03. Mai 2023  
Wladimir, RUS  
Artistic Gymnastics

Former gymnastics world champion Yuri Korolev died at only 60 years old

One of the dominant gymnasts of world gymnastics in the 1980's, Yuri Nikolayevich KOROLEV, passed away on 29 April 2023 at the age of only 60. This was announced by the press service of the Russian Gymnastics Federation.
The two-time all-around world champion (1981, Moscow; 1985, Montreal), who was runner-up again in 1987 in Rotterdam and won the all-around World Cup the year before with China's LI Ning and won a total of 9 World Championship gold medals between 1981 and 1987, was European Champion 5 times and belongs in the history of world gymnastics together with Dmitri Biloserchev, Valeri Liukin, Vladimir Artyomov, Valentin Mogilni to one of the strongest gymnastics teams of the former Soviet sport and the world, with which Korolev won 3 World Championship team gold medals ahead of China and Japan. ..
 

So Juri finally came, albeit 20 years later, to his personal Olympic assignment 2008 in Beijing as an international judge. One year before he acted as a juror at the World Championships 2007 in the Hans Martin Schleyer Hall in Stuttgart / Germany.

His admired uniqueness consisted above all in his distinctive way of high quality mastery of optimal techniques, even of extraordinary difficulties!
At the same time, all his friends appreciated him as a modest, at the same time sympathetic and caring person with a strong character and great authority for his students.

A sports legend who passed away far too early ...!
Those who had the chance to meet him will never forget this extraordinary person Yuri KOROLEV!
(C) gymmedia / Eckhard Herholz