Arkayev, Leonid Yakovlevich

▪ 1997

      At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga., legendary Russian gymnastics coach Leonid Arkayev turned in a performance worthy of a 10 as he led the Russian men to yet another team gold; in Olympics in which his teams had participated, it was his fourth consecutive victory in the event. Moreover, Russia's strong gymnastic performance—eight medals, including the women's team silver—came amid the departure of former stars who had gone on to compete for their respective homelands in the wake of the Soviet Union breakup.

      Born on June 3, 1940, in Moscow, Arkayev was the youngest of three children; his father died in 1943 while serving in World War II. In 1954, helped by the sister of Olympic champion Yekaterina Kalinchuk, Arkayev was admitted to the gymnastics section of the Stroyitel ("builder") sport society. He was named master of sport of the U.S.S.R. in 1958 and from 1959 to 1969 was a member of the national team. Interested in training, he became a coach for the Soviet team following its disastrous showing at the 1972 world championships in Ljubljana, Yugos. (now in Slovenia). Arkayev, who eventually became the head coach, restructured the country's gymnastic program, using Japan, then the world leader in the sport, as a model. In particular, he stressed continuity in training, allowing a gymnast's original coach to remain involved in the athlete's development after his or her selection to the national team. From 1975 the country's elite gymnasts trained at the Krugloye Ozero Sport Base, practicing two to three times a day, six days a week.

      Though Arkayev never competed on the Olympic level, it was there that his athletes shone, not only dominating the sport but also providing historic performances. At the 1980 Games in Moscow, which were boycotted by the U.S. and Japan, among others, Aleksandr Dityatin became both the first athlete to win eight medals in a single Olympics and the first male gymnast to receive a perfect score of 10. Moreover, the Soviet team captured a total of nine gold medals. After boycotting the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, the Soviets competed in Seoul, S.Kor., winning 19 medals, 11 of which were gold. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Unified Team was formed, consisting of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Georgia. At the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain, Vitaly Sherbo won six gold medals in the most successful gymnastics performance in Olympic history. In addition, the women won the team competition, their third successive victory in the event. From 1980 to 1996, Arkayev's Olympic teams won more than 65 medals, including 32 gold. Arkayev, who received his master's degree in education in 1995, proved that as a teacher he was as good as gold. (AMY TIKKANEN)

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