Polina Astakhova
Encyclopedia
Polina Astakhova (October 30, 1936, in Dnipropetrovsk
, Ukrainian SSR
- August 5, 2005 in Kiev, Ukraine) was a Soviet/Ukrainian
gymnast
who won ten medals (five gold medals, two silver medals and three bronze medals) at the Summer Olympics
, where she participated as a member of the USSR team
in 1956
, 1960
and 1964
.
at age 13, after she had watched the gymnastics championships in Donetsk
, a city, where their family moved a short time before. She trained in the local gymnastics sports club Shakhtyor, where her trainer was the Honoured Trainer of the USSR Vladimir Alieksandrovitch Smirnov.
Astakhova earned a nickname The Russian Birch in Western countries for her exceptional grace, and at the 1960 Olympics she was even called Madonna by the Italian journalists. Between 1956 and 1966 Astakhova was on top of many international and national competitions especially on the uneven bars apparatus event. She was a member of the USSR team between 1955 and 1968.
In 1954 Astakhova competed in the USSR Championships for the first time and in a year she made the USSR National team at the 1956 Summer Olympics
. She was the youngest team member and contributed to the team's gold. At the 1960 Summer Olympics
Olympics in Rome she led in the all-around, but lost a whole point for a fall on beam, which was the seventh routine of eight contested. She was very disappointed by the accident and even did not compete that year, although in Rome she won the gold in the team competition and on the bars, silver on the floor
and bronze in the all-around. She recovered after the 1961 European Championships, where she won gold medals on the bars and on beam. Competing in the 1964 Summer Olympics
, Astakhova contributed to the team's gold, won on the bars, was second on the floor and third in the all-around.
After she finished her career, since 1972 she worked as the USSR State Trainer for Ukrainian SSR
for some time. In 2002 she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
. Astakhova spent the last years of her life in Kiev, Ukraine before her death at age 68 from undisclosed causes.
Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk or Dnepropetrovsk formerly Yekaterinoslav is Ukraine's third largest city with one million inhabitants. It is located southeast of Ukraine's capital Kiev on the Dnieper River, in the south-central region of the country...
, Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
- August 5, 2005 in Kiev, Ukraine) was a Soviet/Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
gymnast
Gymnast
Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...
who won ten medals (five gold medals, two silver medals and three bronze medals) at the Summer Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, where she participated as a member of the USSR team
USSR at the Summer Olympics
The Soviet Union first participated at the Olympic Games in 1952, and competed at the Games on 18 occasions since then. At seven of its nine appearances at the Summer Olympic Games, the team ranked first in the total number of medals won, it was second by this count on the other two...
in 1956
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
, 1960
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
and 1964
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
.
Biography
Astakhova became interested in artistic gymnasticsArtistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
at age 13, after she had watched the gymnastics championships in Donetsk
Donetsk
Donetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin region...
, a city, where their family moved a short time before. She trained in the local gymnastics sports club Shakhtyor, where her trainer was the Honoured Trainer of the USSR Vladimir Alieksandrovitch Smirnov.
Astakhova earned a nickname The Russian Birch in Western countries for her exceptional grace, and at the 1960 Olympics she was even called Madonna by the Italian journalists. Between 1956 and 1966 Astakhova was on top of many international and national competitions especially on the uneven bars apparatus event. She was a member of the USSR team between 1955 and 1968.
In 1954 Astakhova competed in the USSR Championships for the first time and in a year she made the USSR National team at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
. She was the youngest team member and contributed to the team's gold. At the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
Olympics in Rome she led in the all-around, but lost a whole point for a fall on beam, which was the seventh routine of eight contested. She was very disappointed by the accident and even did not compete that year, although in Rome she won the gold in the team competition and on the bars, silver on the floor
Floor (gymnastics)
In gymnastics, the floor refers to a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The event in gymnastics performed on floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is FX.A spring...
and bronze in the all-around. She recovered after the 1961 European Championships, where she won gold medals on the bars and on beam. Competing in the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
, Astakhova contributed to the team's gold, won on the bars, was second on the floor and third in the all-around.
After she finished her career, since 1972 she worked as the USSR State Trainer for Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
for some time. In 2002 she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, located in Oklahoma City, USA, is a hall of fame dedicated to honoring the achievements and contributions of the world's greatest competitors, coaches and authorities in artistic gymnastics....
. Astakhova spent the last years of her life in Kiev, Ukraine before her death at age 68 from undisclosed causes.
Achievements (non-Olympic)
| Year | Event | AA | Team | VT | UB | BB | FX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | USSR Championships | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | |||
| 1957 | USSR Championships | 3rd | |||||
| 1958 | World Championships | 1st | 3rd | ||||
| USSR Championships | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | |||
| 1959 | European Championships | 1st | 1st | ||||
| USSR Championships | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | |||
| USSR Cup | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 1st | |||
| 1960 | USSR Championships | 1st | 2nd | 1st | |||
| USSR Cup | 1st | ||||||
| 1961 | European Championships | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | ||
| USSR Championships | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | ||||
| USSR Cup | 2nd | 1st | |||||
| 1962 | World Championships | 1st | |||||
| USSR Championships | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | ||||
| 1963 | USSR Championships | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | |||
| USSR Cup | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | ||
| 1964 | USSR Championships | 2nd | 1st | ||||
| 1965 | USSR Championships | 2nd | 3rd | ||||
| USSR Cup | 1st | ||||||
| 1966 | World Championships | 2nd | |||||
| USSR Championships | 3rd | ||||||
| 1967 | USSR Championships | 3rd |