3. Born as Larisa Semyonovna
Diriy in Ukraine, she first
practiced ballet, but turned to
gymnastics after
her choreographer moved out
of Kherson. She graduated
from high school in 1953 and
moved to Kiev to attend the
Lenin Polytechnic Institute and
continue training, where she
trained at the
Burevestnik Voluntary Sports
Society. At the age of 19, she
debuted internationally at
the 1954 Rome World
Championships, winning the
gold medal in the team
competition.
4. At the 1956 Summer Olympics,
she competed with Ágnes
Keleti of Hungary to become
the most successful gymnast of
the Olympics. Latynina beat
Keleti in the all-around event,
and the Soviet team also won
the team event. In the event
finals, Latynina won gold
medals on the floor (shared
with Keleti) and vault, a silver
medal on the uneven bars, and
a bronze medal in the now
discontinued team event with
portable apparatus. Keleti also
won six medals: four golds and
two silvers.
6. Latynina retired after the 1966 World
Championships and became a coach for
the Soviet national gymnastics team, a
position she held until 1977.Under her
coaching the Soviet women won team
gold in the 1968, 1972 and 1976
Olympics. She organized the
gymnastics competition at the 1980
Olympic Games in Moscow.
