Gymnastics Tragedy - The Story Of Elena Mukhina
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2017
- This is probably the LONGEST video I will ever make. I know many won't watch it mainly due to the length of it, but I HAD to just explain basically everything because the point of this video, for me at least, is that maybe a coach will see it and the tragey won't repeat, normal people will see it and remember her name. In general it's just historical video of one of the greatest gymnasts to ever be born. It is such a sad story so not recommended for the weak of hearts. Gymnastics is a cruel sport at times albeit a gorgeous one that your whole heart will love.
I will start off by saying that I didn't even know which song to use because there are hardly ANY that honor her. I didn't want to use a stupid song in the background, it HAD to be meaningful. In the end, after a long search, I returned to my initial options and narrowed the choices down to "¢ση¢яєтє αηgєℓ, мα∂ ωσяℓ∂ ωιтн му нєαят ωιℓℓ gσ ση & ℓιѕтєη тσ уσυя нєαят" being the two being the main songs I'd choose from while the other two due to soothing melody in the cover versions of other languages. ιмρσѕѕιвℓє was also an option at one point, but I finally decided on the song you hear in the video, мα∂ ωσяℓ∂ and I'd say the lyrics and tune do the justice. Sorry for rambling, next video should be happier!! :D ..Probably...
Cover done by Robbie: / @robbierobertafrancomano
Credit: The information was taken from Wiki, multiple interviews/documentaries and a few sites.
~~~FINALLY, AS USUAL ~~~ I do not own any of the audio or video nor do I claim to own it. If there're ANY problems whichever content make sure to message me and I'll be sure to check it out and take it down if that is what the owner desires. This channel does not nor ever will make money off of any content.
She was left paralyzed, and the coach continued living his life, unscathed.
Child abuse seems like the easiest thing to perpetrate.
@@wendywhoisit1819 this is child abuse regardless of whose fault it was.
@@wendywhoisit1819 she was abused as a minor in gymnastics as well.. Did you not watch the video?
Well he did die to cancer so not “unscathed.” ...... I’m not agreeing that he was a good man, because he wasn’t. But you do have to put in the facts, when you’re going to make a comment like this😅
He was another victim of the Soviet System and took it out on Elena...she was Wise beyond her years and she KNEW this about her coach. He moved his family out of Russia after this and died of cancer. Bad scene all around.
@@wendywhoisit1819 Oh she was PUSHED beyond what she could handle. She Looks exhausted in every training video. Probably mail nutrition contributed to her leg fracture. The Soviets would destroy Anyone to WIN. She was an orphan at 5 so no parents to defend her etc
The fact that she thought “thank god I don’t have to go to the olympics” really says it all about how they treated her
@Karen Reed I'm not sure how much choice you had in 1980 Soviet Russia.
OOF: My thoughts too.
@Karen Reed bruh-
Karen Reed yeah, because a child in the communist extreme Soviet Union really has the power. She asked doctors not to remove the cast, she begged the adults in her life to listen, but to them she was an object for proving national superiority. The higher ups in government saw her as a tool, and short of purposefully doing badly and failing, she wouldn’t have an obvious out. It’s kind of like saying people in North Korea should just leave. It’s not that simple.
Karen Reed lol it was Soviet Union back then...do you really think she had a choice?
who is here after simone biles prevented this same fate for herself!? We got your back Simone! Good call.
Sometimes our seemingly worst moments end up being our biggest blessings. We tend to minimize ourselves and so many people never realize their true greatness. You are much more than your accomplishments, you are a loving & loveable child of a living loving God who created you perfectly. But remember that your accomplishments have also become accomplishments and encouragement for so many girls on so many levels. You are a shining example of strength and triumph for young girls, women, sexual abuse victims, kids in foster care, adopted kids, those battling mental issues, and adults who really need to learn a thing or two about compassion and understanding. Thank you for standing up for yourself, your safety, and well-being and thus opening the door for others who may not have had such courage because of the judgements of an ignorant society! I am very proud of you Simone!
I am... This is ridiculous has anyone ever watched someone have a panic attack, they are real, or a mental break down its also real.
I could see she was off. She’s been saying she was so tired. This is no different then if there was an accident and messed up and lost the gold. This is life.
Good for Simone for putting herself first. If she had pushed through and competed and had gotten badly injured, most people would have offered her ‘thoughts and prayers’ and moved on with their lives while she would have been stuck in her fears and dealing with whatever injuries for the rest of her life. She has already proven what a great gymnast she is she doesn’t have to prove anything else to the world. That’s a great sign of maturity!
I watched this before but agree a mess up in gymnastics can have major consequences. I also think this story has something to do with the starting point controversy. If soemone got hurt they could be seen as encouraging it and not stopping it. It's a doubled edged sword for sure. I can see both sides.
Same. Simone saw the warning signs and acted just in time. A medal is an object. life is irreplaceable. I support her decision and courage to halt at the Olympics.
@@chrissya9994 That is undeniably true
I literally felt nauseous reading this story. I’m sorry Elena, only wish I could hug you right now
I'm her younger brother. You may hug me. 😉
@@bradnbuttr what in the actual fuck is wrong with you
@@bradnbuttr how dare you.. 😳
Imagine your passion being turned against you by cruel people around you. That's the saddest thing.
@I. Wynn Wynn exactly. Supposedly, her talent should shine brighter than any other things but instead t'was the caused of her death. :(((
All about money and fame
@I. Wynn Wynn all about money and fame
@I. Wynn Wynn no respect it was a horror to read and know how talented she was She had grace and beauty in her performance and much difficulty~ Very sad life.. No one to represent her her grandmother could not imagine I am sure~
These are children being abuse like they are slaves to the communist system that lost in the end .
They NEED to make a movie about this incredible woman
💝
co - sign
Yes they do.
I don't agree it's too sad 😢 I don't care about money or any vanity things just human lives😭🤧 I wish she could of........ sorry I gotta go 😞
Yeah, and make her a black lesbian, with environmental themes.
"he's not a bad man"
that's debatable
No....it’s not
B H Yes it is debatable. He was to blame and he knew it. Probably why he migrated to Italy.
@@Lilnugget_96 It's the system to blame. Soviet had a strong regime. The coach was forced to train her or else he would be removed possibly get killed. The coach and Elena had good relationships. It's the Soviet regime and wanting to win over Romania who were their number one rival at that time. He probably emigrated to Italy to live in peace regardless very sad
He was mean and evil, that isnt being naïve
@@BH-el4rs he is tho
I’m glad Simone Biles listened to her body and was strong enough to know she wasn’t in the right head space to compete. Poor Elena. She had so much pressure on her. :(
We enjoyed Simone, I am pleased she listened to her accountant.
I totally agree. I'm so proud of her. To be strong enough to stand up and say I'm not feeling this.
@@sabrinahouston9814 I agree as well. When a gymnast is performing death defying stunts, it’s her prerogative to define her limits. I totally respect Simon for not allowing herself to be pressured. I much rather see her performing at a later time than never again.
