Olga Mostepanova (URS)

Mostepanova burst onto the gymnastics scene at an early age. Even at the tender age of 12, Mostepanova's graceful and "text-book" form dwarfed her competitors. 

As the silver medalist in the AA at the 1983 World Championships, Mostepanova was pegged as a favourite heading into the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles...until disaster struck. In retaliation for the US boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, the Russian government refused to send its athletes to Los Angeles and ordered the same of its satellite states. Mostepanova would NOT compete in the Olympics. In an interview with Sovetskiy Sport, when asked about how she felt about the Soviet boycott, Mostepanova responded, "You're not going to believe this, but I was even somewhat happy. I wouldn't have to listen to lecture...make any promises."

Rather than sending their gymnast to the 1984 Olympics, the Eastern Bloc Nations organized an alternate competition in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia. In this competition, known as the Alternate Games or simply Olomouc, Mostepanova performed beyond expectations scoring a perfect 40.00 in the AA and winning gold on three out of four event finals! "Only after competing... [at Olomouc] did I realize what I had missed out on by not being able to participate in the Olympic Games. Olomouc was my shining hour, my swan song," a sad Mostepanova told Sovetskiy Sport.

The following year, Mostepanova and her teammates won the team gold at the 1985 World Championships. She and teammate Baraksanova qualified to the AA, but were pulled out due to "injuries" and replaced with teammates Omelianchik and Shushunova (both of whom went on to tie for the AA title).

Although she appeared in a couple of USSR Displays through to 1986, she quickly faded into "regular" life. Against her parents wishes, Mostepanova settled down with a Muslim man, Timur. The couple proceeded to have five children: Ruslan (born in 1991), Liza (1993), Mikail (1995), Mariam (1997), and Sofia (2000). Mostepanova officially married Timur in 1997. Once opposed to Timur because of the difference in religion, it seems that the birth of the children have reconciled things in the family.

. This page was created 1999.