Yelena Shushunova

Yelena Lvovna Shushunova (; sometimes spelled Elena Shushunova; 23 May 1969 – 16 August 2018) was a Soviet Russian gymnast. Shushunova was one of five women (alongside Larisa Latynina, Věra Čáslavská, Ludmilla Tourischeva and Lilia Podkopayeva) who have won all-around titles at all major competitions: Olympics, World Championships and European/Continental Championships

Junior career Shushunova was born and grew up in Leningrad and began gymnastics when she was approximately six or seven years old. She began competing as a junior gymnast in 1981. In her floor exercise she tumbled a double layout, and side Arabian 1 and 3/4 salto, both were rare skills for women at that time and women are no longer allowed to compete saltos which end in a roll. She also displayed her signature skill, a straddle jump to prone support.

Shushunova's dominance in women's gymnastics continued at the 1986 World Cup in Beijing. There she won the all-around, vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise titles. In this competition she displayed an increased level of difficulty on two apparatus, showing a Rulfova flic (full twisting Korbut flic) on balance beam and a tucked full in double salto dismount on the uneven bars. At the European Championships she earned a bronze in the all-around and a gold on vault. In the following year, she was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Apparatus !! Name !! Description !! Difficulty