@@tuesday225 wow what a rasis you sure cant admit when asian can win medal in any sport do you. No one can ever dare to make you step down and the fact you are from such powerfull nation country. Unless you are drug abuser and was positively tested.
@@thelordismyshepherd1366 Simone Biles didn't compete because she couldn't do it without using the banned drug Ritalin.
Biles was lucky that she could use drugs with the WADA's permission. It helped her immensely to concentrate and gain an upper hand.
She was robbed of her whole life, before and after the tragedy. So heartbreaking.
Best comment to summarize the whole story... Not only after, but also before... Such a waste of human life!
you said that so well
Omg this is heartbreaking. Her career was ended all because they were so desperate for gold medals. That's messed up.
I totally agree
dude who cares about the career she literally got paralyzed
Not only her career, but HER LIFE was ended. She ended up dying pretty young, because of her being paralyzed
Career? She became a tetraplegic. Her lifr basically ended, not her career.
Her life was ended. Screw the career.
Elena was one of the best ever and one of my favorites. She was taken too soon.She deserved a much better life. Thanks for all the wonderful memories, Elena. You are remembered.
a true crucifixion.
Elena is in a better place now. She is with God. Sleep well little angel. No one can hurt you again.
Apparently not too much of the best to miss that landing 😬
@@-BabyValentine- she was forced to train on an injured leg. Many top level gymnasts have been injured trying that move. Think about it. And, she was beyond Amazing. She was sacrificed to the medals machine
And this is why Simone Biles was smart for withdrawing from competition. If the athlete is not confident in their ability to perform, they shouldn't.
Absolutely.
Yep. Those who say she's a quitter don't understand just how dangerous Simone's routines can be...we could easily have ended up with a similar video about her, but thank goodness gymnasts have much more autonomy in this new age. I'm sure Mukhina would have quit if she could, and she'd be alive today. 💓
100%. Hell, it's just absolute talent and a bit of luck that she DIDN'T break her neck coming off that vault. People keep bitching but they weren't there and aren't her.
@@andream9470 And who probably have never done gymnastics to begin with.
I mean, I'VE never done gymnastics, but I'm also smart enough to see the inherent danger if you can't see where you're going.
Thankfully, Simone Biles is older and is confident in what she says. Had this happened during an earlier olympics, she may not have felt she could say no. Besides taking care of herself, she is setting a good example of self-care for her teammates and for anyone who watches her.
Poor thing died probably thinking she was forgotten by the world. She probably never knew that kind people on YT put up memorials like this so others, like me, would learn and remember. I just look at her face and I want to hug her and hold her hand. So sorry she passed and passed way too young.
You stated that perfectly. 👍👍
She knows now. I truly believe that, she knows now.♥️
She was Well Loved by many Russians , especially after the truth came out! 🤸♀️
I know. Right? And she didn't even want to do it in the first place.
Poor girl. What age did she die at?
As someone who was a gymnast, coaches often care more about your training than if you have an injury. It's one of the main reasons I quit. I landed on my shoulder while doing a back handspring in the earlier years of my training and my coach told me to walk it off and do my beam routine. I ended up falling because my shoulder was dislocated and obviously couldn't sustaine weight. I also still have wrist issues years later from landing on them wrong so many times and my coaches not caring. It's a sad industry.
This is 100% true and extremely sad. Like many, I relate and so do almost all the gymnasts that I know..
You must've had terrible coaches. In the 19 years I've spent in the gym (14 as a gymnast and 5 as a coach), my coaches and I always took injuries seriously. The worst injuries we had on the team were a dislocated elbow and a fractured elbow (one was a missed release move on bars). My coached picked up the injured gymnast, carried her to his car and drove her to the hospital himself (5 minute drive) and stayed with her until she was casted and on pain meds. He would not allow her to come back until she had full release from doctor and physical therapist that she was safe to train. He didn't care about winning, he cared about our safety and happiness and helping us be the best athletes we were able to be. Don't let a few bad eggs ruin the sport for you.
Dino Nuggets same especially my beam coach. If I get an injury she will yell at me for not being careful and doesn’t care if something hurts we will still have to do it and if we don’t we have rope climbs
sadly, I've seen too many injuries like this - all for a damn medal????
It is not only the coaches who are pushing, but usually a damn mother!
Dino Nuggets terrible
That’s the first time I’m learning about Elena’s story, and I’ve been born and educated in Russia… Meaning, the official culture and history education programs omit mentioning this case. Truly heartbreaking. Unfortunately cruelly pushing athletes beyond their limits is a very common approach in Russian sports. Coaches will use harsh verbal and emotional abuse to pressure their trainees to do the undoable. This starts from coaching literal children (4 year olds).
Bela Karoli, Naudia's coach, was extremely brutal. I swear, people like this need to be punished--SEVERLY.
@@jamesstreet856 I agree with you. This is purposeful abuse... But sadly, they are receiving awards and high social status for what they're doing...
@@jeremiahsmith916 Exactly right my friend. They receive their awards at someone else's expense. They murdered this little girl trying to get results by any brutal means necessary. And sadly, these people will never see the punishment they deserve. Not in this life anyway. Maybe when they die, they will bust hell wide open.
@@jamesstreet856 Is he not the one who trained Mary Lou Retton?
This unfortunately very true. Specially for gymnasts and ballerinas. Russian authorities are too worried in displaying "greatness" to the world with sports and Russian ballet. The children athletes are pushed to extreme physical pain and mental abuse
Dude the fact that she BEAT Comaneci. AMAZING gymnast I’m so sad to have seen this, she needs a movie!
I agree We need the Movie on Elana . I am sure it will happen Have to keep pushing for it ~
Heartbreaking. They could do a movie about her.
Indeed, I would really like it if they did.
Fantastic idea x
Indeed!! I hope someone does!!
When I become a director in 10 years, I promise to make a movie about Elena
Roman Natale Thanks so much Roman.
"she became a recluse after the injury" ...double talk for "they shipped her away, tried to keep her quiet, and get the world to forget she exists" so they wouldn't ask questions or cause negative publicity on "the machine."
She might have also been embarrassed. Not that she should be, but when you have all that pressure on you, and all those people telling you that "people like you don't break their necks" like you're some kind of God, and you're still so young and naive, you could get tricked by the system into feeling embarrassed for something that wasn't even your fault.
i can't believe they simply used her. they didn't care about her, and they didn't think about how injured she was. as soon as she became paralyzed, they tried to dump her out as if she were nothing. because of this, the poor girls career ended way too early.
@@luisabautista6885 her career? What about the rest of her entire life?
USSR often did that to cover up mistakes. They needed to save face for the world, they wanted to be and look the best and strongest in the world.
