Born: 1957 (Shurab, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union)
Biography:
Nellie Vladimirovna Kim, a retired Soviet and Belarusian gymnast, was born on July 29, 1957, in Shurab, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union. She came from a diverse background, with a Sakhalin Korean father, Vladimir Kim, and a Tatar mother, Alfiya Safina. Kim’s family later moved to Kazakh SSR, where her father worked at the Chimkent slate factory. It was in Chimkent that Kim began her gymnastics journey.
At the age of 9, Kim enrolled in the Chimkent City Children and Youth Sports School 3, affiliated with the Spartak Sports Society. Her younger brother, Alexander, and sister, Irina, also followed in her footsteps and trained in gymnastics for a period of time. Unfortunately, both of them faced challenges that led them to retire from the sport. Alexander, who was smaller in stature, left gymnastics due to harassment from his classmates, and Irina retired due to the demanding training schedule.
Under the guidance of trainers Vladimir Baidin and his wife, Galina Barkova, Kim began to develop her skills. Initially lacking the required flexibility of her peers, Kim compensated with superior technique and the difficulty of her exercises. Despite facing doubts about her future in gymnastics, with celebrated gymnast Larisa Latynina claiming she had no future, Kim persevered thanks to the support of Baidin.
Kim’s hard work paid off when she emerged victorious at the 1971 Junior USSR Championships, her first national competition, placing fifth in the all-around. Over the next few years, Kim continued to excel in both national and international competitions. She won the all-around title and two gold medals at the All-Union Youth Sports Games and placed eighth in the all-around and first on the uneven bars.
In 1976, Kim reached the pinnacle of her gymnastics career at the Montreal Summer Olympics. She won three gold medals and one silver medal, becoming the second woman in Olympic history to achieve a perfect 10 score. Notably, she was the first woman to score a perfect 10 on the vault and floor exercise, setting herself apart from her competitors such as Nadia Comăneci and Ludmilla Tourischeva.
Continuing her success, Kim captured two more gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. She solidified her place in gymnastics history with her impressive performances, demonstrating a combination of strong feminine appeal, temperamental character, and charisma.
After retiring from competitive gymnastics, Kim dedicated herself to coaching. She trained several national teams and also served as a judge in numerous major international competitions. As the president of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Technical Committee, Kim played a crucial role in introducing new rules in women’s gymnastics. She coordinated the implementation of the new Code of Points, developed by the FIG in 2004–2005 and effective since 2006.
Nellie Kim’s influence on the sport of gymnastics is undeniable. Her dynamic performances and contributions as a coach and judge have left an indelible mark on women’s gymnastics. She has remained a respected figure in the gymnastics community, always working to further develop and improve the sport.
Awards:
– Three gold medals and one silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal
– Two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.