12 Facts About Tamara Manina

Tamara Ivanovna Manina is a retired Soviet Olympic gymnast and a sports scientist.

Tamara Manina's family lived in Petersburg, but Manina was born in Petrozavodsk, where her father was on a long mission.

Tamara Manina returned into Leningrad in 1944 and began gymnastics at the Leningrad Young Pioneer Palace in the same year.

Tamara Manina was called "Monia the Bird" by groupmates for her graceful and light vaults.

Between 1953 and 1964 Tamara Manina successfully competed in many national and international events.

Tamara Manina contributed to the team's gold and bronze medals.

In one of her interviews Tamara Manina said, that the team had a warm welcome everywhere in the USSR: on their way by train from Vladivostok to Moscow they were met with flowers on each small station, people organized solemn meetings and made other arrangements to honor their visit.

Tamara Manina missed the 1960 Summer Olympics due to an injury, but competed in the 1962 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, contributing to the team's gold and winning the bronze on vault.

Tamara Manina coached the French national team in 1975 and has been an international judge since 1971.

Tamara Manina defended a dissertation for the Candidate of Science degree at the Lesgaft State Institute of Physical Culture in 1969 and taught at the gymnastics department of the institute until 1973.

Tamara Manina has published more than 40 scientific, methodical and popular science books.

Tamara Manina is married to Valery Lutkov, a sports medicine doctor, and has a son, named Valery Lutkov, an international tennis official.