Let's Talk About Tamara Lazakovich

Tamara Lazakovich was a beautiful Soviet gymnast of the early 70's who was overshadowed by her more successful and crowd-pleasing teammates Ludmilla Tourischeva and Olga Korbut. She made four individual finals in Munich and won bronze in the all around and on floor and silver on the beam. Her compulsory score was 38.25 and the highest of any individual compulsory all around score. At the 1971 European Championships, she won gold in the all around and on bars and beam and silver on vault and floor. Unfortunately, Tamara struggled with alcoholism later in life and died in 1992 at the age of 38.

This is a beautiful montage of Tamara. It's the only footage of her bars I've been able to find.

These were her Olympic vaults. A perfect Yamashita is beautiful!

Tamara qualified first into the balance beam final. After Karin Janz won the bars final, the crowd was at the judges' throats and there was very high pressure for Olga to win. Olga received the 9.90 score she needed to beat Tamara for the gold with her own spectacular routine. Tamara's routine is exemplary of all that was wonderful in early 70's beam. She has perfect control, beautiful balance on her hands, and beautiful artistic presentation.

Tamara's floor is my favorite routine of hers. She was in third going into the final but was the only gymnast of the top three not to have a noticeable error. She received the bronze behind Olga Korbut and Ludmilla Tourischeva and fell into tears. Her floor is classical and elegant yet avante-garde. It has wonderful tension and intensity. She combines staccato and legato movements expertly and creates a building energy all the way to her final movement.