Soviet Union women's national artistic gymnastics team
The Soviet Union women's national artistic gymnastics team represented the Soviet Union in FIG international competitions. They were the dominant force in the sport from the 1950s until the Soviet Union's collapse. They lead the medal tally for women's artistic gymnastics with 88 medals including 33 gold.[1] Larisa Latynina is also the most decorated female athlete at the Olympic games with a total of 18 medals.[2] Soviet dominance was unprecedented in scale and longevity and was likely the result of the country's heavy investment in mass and elite sports to fulfill its political agenda.[3]
Continental union | European Union of Gymnastics |
---|---|
Olympic Games | |
Appearances | 9 |
Medals | ![]() |
World Championships | |
Appearances | 14 |
Medals | ![]() ![]() |
History
editThe Soviet Union won the team gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics - the first Olympics that the Soviet Union participated in, and they won the team gold for the next seven games. The winning streak was interrupted by the boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics, but they won gold at the 1988 Summer Olympics - the last Olympics that the Soviet Union participated in. The Unified Team won the team gold at the 1992 Summer Olympics.[4] The Soviet Union won team gold at every World Championships that they competed in (1954–1991) except 1966, 1979, and 1987 where they won silver.
Team competition results
editOlympic Games
edit- 1952 — gold medal
- 1956 — gold medal
- 1960 — gold medal
- 1964 — gold medal
- 1968 — gold medal
- 1972 — gold medal
- 1976 — gold medal
- 1980 — gold medal
- 1984 — did not participate due to boycott
- 1988 — gold medal
- 1992 — gold medal – participated as the Unified Team
World Championships
edit- 1934 — did not participate
- 1938 — did not participate
- 1950 — did not participate
- 1954 — gold medal
- 1958 — gold medal
- 1962 — gold medal
- 1966 — silver medal
- 1970 — gold medal
- 1974 — gold medal
- 1978 — gold medal
- 1979 — silver medal
- 1981 — gold medal
- 1983 — gold medal
- 1985 — gold medal
- 1987 — silver medal
- 1989 — gold medal
- 1991 — gold medal
Most decorated gymnasts
editThis list includes all Soviet female artistic gymnasts who have won at least four medals at the Olympic Games and the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined. This list does include medals won as the Unified Team at the Olympics and the Commonwealth of Independent States in 1992 but does not includes medals won under the flag of an independent nation after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Also not included are medals won at the 1984 Friendship Games (alternative Olympics).
Additionally medals won in the Team Portable Apparatus at the 1952 or 1956 Olympic Games are located under the Team column and are designated with an asterisk (*).
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Gymnastics". sports-reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- ^ "Larysa Latynina". sports-reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- ^ "The Role of Sports in the Soviet Union | Guided History".
- ^ "Gymnastics Women's Team All-Around Medalists". sports-reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2015.