Svetlana Boginskaya 

 

 

                                                      

 

Boginskaya's first World Championships were in 1987 where she earned a bronze medal in the AA and a gold medal on beam.  She participated at the 1988 Olympic Games and earned a gold medal in the team competition, bronze in the AA, gold on vault and silver on floor.  With the retirement of Soviet star Elena Shushunova, Boginskaya inherited the role of the queen of Soviet gymnastics.  She made the most of her role in 1989 wining the European Championship and the World AA Championship.  For Boginskaya 1990 had it's ups and downs.  She defended her European title but her teammates Kalinina and Lyssenko beat her at the 1990 Goodwill games and World Cup, respectively.  There were rumors of retirement, none of which  never materialized.  She came back in 1991 at the World Championships wining the team gold, gold medal on balance beam and the silver medal in the AA, which many thought should have been gold.  1992 she came close to becoming the first person since Nadia to win three consecutive European AA titles.  She was leading after 3 rotation but had trouble on her final tumbleing pass which droped her in the standings.  At the 1992 Olympics she won the gold medal with her team but won no individual medals.  But at 19, she became a big inspiration for the young gymnasts of the generation that you can compete past 16 years old and that you can compete in more than one Olympics.  She retired briefly in 1993-1994 but in 1995 she joined Bela Karolyi in his gym to make a comeback for the Atlanta Olympics.  Few expected her comeback to be a success but by 1996 Boginskaya was back.  The Boginskaya of 1996 was very different, all smiles and even more difficult skills than in her younger years.  She opened many mouthes at the 1996 European Championships where she won the silver medal in the AA behind Lilia Podkopaeva.  She competed at the 1996 Olympics, a great accomplishment in its self, and although she didn't win any medals, she won the hearts and admiration of many fans.  Boginskaya will be best remembered for her unique rutines, her artistic style, her mysterious personaluty and for her incredible longevity.  In an age where most gymnasts last one, at most two years at the top, Boginskaya was at the top of her sport for almost 10 years and proved that you don't have to be a tiny, cute 15 year old to be successful in gymnastics.