View source for Tatiana Gutsu

{{short description|Soviet gymnast}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox gymnast
| name            = Tatiana Gutsu<br />Тетяна Ґуцу
| image           =
| image_size      = 
| caption         = 
| full_name       = Tatiana Gutsu
| altname         = 
| nickname        = 
| country         = {{UKR}}
| formercountry   = {{CIS}} ({{EUN}})<br />{{URS}}
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1976|09|05|df=y}}
| birth_place     = [[Odesa]], [[Ukrainian SSR]], [[Soviet Union]]
| death_date      = 
| death_place     = 
| height          = 
| discipline      = WAG
| level           = 
| natlteam        = 1988–1992 ([[Soviet Union women's national artistic gymnastics team|URS]])<br />1992 ([[Ukraine women's national artistic gymnastics team|UKR]])
| club            = Ukrainian Armed Forces (Odesa)<ref>[https://www.mil.gov.ua/diyalnist/sport/olimpijska-slava-zsu/ Olympic glory of the Ukrainian Armed Forces]. www.mil.gov.ua</ref>
| gym             = 
| collegeteam     = 
| headcoach       = 
| music           = 
| eponymousskills = 
| retired         = 
| show-medals     = yes
| medaltemplates  = <!-- see [[Template:MedalRelatedTemplates]] -->
{{MedalCount
|[[Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]|2|1|1
|[[World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|World Championships]]|1|2|0
|[[European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|European Championships]]|3|1|1
|[[List of medalists at the UEG European Cup Final|European Cup Final]]|5|0|0
}}
{{MedalCountry | {{CIS}} ({{EUN}}) }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|60px]]
{{MedalGold|[[Gymnastics at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]]|Team}}
{{MedalGold|[[Gymnastics at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]]|All-Around}}
{{MedalSilver|[[Gymnastics at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]]|Uneven Bars}}
{{MedalBronze|[[Gymnastics at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]]|Floor Exercise}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USSR}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1991 Indianapolis]]|Team}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1991 Indianapolis]]|Uneven Bars}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1991 Indianapolis]]|Balance Beam}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[List of medalists at the UEG European Cup Final|European Cup Final]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 UEG European Cup Final|1991 Brussels]]|All-Around}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 UEG European Cup Final|1991 Brussels]]|Vault}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 UEG European Cup Final|1991 Brussels]]|Uneven Bars}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 UEG European Cup Final|1991 Brussels]]|Balance Beam}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 UEG European Cup Final|1991 Brussels]]|Floor Exercise}}
{{MedalCountry| {{UKR}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1992 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1992 Nantes]]|All-Around}}
{{MedalGold|[[1992 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1992 Nantes]]|Vault}}
{{MedalGold|[[1992 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1992 Nantes]]|Uneven Bars}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1992 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1992 Nantes]]|Balance Beam}}
{{MedalBronze|[[1992 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1992 Nantes]]|Floor Exercise}} 
}}

'''Tatiana Gutsu''', rarely '''Tetiana Hutsu''',<ref>[http://diasporiana.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/books/12761/file.pdf The 1992 Ukraine's Olympic medalists]. "Forum, a Ukrainian Review" at Diasporiana.</ref> ({{langx|uk|Тетяна Костянтинівна Ґуцу}}, {{langx|ro|Tatiana Guțu}}; born 5 September 1976, in [[Odesa]], [[Ukrainian SSR]]) is a Ukrainian former [[Artistic gymnastics|artistic gymnast]] from the [[Soviet Union]] and the winner of the all-around title in the [[1992 Summer Olympics]]. She was renowned for performing some of the most difficult routines in the sport.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/gutsy-gutsu-dazzles-to-win-all-round-gymnastics-gold|title=Gutsy Gutsu dazzles to win all-round gymnastics gold|date=2016-07-21|newspaper=International Olympic Committee|access-date=2017-02-19|language=en}}</ref> She was inducted into the [[International Gymnastics Hall of Fame]] in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ighof.com/inductees/2022_Tatiana_Gutsu.php|title=Tatiana Gutsu – International Gymnastics Hall of Fame|work=[[International Gymnastics Hall of Fame]]}}</ref>