Trump's Buddies
It speaks volume of Mukhina that she felt sorry for the coach that forced her to injure herself. She was so talented with so much potential. Her story is truly tragic. RIP 🤸🏼♀️
As a former gymnast in my teens, it gave me much needed self-confidence, joy, grace and strength. In the wrong person's hands, however, bad things can happen. The very moment someone thought it was okay to take off her cast before her injury was fully healed, that literally put her in a position of never walking again if something went wrong. Horrible. Gymnastics should edge more towards the artistic instead of just more difficulty, more difficulty. It is not a circus, and its dangerous. GRACE during athleticism is a beautiful thing to watch too.
I had a broken tibia bone and it was very painful for 3 months & even now too
Coaches often work gymnasts WAY to hard. I fractured my ankle when I fell off the beam, and my coach had me continue for two weeks before I got an x-ray and cast. From walking on my ankle too long the bone wouldn’t heal right and I was in a cast for the next 3 years of my life. Then I was diagnosed with CRPS 4 years after the incident due to being in a cast for so long. My CRPS has made it extremely hard to do anything because I’m always in pain. Even though I enjoyed doing it so much, I haven’t been able to do gymnastics since.
Sorry for the long story!
Edit: wow thanks sooo much for the support!! To anyone wondering why I didn’t get an x-ray right after it’s due to the fact my coach was in medical school at the time to become a nurse. Right after the fall she told me I had just sprained it and to continue training. But we knew something wasn’t right when it hurt just as much two weeks later. Thats
when my mom decided we needed to get an X-ray done.
Definitely stand up for yourself and your body. That's one thing I am learning to do
Da Tina those coaches make me sick. They just work us gymnasts too hard for a good reputation. Hope you can feel better! Also you said to hard the word is *too hard (sorry it just bugs me) hope you are doing better 😔
Dang I was lucky it was 3 weeks before I went to the ER to find out I had 3 broken bones right where the foot and toes connect which they were fractures and by that point were already in the process of healing themselves without no dumb cast
But why didn't your mom or dad take you to the doctor? You can't blame a coach if there was nothing wrong with you and as far as he knew there was nothing wrong. Did he know about the fracture and continue to insist? If so, again, why would your parents allow you to? This is really a matter of your parents allowing you to participate when you were injured.
I had a nasty fall while riding a horse (the horse, reared, flipped over backwards and landed on my chest) and had my arm in a sling for weeks. Guess what, my mom wouldn't let me ride during that time. It was that easy. She said no. I went out there and brushed him and then went home. I don't remember if my trainer said anything but I know my mom wouldn't have been bullied into letting me back up with a fractured anything.
Wait wtf, I’m not a gymnast but i also fracture my ankle from a skateboarding accident and I couldn’t even walk, I knew something was wrong and didn’t attempt to put weight on it, that same day I went to the hospital. How were you able to walk/put weight on your inured ankle?? That’s insane!!!
the fact that she thought “thank god i won’t have to go to the olympics” first instead of “am i going to be okay” or “i need help” while she was in that much pain and fear says a lot about the gymnastics industry and the unrealistic expectations people have for gymnasts and other athletes. this is truly sad
In the Soviet Union, it was always for ‘the good of the state’.
Response from Someone Who Realised They Couldn't Abuse Her Anymore.. She Was Alone, In Pain, Exhausted.. CRUEL HOW MANY PEOPLE SHEOPLE ACCEPT CHILD ABUSE AS A OK..
Poor girl. "Thank God I won't have to go to the Olympics" says it all. So sad but you can tell by her saying that how relieved she was to finally get away from it all forever. Too bad it had to end the way it did. What a precious gift she is. This is so tragic & so sad. I wish she were still around, I would love to meet her & give her a gigantic hug. Bless her heart. Rest in peace love.
The best gymnast of ALL time. Sweet Elena. Brilliant. Brave. She was an incredible athlete, yes, but also an incredible human. An Angel. Fly high, sweet girl.
Beautiful Well said You said it all `
That little girl was just a little girl and everyone let her down. Rest in Peace Princess.
Why are you calling a 20-year-old a little girl? Would it not be tragic enough if you called her a woman or what?
@AVA VAZQUEZ she was in her fourties when she passed
According to biographical articles, Mukhina was 20 years old at the time of her accident. Still, it is truly heartbreaking that she suffered such cruelty at the hands of her coaches, who did not care about her wellbeing.
that is so true... she tried to do her best and with only her grandmother . no one to speak out for her .. Very sad
I can’t believe everyone arguing about whether she was a woman or a little girl. She couldn’t stand up for herself and had no one to help her. She was a little girl!!!!
I'm not into judging others, but I will call it how I see it. Athletes are not machines and that was a narcissistic action to make that young lady train when she said she was still injured. Winning isn't everything. The hunger or insatiableness to be the best caused this young woman to lose her health and ultimately her life. Cruel, tragic and sad.
Pressure abuse happens to kids in the democratic world too, Lena Zavaroni, Andrea Jaeger. What lets it happen, is that kids are not democratically emancipated citizens, it's still believed right to be authoritarian to them. www.authoritarianschooling.co.uk + arguments against it are deliberately excluded from the media. Here is how it took me 3 years to escape from breaking point school pressure to be a high achiever www.raggeduniversity.co.uk/2015/04/28/eighties-teenage-psychiatry-for-school-pressure-one-writer-squashed-another-by-maurice-frank/
Are you really comparing the pressure of 80s UK schooling to training as a member of the 70-80s Soviet gymnastics team with a known ability to win gold? Your examples of pressure abuse seem strange when Julissa Gomez would be the epitome of that.
That's communism for you
@@neeknanuk9080 I am indeed. How does one person being an epitome disprove other cases' existence? Instead, other csses' existence are illustrative of where the evil comes from in society, that caused the epitome case.
Couldn't agree with you more!
Known as the gurl with the ice blue eyes. They beat her into perfection and both lost. They push these girls too far. She had a dream and they turned it into a nightmare. Sad. She was so talented
I just hope that despite her misfortunes and all that pain and suffering she still experienced some moments of genuine happiness and joy. That’s all one can wish for.
This is beyond tragic😢😭😭 she was a child and should have been protected instead she was used to get medals. R.I.P. 🕯darling
If only she had an advocate for her things might have turned out differently. So tragic. The Soviet system was so brutal and unfeeling.
I KNOW YOU WILL BE DANCING IN HEAVEN AND ENJOYING ALL THE FRUITS OF A HEAVENLY LIFE WITHOUT ANY PAIN OR FORM OF DARKNESS...INSTEAD YOUNG, FULLY HEALED AND JOYFUL!!! YOU DESERVE IT!!! XOXOXOXO
😥💐💐💐💕💕💕💕💕
Very very sad poor girl
@@belenhernandezbenavente3420 īñ
No, he WAS a bad coach.
Ryan Lo he wanted glory from the communist government...he died of cancer a year after Elena passed, it just may have bothered him. He was part of the machine of the USSR
i went to training camps where he coached. He was an amazing coach
@@gymjenny Lol ok
@Kate A Well he’s dead. We use “was/were” even for good people who are dead.
And he RAN AWAY living life in relative peace with family.
