the winning Soviet team at the 1954 World Championships
1954 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 13th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Rome, the capital of Italy, on June 28 - July 1, 1954.-Medals:- All-around :- Floor exercise :- Pommel horse :- Rings :- Vault :- Parallel bars :- Horizontal bar :...
, and retired afterwards. She then worked as a judge (international since 1964) and a lecturer.
In 1990, she emigrated to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.In 1991 Maria was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame.
Achievements (non-Olympic)
| Year | Event | AA | Team | VT | UB | BB | FX | RG | HB Horizontal bar The high bar, also known as the horizontal bar, is an apparatus used by male gymnasts in Artistic Gymnastics. It traditionally consists of a cylindrical metal bar that is rigidly held above and parallel to the floor by a system of cables and stiff vertical supports. Gymnasts typically wear leather... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | USSR Championships | 2nd | |||||||
| 1948 | USSR Championships | 2nd | 1st | ||||||
| 1949 | USSR Championships | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | ||||
| 1950 | USSR Championships | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | |||
| 1951 | USSR Championships | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | ||||
| 1952 | USSR Championships | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | |||
| 1953 | USSR Championships | 1st | |||||||
| 1954 | World Championships 1954 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships The 13th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Rome, the capital of Italy, on June 28 - July 1, 1954.-Medals:- All-around :- Floor exercise :- Pommel horse :- Rings :- Vault :- Parallel bars :- Horizontal bar :... |
1st | 3rd | ||||||
| USSR Championships | 2nd | 1st |
See also
- List of select Jewish gymnasts
- List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games