==Career==
Born into a [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] family with [[Moldova]]n roots, Gutsu started in gymnastics at age 6. She became a member of the national team of the Soviet Union in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tatiana Gutsu |url=https://olympics.com/en/athletes/tatyana-gutsu |website=olympics.com |publisher=[[International Olympic Committee]]}}</ref> Her first major international competition was the [[1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships]] in [[Indianapolis]], where she won the team title with the Soviet Union<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/12/sports/gymnastics-soviet-and-us-teams-go-1-2-in-world-meet.html|title=Soviet and U.S. Teams Go 1-2 in World Meet|last=Janofsky|first=Michael|date=1991-09-12|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2017-02-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and finished fifth in the individual all-around,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/15/sports/gymnastics-zmeskal-driven-to-overall-success.html|title=Zmeskal Driven to Overall Success|last=Janofsky|first=Michael|date=1991-09-15|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2017-02-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> while winning silver medals in two individual apparatus finals: the uneven bars and balance beam. Her silver on beam was highly controversial because the winner, Soviet teammate [[Svetlana Boginskaya]], performed a simpler routine.

Gutsu was quickly noticed for the difficulty of her routines. She was one of the few gymnasts during the late 80s/early 90s to perform a double-twisting [[Yurchenko (vault)|Yurchenko vault]]. She also debuted a double layout somersault on floor with split legs in the first salto, a skill that few others have been able to perform. Perhaps most impressively, she ended her floor routine in the team competition with a double layout somersault.

The following year, she had a disastrous showing at the [[1992 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1992 World Championships]]. She had been expected to contend for gold on three events—uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise—but failed to reach the finals on any of them, suffering falls on both the bars and floor. However, at the European Gymnastics Championships that year, she won the all-around, vault, and uneven bars titles, as well as a silver on the balance beam. She was the most successful gymnast of the championship and established herself as one of the favorites for the Olympic all-around title.

=== 1992 Olympics ===
In the preliminary round of competition at the Olympics, Gutsu, then 15, fell from the balance beam and was ranked 9th in the all-around. She had been on course to win the optional portion of the team competition and was one of the favourites for the beam gold medal, but the fall meant she did not qualify for the beam final.

Although 36 gymnasts qualified for the all-around, only three competitors from each country were allowed in the final, and because of Gutsu's fall, three other competitors from the [[Unified Team at the Olympics|Unified Team]] placed higher in the preliminaries. However, the team coaches felt that Gutsu had a better chance of bringing home all-around gold than her teammates Boginskaya and [[Rozalia Galiyeva]]. They considered scratching Boginskaya, but felt that she was too famous and there would be a scandal. As a result, they forced Gutsu's younger teammate Galiyeva to forfeit her place in the final so that Gutsu could compete.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/31/sports/barcelona-gymnastics-gutsu-beats-miller-and-stashes-gold-in-the-vault.html|title=Gutsu Beats Miller and Stashes Gold in the Vault|last=Janofsky|first=Michael|date=1992-07-31|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2017-02-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Galiyeva was forced to claim a severe knee injury, which was "verified" by the team physician.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,976198,00.html|title=Gymnastics Ode to Joylessness|last=Smolowe|first=Jill|date=1992-08-10|newspaper=Time|access-date=2017-02-19|issn=0040-781X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/25/sports/atlanta-day-6-notebook-some-gymnastics-trickery.html|title=Some Gymnastics Trickery?|last=Clarey|first=Christopher|date=1996-07-25|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2017-02-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In one of the deepest fields ever for the all-around, Gutsu was in a close race for the gold medal. She had a few balance checks in her difficult beam routine and made an error on her double layout on floor, allowing her rivals to stay in contention with her. With one apparatus to go, Gutsu was tied for first place with [[Shannon Miller]] of the United States. Her final performance on vault (a full-twisting layout Yurchenko) was just enough to hold off Miller's challenge.<ref name=":1" /> Gutsu won the title by .012,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1992/07/31/zmeskal-steps-out-then-down-world-champion-is-tearful-10th-as-gutsu-miller-reign-barcelona-92/|title=Zmeskal steps out, then down: World champion is tearful 10th as Gutsu, Miller reign|last=Glauber|first=Bill|date=1992-07-31|newspaper=Baltimore Sun|access-date=2017-02-19|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215181510/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-07-31/sports/1992213141_1_gutsu-zmeskal-unified-team|archive-date=2017-02-15|url-status=live}}</ref> which remains the closest margin of victory ever in an Olympic all-around. She also took home medals in the team competition (gold), uneven bars (silver) and floor exercise (bronze).<ref name=":0" />

