Soviet Union women's national artistic gymnastics team

Soviet Union
Continental unionEuropean Union of Gymnastics
Olympic Games
Appearances9
Medals Gold: 1952, 1956, 1960 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1988
World Championships
Appearances14
Medals Gold: 1954, 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991
Silver: 1966, 1979, 1987

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]

History

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The 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

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Olympic Games

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World Championships

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Most decorated gymnasts

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This 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 (*).

Rank Gymnast Years Team AA VT UB BB FX Olympic Total World Total Total
1 Larisa Latynina 1954–1966 1956
1960
1964
1956*
1954
1958
1962
1966
1956
1960
1964
1958
1962
1956
1964
1960
1958
1962
1956
1960
1964
1958
1962
1964
1960
1958
1962
1956
1960
1964
1962
1958
18 14 32
2 Ludmilla Tourischeva 1968–1976 1968
1972
1976
1970
1974
1972
1976
1970
1974
1976
1972
1974
1970
1970
1974
1974 1972
1976
1970
1974
9 11 20
3 Nellie Kim 1974–1979 1976
1980
1974
1978
1979
1976
1979
1978
1976
1978
1979
1979
1974
1976
1980
1978
1979
6 11 17
4 Yelena Shushunova 1985–1988 1988
1985
1987
1988
1985
1987
1985
1987
1988
1987
1988
1987
1985
1987
1985
4 11 15
5 Svetlana Boginskaya 1987–1992 1988
1992
1989
1991
1987
1988
1989
1991
1988
1992
1991
1987
1988
1989
5 9 14
6 Tamara Manina 1954–1964 1956
1964
1956*
1954
1958
1962
1958 1956
1954
1958
1962
1956
1964
1954 6 8 14
7 Polina Astakhova 1956–1964 1956
1960
1964
1956*
1958
1962
1966
1960
1964
1960
1964
1958
1960
1964
10 4 14
8 Sofia Muratova 1954–1962 1956
1960
1956*
1954
1958
1962
1960
1956
1960
1958
1956 1960
1958
8 5 13
9 Olga Korbut 1972–1976 1972
1976
1974
1974 1974 1972
1974
1972
1976
1974
1972
1974
5 7 12
10 Natalia Kuchinskaya 1966–1968 1968
1966
1968
1966
1966 1966 1968
1966
1968
1966
4 6 10
11 Zinaida Voronina 1966–1970 1968
1970
1966
1968
1970
1968 1968
1966
1970
1970 4 6 10
12 Maria Gorokhovskaya 1952–1954 1952
1952*
1954
1952 1952 1952 1952 1952
1954
7 2 9
13 Maria Filatova 1976–1981 1976
1980
1978
1981
1979
1981 1980 3 4 7
14 Tatiana Gutsu 1991–1992 1992
1991
1992 1992
1991
1991 1992 4 3 7
15 Yelena Davydova 1980–1981 1980
1981
1980
1981
1981 1980 1981 3 4 7
16 Larisa Petrik 1966–1970 1968
1970
1966
1968
1966
1970
1968 3 4 7
Natalia Shaposhnikova 1978–1980 1980
1978
1979
1978 1980 1980 1980 4 3 7
18 Lidiya Ivanova 1956–1962 1956
1960
1956*
1958
1962
1958 3 3 6
19 Nina Bocharova 1952–1954 1952
1952*
1954
1952 1952 4 1 5
Olga Mostepanova 1983–1985 1983
1985
1983 1983 1983 0 5 5
Elena Mukhina 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 0 5 5
Galina Shamrai 1952–1954 1952
1952*
1954
1954 1954 2 3 5
23 Oksana Chusovitina 1991–1992 1992
1991
1991
1992
1991 1 4 5
24 Tatiana Lysenko 1991–1992 1992
1991
1992 1992 1992 3 2 5
25 Stella Zakharova 1979–1981 1980
1981
1979
1979
1981
1 4 5
26 Tamara Lazakovich 1970–1972 1972
1970
1972 1972 1972 4 1 5
27 Oksana Omelianchik 1985–1987 1985 1985 1987 1985 0 4 4
28 Lyubov Burda 1968–1970 1968
1972
1970
1970 2 2 4
29 Olga Karasyova 1966–1970 1968
1970
1966
1970 2 2 4
30 Galina Minaicheva 1952–1954 1952
1952*
1954
1952 3 1 4
Irina Pervushina 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 0 4 4
32 Olga Strazheva 1988–1989 1988
1989
1989 1989 1 3 4
Tamara Zamotaylova 1960–1964 1960
1964
1960 1960 4 0 4

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Gymnastics". sports-reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Larysa Latynina". sports-reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  3. ^ "The Role of Sports in the Soviet Union | Guided History".
  4. ^ "Gymnastics Women's Team All-Around Medalists". sports-reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2015.