QUESTIONS and
POINTERS /i tt(>
~ Dea'r Mr. Shurlock: Thi s is the first time I ha ve ever written YO ll , but I find it necessary beca use I need some information. I would appreciate it very much if yo u could find the tim e to answer my letter. A few word s abo ut myself. At the present time I am a post-graduate a t the Moscow In stitute of Physical Culture and Sport and I am very interes ted in th e development of Gymnastics throughout the world and in the U.s.A. in particula r. By the way I've seen yo u in Moscow in 1958 and 1961. P erhaps you r emember me too because I was in the team of the USSR in 1961. I wanted to make acquaintance with you then but the trouble was that I co uldn 't s peak Englis h and that's why I only asked yo u for an autograph , whi ch you kindly gave me. Now know English enough t o write this letter to you. I am a con stant reader of your excellent " Th e Modern Gymnast". Thi s is th e mos t interesting and useful ma gazin e I have ever seen in my life. Co ngratul a ti ons and -best wi shes t o Mr. Glenn S undby! I also enj oy yo ur a rticles "Q uesli ons a nd POinters". Th ese a rticl es show yo u 10 be a good spec ia list in Gymnas ti cs. As. Gym na sti cs is a co mmon and favor it e th inp: for us, le t's excha nge some useful id p3., litc ra ture, book s, magazines a nd elc. in ord er to kn ow more abo ut Gymnas li cs. If yo u have no objections I'll he p: lad 10 cOlTP spond with yo u. A nd for the beg innin p: will yo u be so kin d as t o send me Ih O! b60k hy IvI r. Tak e moto abou t th e men 's gym nas li cs and some new co pies of "T he Mo(: rn Gy m.na st" . S in ce rely yo urs, Sa birov Yuri , Moscow, USSR P.S. Mr. Shurl ock, after r ead in g " The IvIodern Gy mn ast" (May-Jun e 1964) I h ave not iced so me mi stakes in th e inl erpretation of Ih e F IG rul es, especia ll y it concern s I he sid e horse . Yo u as a gy mnas t who does so well on th e s id e horse and ca n win the Ol ympi c medal, must know th e FIG rules prop crl y. In my nex l letter I'll explain th e diffe ren ct's a nd mi stakes t o yo u.
Dear Yuri: I t was a pleasnre to receive YOlir letter and I appreciate th e opportnnity to correspond with a / ellow gymnast and instruc路 tor from the USS R. I 'have conveyed ),our appreciation o.f the Morlern Gy mnast to Mr. Sundby and will sllPply yon with some later edition s of Th e Modern Gym nast. I contacted Mr. Frank Endo w h o has the illlport rights on Japan ese gymnastic literatllre in the USA. Fr om hilll )'0 11 will recl'i ve Mr. Ta kemot.o's book on all arol/.nd -gYlllnastics. We have jlist recen tly rece ived th e raised and corrected FIG mles. Thank
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YOli fo r yonr o//I'r 10 explain Ih e incorre ct interpretations presented in th e May-JlIn e edition. I will leave it to YOll to seleci some USSR gymnastics book to send in retlim . Pre ferably one' that is well illllstrated sin ce I do no( have YOllr e~'ce!lent ad vantage o.f speaking both Rll ss ian and English . I hm;e jllst rece ntly been appointed coach and tea.cher at one of th e iin est universities in the USA, Th e Univers it'y o.f Cali/ornia at Los Angeles (UC LA ). I am ve ry h appy about this appointment althoiLgh I will have to term inale my competitive care er alter. th e Olympic Gam es in Tokyo. . Sincerely, Art Shurlock P .S . Y Oll r English is pxcellent and no exrl/.ses are necessary in you r 1Vriting.
Pi ctu red below and at r ig ht a re my Olympic T eam mates -perfo rming rou tines t hrough th e lens o f the Graph-Check Cam-
era. Below Sakamoto doing the scissors on the Side Horse, Rusty M itchell performing strai g ht body pullo v er to b o ck leve r pull-up t o Olympic Cross on th e Rings. At right ; .Ron Borak d oing on overbor bock ca t ch to a handstand . re g Weiss showing the compulso ry k ip half turn t o an upper arm hong catch and Lorry Bonne r going int o high doub les f or hi s Floo r exercise routine.