Elite Soviet gymnasts can't break their necks just like RBMK reactors can't melt down.
And their reporters never get murdered, they just end up with two bullets in their skull from their suicide attempts.
There was no graphite on the ground …
She was not only a talented gymnast, but also a very nice person. R.I.P. Elena!😇💖
I have a feeling that there was more than one person to blame not just the coach
Yes, the doctors should care more about her then they did
Agreed...she didn't stand a chance when she hadn't even recovered from breaking her leg! This is what happens when the need to win overrides common sense!
What made her not stand up for herself?!!! She had to take SOME of the responsibility.
@@desertbreeze69 She refused but she is living in a communist country and she is a national athlete. Besides the brainwashing done, do you really think that she had the freedom of speech to do as she wished. This is the Soviet Union we are talking about. Even the coaches and doctors did not have the freedom to help her.....
Dixie Hull Watch the video. It clearly states (around 5:05) that she took partial responsibility for not standing up for herself.
I'm just going to put this out there for everyone. I managed to find a whole bunch of information about Elena which was in Russian but I managed to get it translated. Knowledge about her life is patchy at best and it requires separation of facts from propaganda.
About the leg... After the bad break she was forced back into training and the break came apart requiring the surgery. Some accounts word it like she had to be operated on the very day the cast came off the first time.
Apparently Elena's father was a drunk and he deserted her and her mother long before her mother died in a fire. He re entered her life in 2001ish but she cut him off because his motivation was mostly monetary.
After her accident she regained some movement in her arms but didn't have a whole lot of use of her arms. She was on a ventilator for SIX MONTHS after her accident.
That's all I can really put out there for now but I might buy this book about her in Italian and get it translated.
I also saw and interview with Larissa Latynina in which Larissa broke down and cried just talking about her. She apparently saw her regularly until her death.
Thanks, a really sad and tragic story for such a beautiful, talented girl. Very sad knowing nobody was there to protect and stand up for her, her being so young and vulnerable. 😔😧😢☹
Jo Letty extremely sad and tragic
It highlights a sobering reality
Thank you for this information. If you find out more, please let us know. Thank you.
Did you ever buy the book and if so did you get it translated?
Thank you, for sharing this with us.
No one protected this poor girl. This made me cry, so upsetting. Rest in paradise Elena💙🌸🌻
I felt that way also ! We speak out Elana speaks out this story will help many `
This is beyond sad, she was sacrificed for the gold medal. RIP Elena❤️
It's bad enough that she broke her leg, in which she can make a comeback from, but ended up with a broke spine, all because of pressure from coaches and peers.
Willie Gordon Sue for what? She went along with it.
natelie r Willie Gordon is right, she was forced, she spoke up and told certain people and coaches that she wasn't ready and no one spoke up for her when she pleaded, she was forced and pressured.
Willie Gordon and disiskrazy d They didn't force her in the slightest, it was her decision to preform and practice the stunt. She even said that it was her fault that she didn't say no. If she went along with it, even when she knew that she shouldn't have, I honestly can't hold that much sympathy for her. Of course, it's unfortunate and tragic, but it was her fault. Being forced and being pressured are two COMPLETELY different things. She might have been pressured, but she wasn't forced. The fact is, is that she couldn't sue because she went along with it. That's all my comment was addressing.
yeah because she was alone and nobody protected her you dumbass.
where were her parents in this.
In the late eighties, our gym had a coach from Russia. He was adamant that we not do skills like the 'Thomas Salto (that is, 1 1/2 somersault roll-out). It didn't matter if it was front, arabian, or side. It didn't matter if he was coaching the gymnast, or somebody else. He never explained why, only saying it was too dangerous. It wasn't until a few years later I understood why he was so against those skills. That's when the truth finally started to filter west (after the end of the USSR). Before that, we only knew she had a serious injury.
Bless the good man of a coach y'all had.
Kim
Good for him
Did you train at WOGA in Texas? Was your coach Yevgeny Marchenko?
IT MAKE ME VERY MAD WHY THE RUSSIA COACHES CAN’T SAY WHAT HAPPEN TO ELAINE AND HIDE THE ACCIDENT FROM THE WORLD,,,,
They took her life away💔 But I will be forever thankful for her. Without her the Thomas Salto might have never been banned causing more and more gymnast to get hurt. She changed gymnastics forever❤️ Rest in peace❤️💔
Such a tragic story. I was not aware of her, but I am so glad you've put this out here. It's a timely tale that most likely goes on in many too many athletes' lives. I cried hard for her. God bless her beautiful soul.
Please don't say the coach was "not a bad man, merely young and naive". I know a lot of "young and naive" people who would never make anyone walk let alone do gymnastics on a broken leg. You are casting a bad light on young an naive people everywhere. Her coach was a monster.
Times were very different then. The Cold War was still going on along with propaganda being shared from both sides. The Olympics, especially gymnastics and figure skating, weren't a show to celebrate athletes' talents but an opportunity for many countries to one up each other. A sad story yes but her positive attitude is a testament to the power of forgiveness.
mjamitche5 but none of them lived in russia with the threats he was under. Threats that probably included his family if his team didnt perform.
In my humble opinion, they were both victims of the system.
Well, thank fuck for competitive gaming, then.
It was Elena herself who said her coach was young and naive and she felt sorry for him! Also he was not present when Elena had the accident it was with another coach. x
It makes my stomach twist. She meant nothing to them...
This is what happens when state is extremely powerful. No individuality is left to assert. A new form of obsession with nationalism takes over defying the expressions of the same people who constitute it .
The state has no national allegiance, the first victim of a totalitarian state is their own nations. There has never been a national state and the closest one would need to care about peasants and ordinary people to qualify as one.
@3VIL IS GOOD&GOOD IS 3VIL ... Oh shut the fuck up. This is about SPORTS from many years ago.
When somebody's looking at you saying, "No. I can't do this. I'm going to hurt myself," you best listen. A person knows their own limits and she knew she couldn't do that move. Young and naive or not, Clamenko and everyone else who abused her leading up to that injury should've been charged.
When I was eleven years old, my classmate was afraid of doing a simple forward roll on mattresses in P.E. class. She was afraid of getting hurt and told the teacher so. Teacher made her do it anyway. The girl broke her arm.
I remember her. She was a World Champion. Her name should be up there in the history of gymnastics with Korbut and Comaneci. She was a hero.
This is way too common in sports. It’s difficult, especially on teens. My son was injured and they were in such a hurry to get him out there again. I said, “ you’re smart I know you can handle this” and he nodded his head “yep I know mom.” He was 16 at the time but mature and thought like an adult. He dropped out on his own to avoid further damage but he’s still physically active , just without the coaches BS. I was so angry when they supposedly had a practitioner at his and gave him the ok but when I rushed him to the ER I saved his knee from damage. These schools need to chill. Parents please be involved.
Well im glad you stood up for your son, let him make his own decision, and you stood by him... I wish more more parents were like that..
