Elena Mukhina
- January 4, 2024
- Gymnast
Quick Facts
Elena Mukhina Biography
| Name | Elena Mukhina |
| Birthday | Jun 1 |
| Birth Year | 1960 |
| Place Of Birth | Russia |
| Birth Country | Russia |
| Birth Sign | Gemini |
Elena Mukhina is one of the most popular and richest Gymnast who was born on June 1, 1960 in Russia, Russia. Gymnastics prodigy who tragically broke her neck while practicing a dangerous move, just two weeks before the Olympics, and shortly after her 20th birthday.
She was often led by Soviet Women’s Gymnastics director Larisa Latynina.
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 1979 when 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.
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.
She was raised by her grandmother, Anna Ivanova, because her parents died when she was very young.
Elena Mukhina Net Worth
| Net Worth | $5 Million |
| Source Of Income | Gymnast |
| House | Living in own house. |
Elena Mukhina is one of the richest Gymnast from Russia. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Elena Mukhina 's net worth $5 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)
She won three gold medals and two silver medals at the 1978 World Championships.
Her injury resulted in her becoming a quadriplegic, and the move that she had been injured attempting – the Thomas salto – was removed from the women’s competition.
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 Ivanovna.
Height, Weight & Body Measurements
| Height | 5 ft 0 in |
Elena Mukhina height 5 ft 0 in Elena weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.
Who is Elena Mukhina Dating?
According to our records, Elena Mukhina is possibily single & has not been previously engaged. As of December 1, 2023, Elena Mukhina’s is not dating anyone.
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With lingering weakness in her leg and mounting exhaustion from the grueling weight loss workouts, Mukhina had great difficulty coming back up to speed on what was to be the new end element of one of her floor exercise tumbling passes, the Thomas salto. Despite Mukhina’s warnings that the element was constantly causing minor injuries and was dangerous enough to potentially cause major injuries, she was pushed to keep the element in her floor routine, and she continued to practise it even knowing it was a dangerous element. On July 3, 1980, two weeks before the Moscow Olympics, Mukhina was practicing the pass containing the Thomas salto when she under-rotated the salto and crash- landed on her chin, snapping her spine. She was instantly rendered a quadriplegic. Mukhina was training at the Minsk Palace of Sport when the injury occurred; her coach Klimenko was not present at the time of the accident. The Soviet Union awarded her Order of the Badge of Honour in 1980 in response to her injury, and then in 1982 or 1983, Juan Samaranch, the IOC President, awarded her the Silver Medal of the Olympic Order.
Facts & Trivia
Elena Ranked on the list of most popular Gymnast. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in Russia. Elena Mukhina celebrates birthday on June 1 of every year.
Mukhina died of apparent complications from quadriplegia on December 22, 2006(2006-12-22) (aged 46). As a memorial to one of the greatest Soviet-era gymnasts ever, the biggest sports newspaper in Russia, Sovietskij SPORT, dedicated the cover of their Christmas 2006 issue to her. A memorial service was held in her honor on December 27, and she was buried at the Troekourov Cemetery in Moscow.
How old was Elena Mukhina when she was paralyzed?
And it’s tragic. Mukhina, a 20-year-old Soviet gymnast, was encouraged to train on a broken leg in the lead up to the 1980 Olympics.
How was Elena Mukhina paralyzed?
On 3 July 1980, two weeks before the Moscow Olympics, Mukhina was practising the pass containing the Thomas salto when she under-rotated the salto, and crash-landed on her chin, snapping her spine and leaving her quadriplegic.
What happened to Elena the gymnast?
Elena Mukhina, the sensitive Soviet gymnast who won the women’s all-around world championship in 1978 and dreamed of regaining her lost form at the Moscow Olympics, crushed several vertebrae in her neck in a training accident and is hospitalized in Minsk following surgery , Soviet officials reported today.
How old was Elena Mukhina when she died?
46 years (1960–2006)
Why is Thomas salto banned?
After Mukhina’s paralysis and several other close calls with other Olympic- eligible female gymnasts , the Thomas salto has been removed from the Code of Points as an allowed skill for women. It remained an allowed skill for men as of 2008, but was banned for all gymnasts in 2017.