What set Gutsu apart from Miller was her difficulty.<ref name=":0" /> She was competing during the height of the "pixie" era, when the favoured type of gymnast was a small athlete capable of extreme difficulty, and Gutsu exemplified this. She performed the same vault as most other leading gymnasts (except [[Tatiana Lysenko]]), but her difficulty on the other three events was high. Her beam routine was especially notable: she competed probably the most difficult dismount sequence of all time, three [[back handspring]]s into a tucked full-in, and also performed a standing back somersault with a full twist. On floor, Gutsu opened with a split-leg double layout and closed with a piked full-in. On bars, she dismounted with a double layout. Miller showed less difficulty, particularly on the floor exercise (where she performed a whip to tucked full-in for her mount, a whip to double pike for her middle pass, and a tucked full-in for her dismount), but was impressive on beam with her back handspring to three layouts sequence, her superior form, and a stuck full-in dismount.

Galiyeva was always angry and bitter about having given up her place in the all-around to Gutsu, feeling that she had had no option but to agree. The two split the prize money between them, but they stopped speaking after the Olympics. The substitution was against the rules (as Galiyeva's injury was not genuine), but such switches were and are common in gymnastics, usually when a gymnast considered to be the best on the team makes a mistake in qualifications and thus finishes behind a teammate who is considered weaker. Other notable examples include the replacement of [[Alexandra Marinescu]] with [[Simona Amânar]] in the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Olympics]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/26/sports/atlanta-day-7-gymnastics-us-gymnasts-take-back-seat-in-all-around.html|title=U.S. Gymnasts Take Back Seat in All-Around|last=Clarey|first=Christopher|date=1996-07-26|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2017-02-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and the Soviet coaches' removal of [[Olga Mostepanova]] and [[Irina Baraksanova]] for [[Elena Shushunova]] and [[Oksana Omelianchik]] in the [[1985 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1985 World Championships]]. On both occasions, the gymnasts substituted in took a medal. Coaches now have the right to make such substitutions without having to falsify injuries.

After retiring from competitive gymnastics, Gutsu moved to the [[United States]], where she is a gymnastics coach in [[Michigan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/1393/controversial_soviet_gold_medalist_tatiana_gutsu_reflects_from_west_bloomfield#.WKkTJGQrIy4|title=Controversial Soviet Gold Medalist Tatiana Gutsu Reflects from West Bloomfield|date=2012-07-31|website=www.deadlinedetroit.com|access-date=2017-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219171936/http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/1393/controversial_soviet_gold_medalist_tatiana_gutsu_reflects_from_west_bloomfield#.WKkTJGQrIy4|archive-date=2017-02-19|url-status=dead}}</ref> She tried for a comeback to compete at the [[2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships]] as a three-event specialist (vault, beam, and floor), but was unsuccessful.