One of my granddaughters had a similar experience as your son. She played varsity soccer, was captain of her team, and was considered the best mid-fielder in the conference. At a game on a Friday, she dislocated her knee. Without her on the field her team really suffered, so during the following game on Tuesday, the coach tried to get her to play; fortunately, she refused. He was more interest in winning than the safety of the players.
"Parents please be involved"
Is the most important thing you've said, irrespective of the field.
1) that adds confidence and inspiration in the kid
2) you know what's happening with and by your kid
I want to put something out here. It's not an excuse for anyone, just another piece of info. Many of you are young, and not familiar with Soviet attempts at domination in the era. They pushed athletes VERY hard and Olympic medals were a show of their "superiority". When US teams beat them, it was a huge political statement. In the Soviet Union, the pressure from the government on the athletic federation was heavy, probably threats were made. It was a scary time to live in the country.
This was my immediate thought. This situation should have never happened, but blaming her or her coach would be improperly deflecting the blame from the Soviet program and the Soviet Union broadly.
@@giftedboi absolutely! Even their family members were threatened. They not only wanted medals, but worried that the athletes would defect. Younger people should watch the movie White Knights. Those were scary times.
@@elceenomoun8115 not that it isn't sad that she lost her mother, but... good lord, what do people think a mother would have done?! They actively recruited orphans, but a parent or two could "disappear." How awful.
@@msp5138 that's all very true. But we were discussing the Soviet Union during the cold War era, and the likely impact on this athlete.
And when they won, they got perks like few others.
Are people's attention spans so compromised that they would think this was a "long" video? Really? Thank you for posting this...I hope it helps others.
American gymnast Julissa Gomez also died from a gymnastic injury. She was practicing a Yurchenko vault at a meet in Japan prior to the performance. She'd been training under Karolyi some months back but sustained an injury after which he seems to have lost his enthusiasm for coaching her. She then signed with another coach who has since been criticized for recklessly pushing her to perform that vault because he felt it was needed if she had any hope of making the next Olympic team. She could not even speak after ramming headfirst into the apparatus during practice before the meet but could blink yes and no. That night at the hospital in Japan her breathing tube came loose. The hospital was old school and didn't allow a parent to stay by her side and did not appoint a nurse to do so either. Her parents were desperately hoping for her to be declared stable enough for the flight home. Instead the next morning they learned of the accidental oxygen loss and were informed their daughter was now brain dead. She eventually went home where her mother cared for her under medical supervision. Her mother cared for her meticulously day after day but she never showed signs of awareness and died some years later. Gymnastics is a dangerous sport. Aly Raisman and other elite gymnasts have talked about fighting the fear every gymnast feels when learning especially difficult elements. Its a real mental battle but hesitation can increase the danger. You've got to admire these amazing athletes.
I know! After deadly accidents the moves are usually banned from women's gymnastics. The banned moves almost all consist of blind landings. Still any move requiring great speed and power while upside down, blind or not, could potentially be fatal. An interesting note is that equestrian sports and diving are also among the deadliest of sports. Striking the head or neck on a hard surface at great speed is the culprit in all 3 sports.
Cheryl Stade the move wasn't banned because her foot missed the springboard and the skill was not the reason for the accident. It could have happened with any backward skill on the vault. So instead they added a mat around the springboard whenever a gymnast is performing a backward skill on the vault.
Thanks for the correction.
Read Little Girls in Pretty Boxes by Joan Ryan. Very enlightening book about elite gymnasts and figure skaters. Julissa's story is featured in the book.
@Cheryl Wow--great post! I'm going to google Julissa. Thanks for the info!
"Thank god I'm not going to the Olympics" I'M CRYING 😢😢
Rich Miller The same happened to me.
Me too😔
Me too, the pain she must of gone through the months before. Poor Elena my heart breaks she was so talented. She so needed someone to hug her and and tell her how loved and great she was :(
This story touched me with tears also. IT was heartbreaking .. She had it all to win bit time.. She was so willing to work and be the best she could be ... She would have been the very best . No doubt on that~.. She won many awards but never did have the Olympics she should have been in ~
That line was too much for me, and I started crying too. :(
I certainly remember her. My favourite gymnast of all time, I was so shocked and saddened to learn what had happened to her.
Wow this makes me cry, and I’ve never heard of her until now. Poor girl. Wish she never suffered like that
“Thank God. I won’t be going to the Olympics.” Made me tear up.
Lety pery
@@benipeterkova9326 Makes me wonder if we are helping to perpetuate this by watching the Olympics or attending.
@@sheilag.834 True..I have the same thaught.. Perhaps I should stop watching sport..It will not stop the pain and sufferin of young people in the sport, but some inner responsibilty and awarness of sad destiny of most of them could stop me to be part of it.
One of the most horrific saddest things I’ve ever read. I’m so sorry. In the US all of the despicable coaches and officials involved would be in prison. RIP Elena.
No, they wouldn't and they aren't.
-Larry Nassar is in prison after decades of child molestation, but none of the people who hushed up his sexual abuse will ever see a day of prison time.
-Kerri Strug was pressured to train and perform in the lead-up to the 1996 Olympics despite suffering a severe back injury. All anyone remembers about her is Bela Karolyi carrying her to the podium after she shredded her ankle winning the team finals.
-Dominique Moceanu did most of her elite training between the ages of 12 and 14. She alleges that the Karolyis manipulated her parents into physically abusing her, particularly over the issue of her weight.
-Julissa Gomez was training for the 1988 Olympics at the age of 16 and was competing the double-twisting Yurchenko vault (which at that time was one of the most difficult in the world). She consistently had problems with the round-off into the skill for months, but her coaches continued to pressure her into performing it. At a meet in Tokyo, she missed the block after the round-off and crashed into the vaulting table full force, head first. She snapped her neck and immediately became a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic. She suffered severe brain damage when her ventilator was disconnected a few weeks later and remained in a coma until her death three years after that. At her last competition, she talked about Elena Mukhina's injury. It's one of the last things she ever talked about.
And we haven't even gotten into suffering and death from eating disorders.
You glorify the US so much I just laugh 😂😂
@@kbrennan3836 wow. Just, wow.
chris madsen who hurt you?
ns2110theonly Sadly, they likely wouldn’t be in the US either
What an un-necessary tragedy. RIP Elena. I am so sorry you had nobody to protect you. You were a true champion.
Such a talented person and such a tragic end. She should definitely be remembered.
If they let it heal properly, she might have not been through this.
missysayed no shit Sherlock
First name Last name rude, this person was just stating the truth
I agree
@@adrianaflowers998 wat nigga?
Use and discarded after life altering injuries! Wow, how cruel some people are. Many countries have extreme practices for their athletes and winning is everything to them. She gave them her all even while recovering. They gave her their back and blamed her. This is mind blowing and upsetting. I hope a biography or major movie (with these details) will be made soon.
