Whatever Happened to...? GymnasticGreats.com

Memorial

1958 Spanish men's team, including Joaquim Blume, claimed in an airline crash.
1979 Bulgarian rhythmic team - claimed in an airline crash.
Brian Babcock (USA) - Tribute by International Gymnast
Alexander Beresch (UKR) claimed in a car accident February 29, 2003 heading back to Kiev after the Ukrainian Cup.
Murat Canbas (TUR), killed in a car accident.
Frank J. Cumiskey, deceased July '04 at age 91. Cumiskey was a member of the 1936, 1936, and 1948 U.S. men's Olympic gymnastics teams.
Stormy Eaton (USA) - USAG Press release
Yukio Endo - passed away March 2009 after battling esophageal cancer.
Adriana Giurca (ROM)
Hilary Grivich (USA) and her diary
Julissa Gomez (USA)
Alim Hassan (CAM) - crashed in 2003, fracturing skull. He succumbed several hours later.
Sherry Hawko (CAN)
Christy Henrich (USA) - site no longer available?
Eva Kanyo (HUN)
Oksana Kostina (URS/RUS)
Kazuki Nakamori (JPN)
Lubov Miramanova (URS)
Yuri Ryazanov (RUS), claimed in a car crash en route from Moscow to his hometown of Vladimir.
Evgeny Shabayev (RUS) - Tribute by International Gymnast

Latest news

January - March 2010
- Several Chinese greats are expected to travel to Wisconsin in June to take part in a collaboration between UW-Madison and the Beijing University of Sport. The aim is to strengthen their English, Science, leadership, and coaching skills. Expected to take part are Sun Xiaojiao, Yang Bo, and former rhythmic gymnast Sui Jianshuang.
- 2004 Olympian Oana Ban marries and honeymoons in Paris!
- 2010 USAG Hall of Fame inductees include Dominique Moceanu, Wendy Bruce, and Kip Simons
- Nastia Liukin and JC Penny team up for Supergirl line of clothes
- Ioana Petrovichi welcomes baby girl March 2010 (link: photos)
- Youtube tribute to Polina Astakhova (d. 2005)
- Shawn Johnson judges Miss America.
- 2000 U.S. Olympian Elise Ray doing commentary for the Big Ten Network. She's also doing personal training, and a little coaching. (Link: Gymnastike)
- Shawn Johnson ran with the torch in January 19th's Vancouver 2010 torch relay.
- Kyle Shewfelt ran with the torch in January 18th's Vancouver 2010 torch relay.
- Shannon Miller speaks candidly about gymnastics, being a new Mom, etc.
- Russian coach Elena Mashinskaia (Novgorod), whose students have included Anna Kovalyova, Oskana Vitkova, Kristin and Eleonora Guroyonova, passed away last week. She suffered from lung cancer that spread to the brain. She is predeceased by her husband, fellow coach Anatoly Chistenko (heart attack).
- 1995 and 1997 Worlds team member Anastasiya Dzundzyak is now performing in Cirque du Soleil's Zaia in Macau
- Former U.S. team member and UCLA gymnast Kim Hamilton Anthony publishes autobiography (Link: IG)
September-December 2009:
- Moscow has launched a new prize to encourage paralympians. It's called the Mukhina prize, named after Elena Mukhina.
- Nikolai Kryokov has decided to retire. He's set to become the new coach of Russia's junior men's team.
- Elena Naimushina has moved back to her hometown of Krasnoyarsk after spending the past 20 years in Riga. She presented the awards at the town's gym meet, the Elena Naimushina Cup.
- After Maria Zasipkina sustained a neck injury while training she was treated in hospital as a member of the national team and continued to receive her stipend. After graduating from the Sports Institute she taught in a dance studio, and is now coaching gymnastics at her original gym.
- Belorussian interview with Larissa Petrik
- Li Shanshan and Xiao Sha have officially retired (link: IG)
- Former British gymnast Amy Bagshaw hoping to publish memoirs
- Dong Fangxiao's husband speaks with New Zealand reporter, admitting she was too young to compete in Sydney. Read Rick's commentary.
- A number of former champions were on hand to watch the gymnastics at the recent 2009 Worlds. Here's a shot of some former greats. From Left to Right: Oksana Chusovitina, Svetlana Boguinskaya, Elena Shevchenko, Svetlana Lebedinskaya, Aleftina Priakhina, and Vera Kolesnikova. Many others were in attendance including Valerie Liukin, Oksana Omelianchik, and more. Thanks DJ!

Archived news: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

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Disclaimer. The information contained within these pages is compiled from personal interviews, Web sites, magazines, newsgroups, message boards, home video and/or television coverage. Where applicable, sources are cited and links provided. All information is accurate (though not necessarily the most up-to-date) to the best of my knowledge, however should you read something that you believe to be incorrect, please me and I will make the correction as soon as possible. If any information or photos appearing on these pages are copyright of another site, person, or company, i.e., the permission that I have to use this media is invalid and was wrongly given in the first place by those who gave me the media please email me so that I can give proper credit for the media or delete them if preferred. I do not accept liability to any persons for the information or advice provided in this Web site or incorporated into it by reference or for loss or damages incurred as a result of reliance upon the material contained in this Web site.

Former rhythmic gymnasts:
Carmen Acedo (ESP) Jana Batyrchina (RUS) Galina Beloglazova (URS) Magdalena Brzeska (GER) Joanna Bodak (POL) Jessica Davis (USA) Tatiana Druchinina (URS) Adriana Dunavska (BUL) Lori Fung (CAN) Olga Gontar (BLR) Diliana Gueorguieva (BUL) Maria Guigova (BUL) Lilia Ignatova (BUL)	Elizabeth Koleva (BUL) Dalia Kutkaite (URS) Tamara Levinson (USA) Natalia Lipkovskay (RUS) Maria Isabel Lloret (ESP) Marina Lobatch (URS) Mila Marinova (BUL/USA) Camille Martens (CAN) Lenka Oulehlova (CZE) Bianka Panova (BUL) Carolina Pascual (ESP) Yevgenia Pavlina (BLR) Maria Petrova (BUL)	Diana Popova (BUL) Iliana Raeva (BUL) Anelia Ralenkova (BUL) Milena Reljin (YUG) Stella Salapatyska (BUL) Yekaterina Serebrianskaya (UKR) Andrea Sinko (HUN) Oksana Skaldina (URS) Alexandra Timochenko (URS) Sally Ward (USA) Amina Zaripova (URS/ RUS)