Rhythmic Gymnastics Veterans. USSR Honoured Coach Galina Gorenkova
Coach Galina Gorenkova devoted her life to art and beauty. She can confidently be called one of the legends of Omsk rhythmic gymnastics.
Galina Gorenkova was born on September 26, 1931. Since she was in school, Galina had been studying in the city ballet club at the Palace of Pioneers. In 1950 she enrolled at the Omsk Institute of Physical Culture. Her teacher, Valentina Khudyakova, noted her student’s music abilities.
After graduation, Galina worked at a school. Then, together with her husband, a military officer, she lived in Germany for five years. She returned to Omsk after that, and began working in an atheletic club at the Baranov factory and in 1962 she organized a rhythmic gymnastics club, having selected 80 girls.
A year later, Gorenkova achieved the opening of a rhythmic gymnastics department at the sports club of the Red Star stadium, now known as Children's Sports School No. 24. Here began the sports career of one of Gorenkova's most famous students - Galima Shugurova, the absolute world champion and the first ever European champion in rhythmic gymnastics.
Many masters of sports grew up out of Gorenkova’s 80 students. In total, she trained 30 gymnasts who achieved this title. She trained the USSR champion in group exercises Lyubov Belikina, USSR Cup winner Galina Matyukhina.
It’s interesting that Galina Pavlovna never kicked anyone out of the group, and said that there is a purpose for every gymnast. And so it was, because Gorenkova also showed the talent of a stage director. All students had the opportunity to open up in the coach's musical suites.
Galina appreciated beauty in everything. She dressed fashionably, sewed clothes herself and taught needlework to her gymnasts. The coach showed how to comb hair, put on makeup, and behave in society. Even the strictest mothers and fathers trusted their children with her.
A case in point: costumes made for a performance on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Revolution couldn’t be used due to the peculiarities of lighting. Gorenkova gathered the girls’ parents, and they spent the whole night altering their outfits. The performance went without a hitch.
Galina’s death was a heavy loss. She passed away after an illness on July 13, 1983, bequeathing to the gymnasts the following words:
"Love rhythmic gymnastics selflessly, just as I loved it."
The rhythmic gymnastics tournament, which takes place annually in Omsk, is dedicated to the memory of Galina Gorenkova. In different years, Olympic champions Alina Kabaeva, Yulia Barsukova, Evgenia Kanaeva, Olympic medalists Yana Batyrshina and Irina Chashchina, and world champion Vera Sesina stood at the top of the podium.