Maria Filatova

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Maria Filatova
— Gymnast —
Full name Mariya Yevgenyevna Filatova
Country represented  Soviet Union
Born (1961-07-19) July 19, 1961 (age 63)
Leninsk-Kuznetsky, Kemerovo Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Residence Rochester, New York
Discipline Women's artistic gymnastics
Retired 1982

Maria Evgenievna Filatova (Russian: Мария Евгеньевна Филатова) (born July 19, 1961) is a retired Soviet gymnast who competed at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics.

Career

Filatova began competing for the USSR junior team in 1974. In 1976 she placed fourth at the USSR National Championships and competed well in various international events.

Filatova was originally named as an alternate to the Soviet team at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. However, during podium training, she received such a positive reaction from the crowd that she was added to the team roster. She shared in the team gold medal and was ranked ninth overall after the team competition. Because four of her teammates scored higher than she did and only three gymnasts per team were allowed to compete in the all-around, she did not advance to the AA finals in spite of her high placement.

Following the Olympics and the retirements of several high-profile gymnasts, including Ludmilla Tourischeva and Olga Korbut, Filatova emerged as one of the leaders of the Soviet team. She won the World Cup in 1977 and 1978; the USSR Nationals in 1977, and the Riga International meet in 1977 and 1979. At the 1980 Olympics, Filatova served as the lead-off gymnast on several events and contributed to the team's gold medal. She continued to the 1981 World Championships, where she was the silver medalist in the all-around.

British journalist David Hunn referred to Filatova as a "fifteen-year-old in the Korbut tradition." As Korbut, Filatova was known for her enthusiastic, expressive floor exercise routines and her difficult acrobatic skills. She was one of the first female gymnasts to successfully compete a double back somersault on floor in 1975.

Following her retirement in 1982, Filatova worked for several years with the British Gymnastics Federation (in Belfast) before moving to the United States. She now lives and coaches in Rochester,NY.

Achievements (non-Olympic)

Year Event AA Team VT UB BB FX
1976 USSR Championships 3rd
1977 World Cup 1st 2nd 2nd 1st
European Championships 3rd 1st
USSR Championships 1st 1st 2nd
1978 World Cup 1st 1st
World Championships 1st
USSR Championships 1st 1st
USSR Cup 1st
1979 World Championships 2nd
Universiade 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st
USSR Championships 2nd 2nd
1980 World Cup 2nd
1981 World Championships 2nd 1st
Universiade 2nd

External links and sources