19. März 2007  
Leipzig  
Artistic Gymnastics

Erika ZUCHOLD - from international star to artist

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....
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!

... at all times her demands of herself where sensationally high!

... 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!
"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...

2005: als dritte deutsche Turnerin 'Member of International Gymnastics Hall of Fame', Oklahoma-City

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

Many guests and former team members came to a cheerfully birthday party. Strong Victor Klimenko lifts Erika upwards...!
Outside left: Angelika Keilig-Hellmann and Steffi Biskupek-Kraeker; left of Victor Klimenko former coach Roselore Sonntag; right of E. Zuchold her former coach Helmut Gerschau and his daughter Kerstin Kokot-Gerschau.
(c) GYMmedia, with friendly permit by E. Zuchold

Read more on the personal website of the artist, >> www.erika-zuchold.de