Nellie Kim: legendary gymnast from Shymkent

Olympics 1976 Montreal sports fans will long be remembered confrontation three strongest gymnasts of the seventies - Romanian woman Nadia Comaneci and Soviet girls Olga Korbut and Nellie Kim. The latter was the only one who was able to fight on equal terms with the Romanian prima and took this fight for three gold at the Games. Nellie Kim continued to serve another four years, after which, having won two titles at the home Olympics, completed his career. She now lives in the United States and holds a responsible position in the International Gymnastics Federation.

The first steps

Nelly Vladimirovna Kim was born in Shurab that the Tajik SSR in 1957. Bright exotic appearance and the name she got from her parents. Dad was Korean, and my mother - Tatar. After the birth of her daughter international family moved to Southern Kazakhstan in the city of Shymkent.

By modern standards, Nellie Kim became involved in gymnastics very late - in 10 years. Spouses Vladimir and Galina Baidin Barkov went to schools to recruit children into their group gymnastics, and they liked the lively, energetic treteklassnitsa with huge black eyes.

By nature, Nelly was not given so much, she had problems with flexibility, stretching, plastic. However, the girl took his incredible hard work and perseverance, repeating the same item dozens of times to hone it to perfection. His first award she picked up at the junior tournament held in Tashkent. Then victory followed one after another in a short time gymnast Nellie Kim became the strongest in his Kazakhstan and earned a call to the national team of the USSR.

Breakthrough

In 1974, Kazakh girl in the age of 17 will debut in the adult world championship. She managed to get into the national team, which automatically ensured her gold in the team competition. However, ambitious Nellie Kim dreamed first about personal rewards. Despite the fact that the girl hurt his leg in the vault, she said at a presentation on the balance beam, where, through the pain, managed to become the third, taking his first individual award.

The leaders of the national team at the time were Lyudmila Turishcheva and Olga Korbut, who took the cool appearance of strong rivals in their ranks. Nelly herself Kim quietly remembers the past, positive reviews of his teammate, but witnesses of those events say titled gymnasts do not always support the Kazakh gymnast, including its provincial and upstart.

However, with dignity and composure inherent Girls East, the Kazakh girl did not respond to squabbles in semi coolly winning at major tournaments. She became the absolute champion of Europe and, together with Olga Korbut won the all-around at the sports meeting of the USSR in 1975.

Montreal 1976

The most important star of the sport of gymnastics in those years was considered a legendary Romanian Nadia Comaneci. Everyone expected that the 1976 Olympics in the first place it will be a fight Olga Korbut of the Soviet Union. However, in the foreground, the surprise of many experts, came Nellie Kim, who came to the tournament in perfect shape. She was able to take the gold in his favorite floor exercise, together with her friends on the team became the first team appearances.

The most dramatic finale turned into a vault, when Comaneci received almost maximum score for a complicated element - 9, 95. However, Nellie Kim performed the same leap Tsukahara as Romanian by adding an additional screw, and made it perfect. Overwhelmed by the judges put the maximum score it, and Soviet gymnast won the third gold at the Games. In addition, Nellie Kim was second in the all-around, losing all the same Comaneci.

In recent years,

After Montreal athlete spent some time in the hospital, and then followed by the wedding and moving to Belarus. All this for a while girl knocked out of the rut, but in the biography of Nellie Kim will still be a place of victory.

She resumes training in Minsk under the leadership of her husband Nicholas Miligulo coach, and at the 1978 World Championships repeats the achievement of Montreal, won the same award in the same species as that of the Olympics.

Gymnast herself most of its major award called the gold in the all-around at the World Cup 1979, which took place in the United States. After all, the undisputed champion of the world is considered the strongest gymnast planet.

Olympics 1980 was the last major tournament in which participated Nellie Kim. At home games, she won gold in the floor exercise - as its corona, and added to this award the victory in the team competition. In winning gymnast and completed his career.

Life after the competition

After graduating with an active career, Nelly Kim left the sport. After two failed marriages, the legendary athlete moved to the United States. She was engaged in coaching, the team led by Korea, Italy, Belarus.

Also, former athlete worked arbiter judged many international competitions. By focusing on this area of ​​sports activity, Nellie Kim made a brilliant career in the International Gymnastics Federation.

In 2004, Olympic champion led the Women's Technical Committee, but has recently become Vice-President of the FIG. Nellie Kim - an active conductor of the new judging method, where more attention is paid to plastic and artistry, the emphasis on the purity of the executed elements. According to her, the reforms were planned in order to reduce injuries in gymnastics, to end a losing race for supercomplex elements that pose a threat to the health of athletes.