Tatiana Tuzhikova was born July 6,1971 in Voronezh. Her major break came in 1987, when she placed 5th AA at the 1987 USSR Cup (which doubled as the Soviet’s World Team Trials). The Soviets always held trials for major events, but placement within or outside the top 6 did not necessarily translate to a team berth. 1987 was an exception, with the top 6 named to the team. As a result, Tatiana found herself en route to Rotterdam for the 1987 World Championships. Tatiana was a complete unknown in Rotterdam, but impressed on floor exercise, débuting the full-twisting double layout. The Soviets earned “only” the silver in Rotterdam, the medal (sadly) considered by many a failure. Head coach Leonid Arkaev attributed the team’s loss to his democratic “experiment,” and reverted to old ways. On Tatiana’s itinerary for 1988 was a trip to Japan, to compete at the 1988 World Sports Fair. Competing for "Profsoyuz" (Trade Union) at the 1988 USSR Nationals, Tatiana her teammates placed second in the team event. Individually she placed 6th in the AA, a promising finish with the Olympics only a few months ago. But luck would not be on Tatiana’s side, and at the 1988 USSR Cup, which doubled as the Soviet’s Olympic Trials, she placed 9th. The Soviet’s team for Seoul was chosen from the top 8. Tatiana was recently featured in the November 2003 issue of International Gymnast magazine. After retiring in 1988, she spent time coaching locally and abroad. Stints abroad included 2 ½ years in the Netherlands and later one month coaching in South Africa. Tatiana and husband Sergei (a businessman) have two children, son Sergei (b. 1993) and daughter Sasha (b. 2001). The family lives in Voronezh. . This page was created on January 5, 2004. |
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