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19. März 2007
Leipzig
Artistic Gymnastics
Erika ZUCHOLD - from international star to artist
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Erika ZUCHOLD |
Today, on March 19, one of the greatest and most famous German gymnasts worldwide celebrates her 60th birthday.
Erika ZUCHOLD from Leipzig was one of the best known personalities in international gymnastics in the sixties and seventies of the 20th century, along with Karin Büttner-Janz and before Maxi Gnauck .
In all her varius roles - as the first women to dare perform a flicflac on the beam (1964), as the winner of the silver medal at the Mexico City Olympics (1968) and those in Munich in 1972, as double world champion in Ljubljana in 1970 or today as a well-known painter, sculptress and versatile artist, this creative and sensitive women has always made the highest demands of herself and pushed back the frontiers of the perception of the world....
Erika ZUCHOLD from Leipzig was one of the best known personalities in international gymnastics in the sixties and seventies of the 20th century, along with Karin Büttner-Janz and before Maxi Gnauck .
In all her varius roles - as the first women to dare perform a flicflac on the beam (1964), as the winner of the silver medal at the Mexico City Olympics (1968) and those in Munich in 1972, as double world champion in Ljubljana in 1970 or today as a well-known painter, sculptress and versatile artist, this creative and sensitive women has always made the highest demands of herself and pushed back the frontiers of the perception of the world....
ERIKA ZUCHOLD - from international gymnastics star to artist
- 60th birthday of an exceptional woman
- by Eckhard Herholz
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One must be robust as a gymnast. She however appears to be sensitive, vulnerable. This is in fact the case. She is very precise, almost pedantic, tends to do everything 100%. In this she makes punishing requirements of herself, today as much so as she did in the past.
It all began in a small village...
Maybe the very early and intensive occupation with gymnastics as a child in her home village of Lucka/Breitenhain near Leipzig formed her character.
- 60th birthday of an exceptional woman
- by Eckhard Herholz
__________________________________________________
One must be robust as a gymnast. She however appears to be sensitive, vulnerable. This is in fact the case. She is very precise, almost pedantic, tends to do everything 100%. In this she makes punishing requirements of herself, today as much so as she did in the past.
It all began in a small village...
Maybe the very early and intensive occupation with gymnastics as a child in her home village of Lucka/Breitenhain near Leipzig formed her character.
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Young Erika - going strong at nine years of age! |
After all, gymnastics is a 100% sport - at least if you intend to reach the top.
<< The child Erika stood out because of her impressive talent and began her incomparable career as early as the end of the fifties/beginning of the sixties of the last century.
For the SC Leipzig the benchmark for the nurturing of young gymnasts was even then the world elite - represented at that time by the Soviets as well as the Czechs, such as Eva Bosakova and Vera Caslavska.
The gymnasts of the GDR at that time were far removed from the highly admired international stars of womens gymnastics, but their goals were ambitious and consistent, even if the available means often left much to be desired - this lack was compensated with enthusiasm!
<< The child Erika stood out because of her impressive talent and began her incomparable career as early as the end of the fifties/beginning of the sixties of the last century.
For the SC Leipzig the benchmark for the nurturing of young gymnasts was even then the world elite - represented at that time by the Soviets as well as the Czechs, such as Eva Bosakova and Vera Caslavska.
The gymnasts of the GDR at that time were far removed from the highly admired international stars of womens gymnastics, but their goals were ambitious and consistent, even if the available means often left much to be desired - this lack was compensated with enthusiasm!
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... at all times her demands of herself where sensationally high! |
The international sensation...
When Erika Barth at just 17 years of age caused an international sensation by performing the first flicflac on the beam and then won the painful qualification tournament in Halle/Saale, which was bedevilled by intra-German political quarrels, she was held internationally to be the exceptional favourite for the Olympic Games in 1964 - on a par with the heros of those Games, Caslavska, Latynina, Astachowa ...
...but just as she was due to depart for Tokio she tore her Achilles tendon and her bravest dreams dissolved....!