R.I.P. Beautiful!😔😔🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇
Also lets not forget that Olympican sports were used as propaganda in the cold war times and there was a loooot of pressure - and by pressure I mean you either die in breaking a neck or you and your family dissapears suddenly... Thats how bad those times were.
Nora Williams I hope so...she is majestic...
Nora Williams happens everyday just not as popular and major as this example. This is to the extreme. For example...not everyone who gets hurt at work gets taken care of. I hurt my knee at work and didnt even realize it was work-related because I was constantly getting up and getting back down over and over again to put labels on Shields and messed up my knee really bad I had to tell my boss that I would be leaving to go to the hospital because it felt like my leg was just hanging from a thread at my knee and the stupid b**** didn't even offer to write an injury form and I was in so much pain and didn't realize that's where it was coming from. Years later was going over the paperwork and saw in 2006 where had first started that job and helped open that store that that's when I went and had my knee looked at from it hurting so bad well no MRI you know go back to work and it happens again then I just learned to deal with it as long as I could possibly take it eventually after that job always had problems with it then I had to deal with them on my own and with no insurance and yes today still have problems with it.
Nora Williams
And no one was as heartless about their athletes and performers as Soviet Russia. Now that the union has broken up athletes have more control over their training. Of course the governments no longer fully sponsor them, athletes, dancers,and other artists are no longer "owned " by the government.
Nora Williams the saddest part about this story is that, nothing has changed in world of gymnastics when it comes to the girl athletes. The continue to push them, despite injury or illness ( anorexia nervosa). These girls break themselves and for what, maybe 8 yrs of recognition and then they are forgotten. SMH.
Thank you for putting that together. It is extremely important to remember, and be ever-mindful, of stories like this.
My Deepest Condolences.
I remember watching her when I was a young girl. I was in awwwwe of her performance.
My Dad was from Poland we watched it together. She gave me goose bumps. My Dad said Russian people are good but Russia is not. We routed for her win. I remembered her face instantly. Rest in Heaven Sweet Girl. Tragedy.
I'm so sorry Elena.....Rest in Peace Our Sweet Angel♥
Sylvie O I don’t think she died or did she
Jelle Bellee TV she did🤕
she didnt die at that time, she was quadriplegic, paralise from neck to toe, she died in 2006
But the thing is, she died yeah... But it was 3 days before Christmas and that's a bad time to.. Pass away I'll say.
No one cared about her. She took partial responsibility, but she did tell her coaches she was not ready. They did not care.
She also had a move that she felt was to dangerous way ahead of its time ... they forced her to keep that move in .and just as she said I will break my neck. She did... Abuse and more is what happened To Elana, but it is written of as part of gymnastic world and that is wrong... we need more protection .. Speaking up and reporting issues starting to be accepted but need a long way to go.
What partial responsibility? You don't just say no to a communist country that is giving you these chances. If the soviet union wants you to do something, you can't just say no.
@@jellyflower32 the damnedest thing is that the Karolyis were able to come here and somehow exert that same kind of power for decades.
I watch this over and over and it is so sad to think that people can make such bad decisions for others that lead to injuries to death.😔 Rest in peace
Such a heartbreaking story. I hope she’s running & running up in heaven. RIP
I did gymnastics my whole life since the age of 2. When I was older competed until the age of 18 where they did not offer it at the college I wanted to go to for education purposes. Through those years I taught and coached gymnastics. (A sport I wholeheartedly love). When I was very young I worked out and had the same coaches who Kristie Phillips and Diane Durham had - we were all at Mid America Twisters in Illinois. I remember sandbags being placed on my back and rump in the splits with both of my feet elevated above the floor so that I would be able to get over-extension in my legs and hips and crying while I felt my tendons literally snapping........For this one reason and that one experience I NEVER let either one of my daughters ever do gymnastics. It was horrible and grueling and as a kid I didn't know it was so awful. As an adult I had told my mother about this and other things - she said she had no idea that was going on and had she known she would have pulled me out......There MUST be an advocate there to protect ALL children and people who "know what's going on." Stay and watch - don't just drop off for practice or a workout. This is freaking tragic!!!!!
That is so true about dropping off. I'm a mom and it's so easy to drop your kid off at a practice (any practice) and be grateful for the hour or more to do errands. I do drop off but I also stay. I always wonder if I should stay more often or for longer.
I was lucky I had good coaches that never badgered me like that. Wow. So sorry u went thru that pain.
The key to gymnastics: Don't do competition! Unless the child absolutely wants to and is ready, just stay recreational. Gymnastics at the recreational level is fun and beautiful. It's when you get to the competition level that it gets dangerous because you have to put in riskier and riskier and more and more dangerous moves in order to beat the competition. That's when it becomes painful. Sports, any sports should just be done for fun and health.
@@dttra566 I ageee 200%
Carla Mathy
It’s my story almost exactly. I started at the age of 2 and was working towards the 1980 Olympics when I broke my back. I had a Russian coach and was tortured through sprains and ligament tears, I was actually relieved when I quit. Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank God, I wont be going to the Olympics.
This breaks my heart.
I know. That was the saddest part of this whole tragedy. :'( Fuck the Soviet Union. Seriously.
Russian Government: I dun't care.
Better yet: Olympics: I don't care.
Those words made me 😢
Thank you for making this video, even as sad as it is. For her to find relief in paralysis attests to the terrible abuse she endured.
This video is a haunting tribute to Elana who should have been loved, cared for, and listened to. The music you picked can I say is perfect(?). The melody carries the emotion of this tragic and unnecessary event; it's in my soul.
She never smiles during her routines she looks like she suffered for her art completely and probably didn't fully love the sport anymore. Such a shame as that is a talent we don't always see. The piece on bars is mesmerising.
They didn't love her.
They Turned something so beautiful into something so ugly.
Shame on them.
Bless her soul. Rip 😢
They didn't appreciate her.
She never turned into ugly, definitely.
Calling someone “so ugly” just because they’re paralyzed is kind of shitty
starsonfire im pretty sure they were talking about the situation. how like she was so good and how her routines were so elegant and pretty to getting paralyzed in a bed.
@@kingconstantinepalaeologue9651 She meant the "ugliness" of the situation, not the injured girl.
THANK YOU for saying the name of the song you chose and thank you for choosing it! I am racking my brain trying to remember where I have heard it before! If anyone complains about this video it's too bad. Some of us are thankful that you put it up.
What language is it in.???
I think she should always be remember and the world be reminded of her battle and sacrifice.
I suggest a special award, more superior than a gold mental to be awarded at the Olympics and maybe even at a collegiate level for outstanding performance.
Should simply be her in her name. Above gold!
SHE KNEW Exactly- EXACTLY- what she needed and what was at risk, but Every single adult in charge dismissed this. That is the tragedy of being young: if you are in the care of people who are indifferent to or who act or make decisions on your behalf which are contrary to your needs, there is NO recourse for you. The consequences for the minor concerned can be lifelong and devastating (as in this situation), if not outright deadly. These are not mistakes made accidentally, but those which come from the willful disregard for another human being's welfare.
