Maria Gorokhovskaya

Maria Kondratyevna Gorokhovskaya (Russian: Мария Кондратьевна Гороховская, Ukrainian: Марія Кіндратівна Гороховська; 17 October 1921 – 22 July 2001) was a Soviet gymnast of Jewish descent. At the 1952 Summer Olympics, she won seven medals, the most medals won by any woman in a single Olympics.[2]

Maria Gorokhovskaya
Personal information
Country represented Soviet Union
Born(1921-10-17)17 October 1921
Yevpatoria, Soviet Russia
Died22 July 2001(2001-07-22) (aged 79)
Tel Aviv, Israel
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
ClubStroityel Kharkov[1]
Medal record
Representing  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
1952 Helsinki Team
1952 Helsinki All-Around
1952 Helsinki Team PA
1952 Helsinki Vault
1952 Helsinki Uneven Bars
1952 Helsinki Balance Beam
1952 Helsinki Floor Exercise
World Championships
1954 Rome Team
1954 Rome Floor Exercise

Competing for Budivelnyk Kharkiv, Gorokhovskaya won her first USSR title on the balance beam in 1948. She came to the Helsinki Olympics as the twofold national champion. Soviet gymnastics had never competed at major international tournaments before, and it was the first Olympics in which the country participated.

The Soviet gymnasts dominated the competition, with Gorokhovskaya leading them. In all four individual apparatus events – the balance beam, floor exercise, the vault and the uneven bars – Gorokhovskaya finished second. This performance earned her the gold medal in the all-around competition, finishing ahead of team-mate Nina Bocharova by eight tenths of a point.[1]

With seven of the eight Soviet gymnasts finishing in the top ten, it was clear that the team gold medal would go to them. Gorokhovskaya won her seventh medal in the now discontinued team exercise with portable apparatus, where the Soviet team finished second behind Sweden.[1]

Gorokhovskaya made one more international appearance as a part of the winning Soviet team at the 1954 World Championships, and retired afterwards. She then worked as a judge (international since 1964) and a lecturer.

In 1990, Gorokhovskaya, who was Jewish,[3] emigrated to Israel, where she worked as a gymnastics coach until her death.[1] In 1991 she was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame.

Achievements (non-Olympic)
Gorokhovskaya on a Soviet stamp of 1957
Year Event AA Team VT UB BB FX RG HB
1947USSR Championships2nd
1948USSR Championships2nd1st
1949USSR Championships3rd3rd2nd1st
1950USSR Championships2nd3rd3rd3rd1st
1951USSR Championships1st3rd2nd1st
1952USSR Championships1st3rd1st2nd1st
1953USSR Championships1st
1954World Championships1st3rd
USSR Championships2nd1st

See also

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Maria Gorokhovskaya". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  2. "Leading Olympic Medalists". Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  3. Uri Miller. Jews in Sport in the USSR. Yivo Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
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