Tamara Manina Gymnast Date of Birth: 16.09.1934 Country: Russia

1. Biography of Tamara Manina
2. Early Life and Family
3. Gymnastics Career
4. Life After Gymnastics
5. Achievements and Personal Life

Biography of Tamara Manina

Tamara Ivanovna Manina, a Soviet gymnast, was born on September 16, 1934 in Petrozavodsk. Known for her graceful and beautiful jumps over the horse, she was often referred to as the "Bird of Money" by her peers.

Early Life and Family

Tamara was born to parents Ivan Ivanovich Manin (1909-1996) and Anna Fedorovna Manina (nee Sorokina) (1913-1992). Her family had roots in St. Petersburg and later moved to Leningrad. Tamara herself was born in Petrozavodsk while her father was on a business trip. During World War II, she was evacuated to Tashkent from the besieged Leningrad in November 1941. It wasn't until 1944 that Tamara was able to return to her hometown. It was in the same year that she began practicing artistic gymnastics at the Palace of Pioneers on Fontanka.

Gymnastics Career

Despite the difficulties of post-war life, Tamara continued to pursue her passion for gymnastics. In addition to being interesting and engaging, her gymnastics training provided her with tangible benefits such as free summer sports camps, enhanced nutrition (fruits, chocolates) before competitions, and other perks provided to athletes. However, Tamara always prioritized her education in school over winning children's and youth competitions.

In her tenth grade, Tamara achieved the title of Master of Sports and became an absolute champion of the Soviet Union among girls. After graduating from high school in 1953, she was included as a candidate in the Soviet national team for artistic gymnastics and was appointed as an instructor in the Burevestnik sports society. From 1953 to 1964, Tamara Manina won a significant number of medals of various distinctions in competitions such as the Soviet Union Championships, World Championships, European Championships, and the Olympic Games. Her most successful performances were at the World Championships in Rome (1954), Moscow (1958), and Prague (1962), where she won a total of 10 medals - 6 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze. Only the great Larisa Latynina achieved more than Manina.

Life After Gymnastics

After retiring from competitive gymnastics, Tamara Manina embarked on a new chapter in her life. She graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics as a mechanical engineer from 1958 to 1965. She then pursued her postgraduate studies at the State Institute of Physical Culture named after P.F. Lesgaft from 1966 to 1969 and obtained her candidate's degree. Tamara worked as a teacher at the Institute of Physical Culture and the Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute named after V.I. Ulyanov (Lenin) from 1969 to 1975. In 1975, she worked as a coach for the French national gymnastics team. She became the head of the Physical Education department at the St. Petersburg State Art and Industry Academy (formerly the Mukhina School) in the same year. She holds the title of professor and has been a member of the University Council since 1980.

Tamara Manina has published over forty scientific, scientific-methodical, and popular works, including the monograph "Training Female Gymnasts in Vault Technique" (1986) and the book "This Versatile Gymnastics" (1989).

Achievements and Personal Life

Tamara Manina achieved remarkable success in her gymnastics career. She won two Olympic gold medals (1956, 1964), three World Championships (1954, 1958, 1962), and was crowned the absolute champion of the Soviet Union. She also won the 1st Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR (1956) and became a two-time winner of the USSR Cup (1957, 1959). Unfortunately, during an exhibition performance in Vienna, she suffered a serious knee injury that ended her competitive career.

Outside of sports, Tamara Manina prioritizes her family life. She loves spending time with her husband, children, relatives, and friends. She enjoys maintaining order in her home and reading newspapers. She also enjoys visiting art exhibitions, listening to music in the philharmonic, and taking part in various sports activities, particularly tennis. Tamara lives and works in St. Petersburg, cherishing her family and the memories of her successful gymnastics career.