Kimenko killed her.
☝🏼 100% well said...
@@darlamundine No. She killed herself. She's the one who did gymnastic; no one else. She herself was a fool for listening and doing what they told her to do instead of sticking up for herself and saying NO, and stop going until she knew she was physically well to the point of continuing again. Or just quit all together. Just because he told her to continue on, she didn't have to do it. Was he her dad? NO. This was preventable. Stupid gets what stupid does. In all sports, not only gymnastics. None of were created to do all these foolish shits anyway. We were never created for these purposes at all.
@@marciturner4980 ridiculous statement to make ~
@@margueritegargiulo2191 exactly. They owned her. She was a child at their mercy. That country and their government were ruthless. This Marci person thinks this young girl had some sort of choice in the matter. Preposterious. Um, yeah she could have said no if she wanted her life ruined, no more school, no more food or housing.
Unfortunately, this is way too common is sports. I spent 22 years figure skating. I am damaged mentally, emotionally and physically. There was never any time to be sick or injured. Broken bones were "taped" together. If you had the flu, grab a Kleenex and puke in it. Oh, and you'd better get good at puking; forget food/eating. Mentally, it was a constant struggle to go out everyday and get screamed at for trying your very best and still being told you are a failure and will never make it anywhere. I, too, had a similar thought when the final injury did me in.
As a current competitive gymnast I completely understand what you mean. I hope your body and mind heals through the up-coming years and some of the good memories remain as well. Thank you for sharing the harsher reality with us.
Well it depends entirely on whether you wanna be a professional or you just do it for fun
My roommate in college was in ballet.She went on pointe from age 12 to 17. Her parents were so proud of their "ballerina" so she never told them about her feet hurting and her toes breaking all the time. When her leg gave out and she was at the hospital she said it was almost a relief
Oh this is so sad. I had no idea this went on. I’m so sorry you had to go through that 🙁
piper xavier that’s shocking
I just heard about this story and was devastated by the ending. Having a broken leg myself, I know how important it is to be patient and have compassion for myself and my body in this time. Walking with a cast throws off your hips, feet, back, and balance. It doesn't affect just one bone, as much as I wish that. RIP Elena
Oh my, this is terrible. That poor woman. Her life was stolen by people who only cared about winning and reputation. May she Rest In Peace ❤️💔😢
Such a sad, tragic story. I surely hope karma came back to haunt the coaches who pushed this poor girl. They ruined her life. Unbelievably sad, and makes me so angry.
Mikhail Klimenko, her coach, died of cancer at only 65. Karma is a bitch.
I dont understand how peope watch a video and miss such huge elements completely!
Brittany Foote does this video contains any graphic images of live injury? I have a week stomach but I would love to see this story about this amazing girl. Thank you
00 aa No no showing of any graphic images. You'll be fine. Just a sad story
Brittany Foote thank you so much for getting back to me. I grew up watching gymnastics but I never knew about the dark side until I grew up. 😔😔
this story makes me so sad :( but it really puts into perspective just how tough the gymnastics world is, and how there's so much that can go wrong, just like in any other sport. But the fact that her coach made her train with a broken leg, and train a near impossible skill, is horrible :(
Indeed, you are absolutely correct! The thing with her coach is that he REALLY wanted to train an Olympian and thus ended up pushing Elena so hard and so far. He was merely young and naive.
We could say that he managed to turn a blind eye to everything more easily due to the fact he really wanted an Olympian, but it wasn't even him. If he wouldn't co-operate at that point someone else would have taken over and . Elena was their sole chance at medals and gold. Nobody cared for "Elena Mukhina" among them, they cared for the "Olympic gold". I'd say her coach definitely did care for her due to, well, being her coach, but his own naive and stupid way of thinking was proved by "People like you just don't break their necks.". He didn't even think something like that would happen to her. He didn't want to believe it and put in front his desire for Olympian. In reality however, if he refused to use Elena he'd have been fired, not have a chance at Olympic athlete & someone would have pushed Elena even worse and, if she wouldn't get injured, take the glory. Really... he was just a naive young victim of ideals.
Being young and naive is no excuse for mistreating a gymnast! What angers me in this situation is that the Soviets, at that time, were not punished or sanctioned for what happened! FIG should be ashamed of themselves for letting this happen under their watch! It's just like the incident where children as young as 12 years old were going to the Olympics for the Eastern Bloc countries! The excuse given was that it was the regimes and not the trainers! Well, I view this like I view how the Nazis or any other fascist government tries to excuse the extermination of people. World leaders held them accountable for the ills these perpetrators bought upon their victims. Likewise, coaches and countries should be sanctioned for the ills they heep upon their athletes until the system changes. Even in the US there has been wide abuse of gymnasts because the US has employed teachers from the East to build their programs. The difference between the East and West is that the victims have their day in court and the coach actually loses his/her license to train!
Gymnastics Paradise a
I'm upset that her grandmother didn't jump in and say something. This girl was an orphan really. If my grandchild, I'd have gone in there with heavy purse and cane ready to pounce if they didn't like my little girl heal and feel up to "it" on her own fruition. Dirty scoundrels.
I say you are among the best grandmothers out there, mrs. Stephenson and your comment genuinely made me laugh and smile. But, the thing is, that the time and things were different there. I am assuming they were quite poor to start with and going against government would be awful for both. I cannot even begin to imagine the punishments... Elena has said no , I am sure her grandmother must have at least tried to keep her at home, but the government itself you can't go against. She would have been taken away or something. I am not sure, but I know that she could not be at home in peace no matter what ...
Thank you so much for this video. I will never forget her now. R.I.P. Elena Mukhina.
Thanks for sharing this story! Needed to be shared! RIP angel 🌺💜
This story is just so incredibly sad 😢. If the coach had just let her recover, she would have been up and doing gymnastics as soon as she was ready to.
What do you expect from a communist country?
It wasn't just her coach; it was the doctors, the entire gymnastics program, the country. There was a lot of pressure on all of them to be the best because of the Cold War. Russia needed to prove to the world that communism is necessary to produce greatness.
@@LaNoturna yeah just look at Chernobyl they did such a great job of showing how great they were that ppl ran in flocks from it to share the wonderful news that communism is the greatest yes that was sarcasm
Beverly Archer
Lol I read your sarcasm perfectly 👍
@@beverlyarcher3744 the same as in every other country, but without the sexual abuse
I remember her so well I was the same age and competed in gymnastic competitions I remember how Brilliant she was I remember being a massive fan of nadia comenech and Olga korbet I remember this young Brilliant absolutely fantastic gymnast who took it to another level she was perfect she was brilliant...
I remember her suddenly disappearing I remember reading about her terrible accident, now I know how and why it happened elena you will never be forgotten by a certain generation God rest your perfect soul 😇😇😇😇😇
wherever she is, i think she feels our love.......