She also suffered much pain while, having married the former cycling world record holder Dieter Zuchold in 1967 and started to study to be a teacher (1965-69: music and sports), she fought her way back into the world elite...
When Erika Barth at just 17 years of age caused an international sensation by performing the first flicflac on the beam and then won the painful qualification tournament in Halle/Saale, which was bedevilled by intra-German political quarrels, she was held internationally to be the exceptional favourite for the Olympic Games in 1964 - on a par with the heros of those Games, Caslavska, Latynina, Astachowa ...
...but just as she was due to depart for Tokio she tore her Achilles tendon and her bravest dreams dissolved....!
She also suffered much pain while, having married the former cycling world record holder Dieter Zuchold in 1967 and started to study to be a teacher (1965-69: music and sports), she fought her way back into the world elite...
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Erika ZUCHOLD: Olympic silver 1972, |
... to Olympic silver medals in Mexiko-City (1968) and Munich (1972) – together with the legendary Olga Korbut (URS) on the bars and to her titles in the world championships on the vault and beam in Ljubljana in 1970.
But mostly she fought with herself, vanquishing pain and self-doubt - not always with immediate success... As an entertainer, performing tap dance and singing - for instance in popular TV shows such as „Kessel Buntes“ – as well as in her constant serch for new creative challenges for a mature artist with a particular enthusiasm for nature, Erika Zuchold always remained true to her sensitive and honest self!
But mostly she fought with herself, vanquishing pain and self-doubt - not always with immediate success... As an entertainer, performing tap dance and singing - for instance in popular TV shows such as „Kessel Buntes“ – as well as in her constant serch for new creative challenges for a mature artist with a particular enthusiasm for nature, Erika Zuchold always remained true to her sensitive and honest self!
So it was no wonder that the failure of the socialist social experiment GDR left a painful void for her to fill. It was her nature simply to change course!
She was far too honest, had always participated in tis experiment with heartfelt enthusiasm - it was difficult to throw overboard a conviction so emotionally held...
Years of rethinking, of accepting the changed situation, of searching for new points of reference followed...
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'Tree of Life', Rochlitz Porphyry |
"Culture of all culture is the culture of the heart"
This appears to be her creed - which does not mean that she has not long returned to the active life! Her sensibilities are not in evidence when the artist committed to nature gives shape to the Rochlitz porphyry with her tools and carves her way into stone. However, they are much in evidence in the end products of her exhausting activity, as well as in the way in which the maturing artist masters the stony paths of life. She is a sculptress, painter and poet; nevertheless she still loves to don top hat, walking stick and tap dancing shoes during her popular vernissages...
This appears to be her creed - which does not mean that she has not long returned to the active life! Her sensibilities are not in evidence when the artist committed to nature gives shape to the Rochlitz porphyry with her tools and carves her way into stone. However, they are much in evidence in the end products of her exhausting activity, as well as in the way in which the maturing artist masters the stony paths of life. She is a sculptress, painter and poet; nevertheless she still loves to don top hat, walking stick and tap dancing shoes during her popular vernissages...
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2005: als dritte deutsche Turnerin 'Member of International Gymnastics Hall of Fame', Oklahoma-City |
Even if many GDR sporting careers seem affected, even blighted by the strange course of national history and perspective - the world remembers this exceptional personality:
In 2005 Erika Zuchold was inducted into the Oklahoma City „Hall of Fame“ of international artistic gymnastics as the third German female gymnast after Maxi Gnauck (2000) and Karin Büttner-Janz (2003).
Erika Zuchold now appears to have given artistic gymnastics, the demanding and complex sport she once pursued with such precision a new dimension - she has incorporated into the highly personal and varied phases of aesthetic accomplishment as an artist.
Can one interpret gymnastics more beautifully than in giving individualistic, artistic answers to many of the open questions of this complex sporting discipline ?
Eckhard Herholz, GYMmedia
Eckhard Herholz, GYMmedia
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Many guests and former team members came to a cheerfully birthday party. Strong Victor Klimenko lifts Erika upwards...! |
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Read more on the personal website of the artist, >> www.erika-zuchold.de
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