1956WAGAAU

Описание: 1956 Olympic Trials for women. The women in this country had had no international competition since 1952 except for a Swedish team that visited, I think, in 1954. They weren't sure a team would be sent to the 1956 Games until fairly close to 1956, so this meet, in April of 1956, was a bunch of very unprepared gymnasts. The competition, being in the Southern Hemisphere, wasn't until December, and they got no support from the AAU or USOC for practice between April and December. They finished 9th of 9 teams, but showed a lot of courage and that was the team that spawned Doris Fuchs, the first US gymnast that people ever said did the best routine in the world, even if the judges did not agree, Muriel Grossfeld, who as a coach took the US so close to the top, and Jackie Fie, who took judging here to the next level and then eventually rose to become FIG WTC head. The routines, as near as I can do it, are identified as follows:
Sandra Ruddick, winner of every event but floor in that meet (floor went to a tie between Muriel and Joyce Racek with Sandra third), optional floor. Note, this is a WOODEN GYM FLOOR with just a piece of tape marking the area. NO MAT!
Joyce Racek, optional floor
Unknown, optional floor. For all three of these, this was the first year floor was done to music, not everyone knew how to handle that.
For some reason I think this is Judy Kowalsky, the first two vaults. The third one, not sure,
Kowalsky, compulsory beam.
Ruddick, compulsory beam.
Racek, compulsory beam.
MArie Heosly, compulsory beam. Remarkable woman, gymnast throughout the 40s, in 1952 the judges were overheard discussing underscoring her to keep her off the team since they heard she was suck a big woman. She made the team anyway and finshed ahead of several teammates at the Games, here, at 39, she was 8th and second alternate. Take that!
Racek, destroying herself on compulsory bars. In optionals, she came back strongly and was second all-around.
Hoesly, who finished second to Ruddick on bars, compulsory bars.
Sharon Phelps, optional bars.
Myra Perkins, optional bars, with a painful looking drop!
Hoesly, optional bars.
Muriel Davis (Grossfeld), optional bars. Looks like she finished with a back flip off low, which was done by the Soviet Olympic Champion four years before. But she didn't realize it had recently been made illegal, and she had to come up with a new one at the Games (handstand on low, squat off). She fell at the Games.
Ruddick, optional beam.
Various tumblers.