I’ll never forget you, Mukhina 💕
The story that you shared of Elena was a very sad one but you give her a voice.And for someone that injured was greatful that she didn't have to compete in the Olympics.All her warnings that she expressed and engorged by her couch/Trainer, doctors that should have said NO ,it,s all on you,YOU all ruined her. Thank you for sharing this story and the music was spot on.
I remember my mom wanted me to do gymnastics when I was younger. I thought, “well, ok I’ll try it.” It was really fun, and the coaches were never to hard on us. When I was about five though, one of the coaches left and practice got hard and not as fun. Eventually, five year old me was forced to try the vault. Not just jump onto it and do a somersault or something like that. He wanted us to jump onto it, nearly over it, then grab the edge and do a flip. Clearly, we were way too young to do that, but we were forced to try. At least three kids got injured, but weren’t allowed to tell their parents because the coaches would get in trouble. Two of my friends sprained their ankles, and one of them hurt their shoulder. Also, in doing that I sprained my wrist. I had to keep practicing because of my coaches. Luckily we were doing beam for a couple weeks, so their wasn’t to much strain, and it mostly healed. Since it did not heal properly, I have had wrist pain ever since. Gymnastics is a cruel sport.
You still do gymnastics?
The sad thing is that it does not have to be that cruel. The coaches make it so much worse.
I love gymnastics so much! It's a wonderful feeling to defeat gravity and moving elegantly, but yes, there's a lot of pressure especially in the competitive section. My team shared the gym with a competition team of like 5 / 6 year old girls. One day one of the girls did a perfectly fine menicelli, but her coach shouted at her that she had done it horribly and to leave, if she didn't want to train and to do it over and over again, until she learned to do a meni properly. The coach shouted at this 5 year old because of maybe one not perfectly stretched toe. I know enough young women who learned to hate this sport they used to love, because of this extreme pressure and the constant feeling not to be good enough. That's so sad. Gymnastics is such a beautiful sport. I Iove it. I do gymnastics not cempetitively. I do it for me, because it's fun and not to become the next Simone Biles. I'm a trainer myself and my goal is to teach the kids to like this sport. No matter, when you're not the best. My motto is: There is no 'I can't do it.' There is only a 'Yet I can't do, so I practice until I can do it!'
It’s not cruel. Your coaches were horrible people. I did gymnastics and my coaches were amazing.
@@thelovelyone8636 it’s cruel. you may not have had a bad experience, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a bad sport. Gymnastics by itself is not bad. But modern gymnastics is. At its heart it is about grace and elegance and impressive skills, but now it has just become about difficulty and coaches still constantly push their athletes to go farther than they can just for some stupid medal and title.
I'd never heard of this poor child before. A young life so full of promise, destroyed. Such a sad story. I pray she walks beside the Lord in Heaven for eternity 🙏
You have highlighted the most disturbing fact - she was a CHILD.
Whippy99 pp
Wow, that is a tragic story. I dont follow the sport, so I had never heard of her.
So glad you put up this memorial of her!
I hate when coaches do this. They can ruin lives and even kill if they make a gymnast keep going when they say they are in pain. Something along those lines happened to me, and I had to stop doing gymnastics because I now have chronic pain in my wrists. My coaches kept pushing and pushing even when I said I was in pain, and now I can't even do a handstand correctly because I'm in so much pain that sometimes it's hard to even put any pressure on my wrists. I know, I know. My injury was not even close to what this poor girl experienced, I'm just trying to give an example of a situation where coaches didn't listen and caused permanent injury. This was around five years ago, and I still experience horrible pain in my wrists to this day. I now coach, and I always make my girls stop when they are in pain or even just crying but won't admit they are in pain. That's something I see a lot, an athlete crying but not admiring they are in pain for fear of punishment or because they think they will not be good enough if they don't keep going. But we need to teach them that's it's okay to take a break. It's okay to be hurt.
You are making this world a better place and I hope your wrists heal through the years at least a little more!
Mabel Miller well said! This is very true indeed.
sergemodee Al Fong didn't call her fat, it was an international judge.
Al Fong did call her out on her weight as well, but the judge was awful about it and first.
Gymnastics Paradise Oh ok.
This is so tragic. It's important to remember her and her story. Hope the new generation of gymnasts know her story and honor her legacy by looking after their health over whatever accomplishments they dream to achieve.
Stone W,
That is a nice thought, but things don't work that way in Russia. One does what they are told to do, or else. They didn't care about her at all. Poor woman.
Stone W.
Having learned about her story just 1 week ago, I am profoundly shaken.
I am not into sport or know anything about gymnastics for that matter.
Her young soul carried the most crushing of adversities on this human journey that is life. I try and find solace in the fact that there must have been some things that motivated her to carry on with the strength and example that she did, but it is very hard for us regular folk to even comprehend a slight fraction of what she endured.
I hope her story keeps growing and hopefully will shine a light as to who we are as humans, and what we are here for.
Thank you for making this tribute to a real hero.
I remember her...SHE WAS SO AMAZING TO WATCH...This poor child/lady shoyld have been taken better care of...But Russia was different place...I remember...God Bless her...
Suki Yuki how was Russia 🇷🇺 a different place than now?
M. W. Probably that this would never happen now.
M. W. Learn Russian history and perhaps you’ll be able to answer your question.
C Williams this has nothing to do with russia... you don’t blame these accidents on the system, or the country. Or their history. Just the coaches, this sort of thing is sadly all to common, but doesn’t usually end up this bad
@@m.w.3256 That you are unaware of history, particularly recent history of the Soviet Union reflects badly on our education system. Mr. Putin is no saint, but then he is no Joseph Stalin. Stalin was as evil as Adolph Hitler.
She could've recovered from the broken leg. I broke mine and I'm better than I was before I broke it, but that's because I made a full recovery. It's so sad to think that she could have lived a longer gymnastics life if only she'd been allowed to recover from the broken leg. Broken limbs are fixable, a broken spine on the other hand, is just awful ❤️
One of the saddest parts... She didn't have a mother to protect her.. That hit me... She probably was thinking, if she had a mother, she'd protect her and make her feel secure. 😭😭
I am old enough to remember Comaneci, Korbut, Kim and a couple more from back then. Unsurprisingly, I had not heard of Elena Mukhina.
This is a tragic tale with a sad end.
I don't know anything about gymnastics but I can even tell she has something I've never seen before. Athletic and graceful.
@Amelia Barbo that’s funny I used my nickname Smiley but somehow you found my name Larissa which is a Russian name although I am not Russian lol.
"Mad World" is perfect! It compelled me to watch the entire video, hoping history would change itself but that magic didn't come. There was no one to protect Elena. Mad world. ♞
Hi! More video here:
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@@ROBBIErobertafrancomano Why are you self-advertising on a serious video?
Parents should not give up the rights to their child medical ,, must keep a close watch. Parents need to make the calls and have close contact with there children.. WE can see how this worked out NO one to watch over Elana~ Parents in control !!
this is so sad and important to share with the world thank you