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 sports, and her mother is a gymnastics coach. In 1966, Kuchinskaya graduated from the physics and mathematics school, studied at the university (department of psychology).
Natalia's first coach was her mother, the girl showed early ability to long-term sports activities. At first Kuchinskaya was engaged in rhythmic gymnastics, and at the age of 13 - sports. The mother paid attention to stretching her daughter, starting at 2 months of age. Marina, Natasha's sister, also did gymnastics and became a master of sports.
Sport
At the age of 17, the athlete participated in the World Championships in Dortmund (Germany), became a 3-time champion (on uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise). In 1965-1968. Kuchinskaya won the USSR championships, becoming the absolute champion.
Since 1968, Kuchinskaya 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, Turischeva Lyudmila. Czechoslovakia became a serious rival, in whose team Vera Chaslavsky, the Olympic champion of the Games, played.
Due to nervous tension in the first day of the competition, Natalya won bronze, and then she became the first in exercises on the balance beam. All the men of Mexico fell in love with the girl, and the president's son proposed to her. As the most beautiful girl, Natalia began to be called the "Bride of Mexico City".
The film "Na-ta-li!" Was shot about the gymnast (directed by Vladimir Saveliev), which was shown several times on a television 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. First, she was injured. And another reason was the emergence of new programs with complex elements that have changed gymnastics.
Kuchinskaya received a second higher education at a physical culture institute, and then worked in Japan for a year. She tried to find herself in acting, journalism, but to no avail.
Then there was a divorce from her husband, who left for the United States. Natalia stayed in Kiev, but did not find her calling. In the early nineties, her ex-husband took her to the United States. There they organized the International Gymnastics Gym in Illinois. Natalya Alexandrovna became the coach of the US champion.
Personal life
Little is known about Natalya Alexandrovna's personal life. Her husband's name is Alexander, he is in business.
In the 80s, the couple divorced, the husband left for the United States. Then he found out about Natalia's plight and took her with him. In the United States, they got married again.
