18. Mai 2014  
Oklahoma-City, USA  
Artistic Gymnastics

Five Gymnastics Legends to be Honored by the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Five gymnastics legends are honored at the 18th annual International Gymnastics Hall of Fame (IGHOF) ceremony 2014, on Saturday, May 17, at the Petroleum Club in Oklahoma City (- via Live streaming !):
One of the IGHOF organizers, Olympic Champion Bart Conner, infomed, that the IGHOF ceremony at Saturday evening will be at a special live streaming channel for free ...

The 2014 candidates for the "Intern. Gymnastics Hall of Fame", visiting the office of "International Gymnast Magazin: (from left: Pictured: Matthias Köste (son of the late Klaus Köste), Natalia Yurchenko (RUS), Li Yuejiu (CHN), Jackie Fie, and Gordon Maddux (US-Sports commentator).

Bart Conner, Olympic Champion 1984

"We have an exciting evening planned for Saturday night, and we have superb news that our IGHOF dinner and induction ceremony will be, for the first time, streamed LIVE over the internet at no cost to the viewers thanks to our partnership with Sooner Sports TV."

Sooner Sports TV has invested in the most advanced technology available for streaming LIVE sports events, and we are thrilled that they have agreed to cover our 2014 Induction ceremony at no cost to the viewers!

Founded in 1987, the IGHOF was originally located in Oceanside, California. In 1996, it was relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where it has developed a solid foundation of private support.

♦♦ The IGHOF Class of 2014 Inductees are ...:

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• Natalia Yurchenko (Russia):
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1983 World All-Around Champion, inventor of the Yurchenko vault



• Jackie Fie (USA):
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1956 Olympian, former and longtime President of FIG Women’s Technical Committee



• Li Yuejiu (China):
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China’s first World Champion, 1984 Olympic silver medalist and one of the most successfull coach, leading the Chinese teams at the 2006 Worlds in Aarhus and to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.



• Klaus Koeste (GER, deceased):
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3-time German Olympian 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympic vault champion in Munich, two-times European Champion and 34-times national German Champion.
He died at the age of 2012 entirely surprising, after a common cold to heart failure ...
His son Matthias Koeste came to Oklahoma city to accept the honor of his father ...

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The Frank Bare Award will go to renowned TV commentator for ABC Wide World of Sports, Gordon Maddux for his important contributions, and promotion of gymnastics.


* A special IGHOF video presented the live and the international career of Klaus KOESTE (GER):

* Youtube (1,513)
Also, although they are not being formally inducted into the IGHOF, the 1984 USA Olympic men’s gymnastics team, comprised of Bart Conner, Tim Daggett, Mitch Gaylord, James Hartung, Scott Johnson and Peter Vidmar, be on hand to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their historic team gold medal.
(ighof)

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** The gymnastics legend Natalia YURCHENKO with her new element on vault (the "Yurchenko": - 10.00 points!) at the 1983 World Championships in Budapest, where she also won the all-around title:

* Youtube (2.246)


** At last GYMmedia met Jackie FIE (USA) as a visitor of the 2010 World Championships in the Ahoy Arena of Rotterdam:
** GYMmedi exclusive  v i d e o -- : Jackie Fie (USA):

* Youtube (1.024)

** LI, Yuejiu (CHN) was the first Chinese World Champion 1981 in Moscow (floor exercise and Olympic silver medallist 1984 in Los Angeles.
On Youtube we found the floor exercise from the 1982 Asia Games:

* Youtube (1.136)

** Klaus KÖSTE (GER/GDR) was the first Olympic champion of the GDR (vault 1972).
   Klaus Köste died 2012 unexpectedly after a cold illness from heart failure at the age of only 69 years!
   At last he was a very active senior gymnast - look at this video from 2012, ...
   at the age of 69, only some month before he died:

* Youtube (823)

... and this was the complete Olympic vault final 1972 in Munich, filmed by a privat person:
Klaus Koeste was the last but one gymnast (No. 93), after him failed Nikolai Andrianov (URS):

* Youtube (1.690)

P R E V I E W ...:
"It is going to be an emotional night to have so many of our sport’s true 'game-changers' all in one room,” said Bart Conner, Chairman of the IGHOF board, said.
Over the past 17 years, 81 of gymnastics greatest stars and contributors, representing 21 countries, have been formally inducted into the Hall of Fame. The IGHOF is home to gymnastics greats such as Vera Caslavska, Nadia Comaneci, Olga Korbut, Mary Lou Retton, Nikolai Andrianov, Bart Conner, Sawao Kato, and Vitaly Scherbo.

Founded in 1987, the IGHOF was originally located in Oceanside, California. In 1996, it was relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where it has developed a solid foundation of private support.
“People are often surprised to know that this is the only International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in existence, and it is endorsed by the International Gymnastics Federation which is based in Switzerland,” Conner said.

The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame continues to preserve, promote and share the achievements of the sport's greatest legends, with the IGHOF exhibit at the Science Museum Oklahoma in the Adventure District in Oklahoma City. Visitors can try out gymnastics equipment, view portraits of all inductees, see sculptures, paintings and memorabilia, and use the video kiosk to study the videos and careers of the international gymnastics stars.
“Our goal is to preserve the legacies of these international gymnastics legends, and use their stories of achievement to inspire future generations,” Conner said.

** For more information about the IGHOF and how you can be a member or donor, visit >> www.ighof.com.