ACOG - News - IBM

(22 July 1996; Day 3)

Russian Gymnastics Team Survives Challenge from Former Teammates

The Russian men's gymnastics team easily won the gold medal on Monday, scoring 576.778 to outdistance the pre-competition favorite, China (575.539). The competition, for the Russians, was typical of their reputation: strong, clean, workmanlike and precise.

As a result, the Russian team members can finally put behind them the woes of Sabae, where at the 1995 World Championships they came in 11th in the compulsories. They placed first in the optional exercises but wound up fourth overall. Today in Atlanta, the Russians held first place after the compulsories and rolled to victory in the optionals.

"We have a saying in Russia that sometimes you don't get luck, it's tough luck that makes you luckier," said Russian coach Leonid ARKAEV. "We had to search deep to see who we are. We had to do some soul-searching and that is why we spent 75 percent of our time on compulsories before the Olympics. Sabae was the tough luck that made us luckier."

Also unique to the Russian team was the fact that, because of the dissolution of the Soviet Republic, for the first time many of these athletes are competing at the Olympic Games against their former teammates. While some expected that Soviet-block Unified team and this Russian team.

"To begin with, let me say that the results are there for all to see," he said. "Every team that comes to me is stronger than the one before. I can say they are much better because it is much more difficult to get a gold medal these days."

"In 1988 I was part of the Soviet dominance would come to an end as the team broke up into the current competing teams, this was not the case, according to ARKAEV, who coached both the team and now I am part of the Russian team," said Sergei CHARKOV (RUS). Both teams are equally strong."

With a day to prepare for the all-around finals, Alexei NEMOV finds himself the favorite heading into the competition. His score of 116.361 leads all of the all-around qualifiers, with another Alexei, his teammate Alexei VOROPAEV, in third place at 115.136. A day's rest will do both athletes good.

"Now I feel exhausted," NEMOV said. "I am tired. That's basically the end of my story."

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Theresa Kelly Gegen.


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