Svetlana Boginskaya - timeless grace

Take time if you can to view this, Svetlana Boginskaya's 1988 floor routine set to Bizet's Carmen.  Boginskaya was not the most powerful tumbler on the Soviet team in those days, and today the value of her tumbling would be negligible, but her grace and artistry is timeless, rare. 

We speak of 'difficulty', understanding it to mean tumbles, leaps and turns contrived to amount to the highest possible start value.  Boginskaya includes only two leaps in this routine, one turn and three tumbles.  All of these moves are integrated into the narrative of the routine; the choreography varied in shape, style and mood, telling a story that matches the music.  Take out the 'difficulty' and a complex performance remains that goes beyond presentation.



Boginskaya was 15 years old at these Games, facing a growth spurt and handling the pressure of her first Olympic Games.  She contributed to the Soviet Union's gold medal in the team event, took two bronzes in the all around and floor exercise events, and grabbed gold in the vault.  The following year she would win both the European and World Championships, despite losing her coach from childhood - Liubov Miromanova - under sudden tragic circumstances, shortly after the Games.  She went on to win more medals at the 1992 Olympics and 1996 European Championships, ending her career at the 1996 Olympics. 

The aesthetic was Boginskaya's metier.  Throughout her career she practiced high level tumbling elements such as the double twisting double back and double layout on floor.  Her double turn on beam elevated the skill to a dance move.  But she rarely showed these elements in competition, preferring to let artistry speak for itself. 

Boginskaya's skill was unique.  While she was able to match the highest difficulty tumbles seen in today's gymnastics, who else could present a floor exercise of such complexity?  At the 2012 Olympics, only Russian Ksenia Afanasyeva could demonstrate mastery of the lyrical legacy of Boginskaya. 

And view here a brief 'fluff' video of Svetlana made at the time of the 1992 Olympics, featuring interviews with Svetlana and a brief shot of her at work with coach Alexander Alexandrov.