Kuchinskaya Natalia is a famous gymnast, a legend of Soviet sports. She became a two-time Olympic champion. Natalia was considered the most beautiful gymnast.
Family, early years
Natalya Alexandrovna was born on March 12, 1949. The family lived in Leningrad. Her father is a master of sports in several forms, her mother is a gymnastics coach. In 1966, Kuchinskaya graduated from the physics and mathematics school, studied at the university (department of psychology).
The first coach of Natalia was her mother, the girl early showed abilities for long sports activities. First, Kuchinskaya was engaged in rhythmic gymnastics, and at 13 years old - sports. Mother paid attention to her daughter’s stretching, starting from 2 months of age. Marina, Natasha’s sister, also did gymnastics, became a master of sports.
Sport
At the age of 17, the athlete participated in the world championship in Dortmund (Germany), she became a 3-time champion (on bars, logs, in floor exercises). In 1965-1968 Kuchinskaya won the championships of the USSR, becoming the absolute champion.
Since 1968, Kuchinsky began to train Vladimir Smirnov. To prepare for the next Olympics, the girl moved to Kiev. In 1968, Natalia won gold in Mexico at the Olympics. The team also included Voronina Zinaida, Karaseva Olga, Burda Lyubov, Petrik Larisa, Turishcheva Lyudmila. Czechoslovakia became a serious rival, in the team of which was Chaslavsky Vera, Olympic champion of the Games.
Due to nervous tension in the first day of the competition, Natalya won bronze, and then she became the first in exercises on a log. All the men of Mexico fell in love with the girl, and the president’s son made her an offer. As the most beautiful girl, Natalia began to be called the "Bride of Mexico City".
About the gymnast, they shot the film "Na-ta-li!" (dir. Saveliev Vladimir), which was shown several times on a TV channel in Mexico at the request of the local population. In 1969, Kuchinskaya was awarded the "Badge of Honor".
What happened next
Once Natalia decided to leave the sport. Firstly, she was injured. And another reason was the emergence of new programs with complex elements that changed gymnastics.
Kuchinskaya received her second higher education at the Institute of Physical Education, and then worked for a year in Japan. She tried to find herself in acting, journalism, but to no avail.
Then there was a divorce from her husband, who left for the USA. Natalia remained in Kiev, but did not find a vocation. In the early nineties, her ex-husband took her to the United States. There they organized the International Gymnastics Gym gymnastics club, located in Illinois. Natalya Alexandrovna became the coach of the USA champion.
