Elena Mukhina

Elena Mukhina
— Gymnast —
Elena Mukhina
Personal information
Full name	Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina
Alternative name(s)	Elena Muchina Yelena Muchina Yelena Mukhina
Country represented	Soviet Union
Born	(1960-06-01)June 1, 1960 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	December 22, 2006(2006-12-22) (aged 46) Moscow, Russia
Hometown	Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior International Elite
Years on national team	3
Club	CSKA Moscow
Head coach(es)	Mikhail Klimenko
Eponymous skills	Mukhina salto (floor exercise), Mukhina hecht (uneven bars), Mukhina flip (uneven bars)
Medal record Representing  Soviet Union World Championships 1978 Strasbourg Team 1978 Strasbourg All-Around 1978 Strasbourg Floor Exercise 1978 Strasbourg Uneven Bars 1978 Strasbourg Balance Beam World Cup Final 1977 Oviedo Uneven Bars 1977 Oviedo Balance Beam European Championships 1977 Prague Balance Beam 1977 Prague Floor Exercise 1977 Prague Uneven Bars 1979 Copenhagen Uneven Bars 1977 Prague All-Around 1979 Copenhagen Floor Exercise 1977 Prague Vault

Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina (Russian: Елена Вячеславовна Мухина; first name sometimes rendered "Yelena", last name sometimes rendered "Muchina"; June 1, 1960 – December 22, 2006) was a Soviet gymnast who won the all-around title at the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg, France. Her career was on the rise and she was widely touted as the next great gymnastics star until in 1979 a broken leg left her out of several competitions, and the recovery from that injury combined with pressure to master a dangerous and difficult tumbling move (the Thomas salto) caused her to break her neck just two weeks before the opening of the 1980 Summer Olympics, leaving her permanently quadriplegic just one month past the age of 20.

Elena Mukhina was born June 1, 1960 in Moscow, Russian SFSR. She lost her mother by the time she was five years old. She was raised by her grandmother, Anna Ivanova.

Mukhina took an interest in gymnastics and figure skating at an early age. When an athletic scout visited her school, she eagerly volunteered to try out for gymnastics. She later joined the CSKA Moscow ("Central Red Army") sports club. In recognition of her accomplishments, Mukhina was inducted into the CSKA Hall of Fame.

Up until 1975, Mukhina was an unremarkable gymnast, and Soviet coaches largely ignored her. Then, two separate incidents brought her skills to the forefront for the Soviet team: Romanian domination of the Soviet gymnastics machine at the 1976 Olympics (for which the director for Soviet women's gymnastics, Larisa Latynina, was blamed; Latynina's response was, "it's not my fault that Nadia Comăneci was born in Romania"); and Mukhina's transition to working with men's coach Mikhail Klimenko, who transformed her into one of the most show-stopping gymnasts of her time. She burst onto the scene at the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg, France. In one of the most stunning all-around performances in history, she won the gold medal, beating out Olympic Champions Nadia Comăneci and top-ranked Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim, among others. She also tied for the gold medal in the floor exercise event final, as well as winning the silver in balance beam and uneven bars. She made history in this competition by unveiling her signature moves: a full-twisting layout Korbut Flip on bars; a tucked double back salto dismount on beam (a move that is still being used over three decades later); and a full-twisting double back somersault on floor (still an E-rated move in the Code of Points) dubbed the "Muchina". Yet, in spite of these innovations, Mukhina maintained the classic Soviet style, inspired by ballet movements and expressive lines. She quickly established herself as an athlete to watch for at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

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