== Alleged rape ==
In October 2017, she accused former Soviet ([[Belarus]]ian) gymnast [[Vitaly Scherbo]] of raping her when she was 15.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/10/17/former-soviet-gymnast-tatiana-gutsu-accuses-fellow-olympic-gold-medalist-of-rape/|title=Amid #MeToo, former Soviet gymnast Tatiana Gutsu accuses fellow Olympic gold medalist of rape|last=Flaherty|first=Bryan|date=2017-10-17|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2017-10-19|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

==Competitive history==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%;"
|-
! align=center | Year
! align=center | Event
! style="width:30px;" | Team
! style="width:30px;" | AA
! style="width:30px;" | [[Gymnastics vault|VT]]
! style="width:30px;" | [[Gymnastics uneven bars|UB]]
! style="width:30px;" | [[Gymnastics balance beam|BB]]
! style="width:30px;" | [[Gymnastics floor|FX]]
|-
! colspan="8" | Junior
|-
| rowspan="1" | '''1986''' || align=left | CA-VMD Junior Championship || || {{bronze3}} || || || ||
|-
| rowspan="1" | '''1987''' || align=left | Sdushor Championships || || {{gold1}} || || || ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | '''1988''' || align=left | SKA Championships || || {{gold1}} || || || ||
|-
| align=left | Ukrainian Championships || || {{gold1}} || || || ||
|-
| align=left | URS-GDR Dual Meet || || {{bronze3}} || || || ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''1989''' || align=left | Druzhba || || 4 || || || ||
|-
| align=left | URS National Championships || || {{silver2}} || {{silver2}} || {{gold1}} || || {{gold1}}
|-
| rowspan="9" | '''1990''' || align=left | Blume Memorial || || {{bronze3}} || || || ||
|-
| align=left | USSR vs The World || || 8 || || || ||
|-
| align=left | Moscow News/World Stars || || 9 || || || ||
|-
| align=left | USSR Cup || || {{silver2}} || || || ||
|-
| align=left | World Sports Fair || || 4 || || || ||
|-
| align=left | URS-USA Dual Meet || || 4 || || || ||
|-
| align=left | USSR Championships || || 4 || || || ||
|-
| align=left | Junior USSR Championships || || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}}
|- bgcolor=#F5F6CE
| align=left | [[European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|Junior European Championships]] || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}}
|-
! colspan="8" | Senior
|-
| rowspan="11" | '''1991''' || align=left | Moscow News/World Stars || || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{silver2}} || {{silver2}}
|-
| align=left | Hungarian International || || {{silver2}} || {{silver2}} || || {{silver2}} ||
|-
| align=left | USSR Cup || || || {{silver2}} || || 4 || {{silver2}}
|-
| align=left | DTB Cup || || {{silver2}} || || || ||
|-
| align=left | Coca-Cola International || || {{gold1}} || || || ||
|-
| align=left | Rome Grand Prix || || {{bronze3}} || || || ||
|-
| align=left | Grand Prix Finals (Torino) || || || {{silver2}} || || || {{gold1}}
|-
| align=left | URS-ITA Dual Meet || || {{bronze3}} || || || ||
|-
| align=left | URS-ESP Dual Meet || || {{gold1}} || || || ||
|-
| align=left | USSR Championships || || {{gold1}} || 4 || {{bronze3}} || 4 || {{silver2}}
|- bgcolor=#CCCCFF 
| align=left|[[1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|World Championships]] || {{gold1}} || 5 || || {{silver2}} || {{silver2}} || 
|-
| rowspan="8" | '''1992''' || align=left | CIS Cup || {{silver2}} || {{gold1}} || || || ||
|-
| align=left | Moscow News/World Stars || || {{gold1}} || {{silver2}} || {{gold1}} || {{bronze3}} || {{gold1}}
|-
| align=left | CIS Championships || || 6 || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{silver2}}
|- bgcolor=#F5F6CE
| align=left|[[1992 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|European Championships]] {{flagicon|UKR}} || || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || {{silver2}} || {{bronze3}}
|-
| align=left | Imperial Casino || || || {{silver2}} || || {{silver2}} ||
|-
| align=left | DTB Cup || || 5 || || || ||
|-
| align=left | Gander Memorial || || 5 || || || ||
|-bgcolor=98FB98
| align=left | '''[[Gymnastics at the 1992 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]''' {{flagicon|CIS}} || {{gold1}} || {{gold1}} || || {{silver2}} || || {{bronze3}}
|}

== International scores ==
=== CIS ===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year
! Competition Description
! Location
! Apparatus
! Rank-Final
! Score-Final
! Rank-Qualifying
! Score-Qualifying
|-
|-
| rowspan=14 | 1992
|bgcolor=98FB98 rowspan=6 | '''Olympic Games'''
|bgcolor=98FB98 rowspan=6 | '''Barcelona'''
| Team
| bgcolor=gold | '''1'''
| 395.666
| 
| 
|-
| All-Around
| bgcolor=gold | '''1'''
| 39.737
| 9
| 78.848
|-
| Vault
| 
| 
| 9
| 19.787
|-
| Uneven Bars
| bgcolor=silver | 2
| 9.975
| 1
| 19.899
|-
| Balance Beam
| 
| 
| 37
| 19.312
|-
| Floor Exercise
| bgcolor=cc9966 | 3
| 9.912
| 5
| 19.850
|-
| bgcolor=#CCCCFF rowspan=3 | World Championships
| bgcolor=#CCCCFF rowspan=3 | Paris
| Balance Beam
| WD
| 
| 
| 
|-
| Balance Beam (Semi−Final)
| 
| 
| 3
| 9.875
|-
| Balance Beam (Qualification)
| 
| 
| 1
| 9.937
|-
| bgcolor=#F5F6CE rowspan=5 | European Championships
| bgcolor=#F5F6CE rowspan=5 | Nantes
| All-Around
| bgcolor=gold | 1
| 39.725
| 
| 
|-
| Vault
| bgcolor=gold | 1
| 9.950
| 4
| 9.900
|-
| Uneven Bars
| bgcolor=gold | 1
| 9.937
| 1
| 9.950
|-
| Balance Beam
| bgcolor=silver | 2
| 9.900
| 2
| 9.925
|-
| Floor Exercise
| bgcolor=cc9966 | 3
| 9.887
| 1
| 9.950
|-
|}

===Soviet Union===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year
! Competition Description
! Location
! Apparatus
! Rank-Final
! Score-Final
! Rank-Qualifying
! Score-Qualifying
|-
| rowspan=6 | 1991
| bgcolor=#CCCCFF rowspan=6 | World Championships
| bgcolor=#CCCCFF rowspan=6 | Indianapolis
| Team
| bgcolor=gold | 1
| 396.055
| 
| 
|-
| All-Around
| 5
| 39.636
| 3
| 79.298
|-
| Vault
| 
| 
| 7
| 19.750
|-
| Uneven Bars
| bgcolor=silver | 2
| 9.950
| 3
| 19.875
|-
| Balance Beam
| bgcolor=silver | 2
| 9.950
| 5
| 19.849
|-
| Floor Exercise
| 
| 
| 6
| 19.824
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{FIG|bio=23555|lic=556|name=Tatiana Gutsu}}
*{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514182758/http://www.gymn.ca/gymnasticgreats/wag/gutsu.htm |title=Whatever happened to Tatiana Gutsu? }}
*{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070409154008/http://www.all-things-tatiana.co.uk/ |title=All Things Tatiana - A tribute website to Tatiana Gutsu }}
*[http://www.myfoxcleveland.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=5587244&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1 2008 Video of Gutsu coaching in the US]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Olympic champions artistic gymnastics Women TC|1992}}
{{Footer olympic champions individual all-round women}}
{{NavigationWorldChampionsArtisticGymnasticsWomenTC|1991}}
{{Footer European Artistic Gymnastics All-Around Champions (Women)}}
{{Footer European Artistic Gymnastics Vault Champions (Women)}}
{{Footer European Artistic Gymnastics Uneven Bars Champions (Women)}}
{{International Gymnastics Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gutsu, Tatiana}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Gymnasts at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Soviet female artistic gymnasts]]
[[Category:Ukrainian female artistic gymnasts]]
[[Category:Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships]]
[[Category:Ukrainian people of Moldovan descent]]
[[Category:Gymnasts from Odesa]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in gymnastics]]
[[Category:Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:European champions in gymnastics]]