About Bilozerchev (from an article in 1983)
This page is dedicated to one of the most talented gymnasts of all time, Dimitri Bilozerchev, who, because of a Soviet boycott of the 1984 Olympics, missed his chance to win the all-around gold. Bilozerchev had won the World Championships the year before at just 16 years of age with what was called "a rash of ten's", something nearly unheard of in men's gymnastics. Bilozerchev seemed poised to win at the Los Angeles games, but instead had to settle for all-around gold at Olomouc, site of the alternative 1984 games.
Then in 1985, just a few weeks short of the 1985 world championships, Dimitri was in an automobile accident that shattered his leg. Bilozerchev almost lost his leg and underwent surgery and a lot of recuperation, ignoring critics who advised him to give up the sport. He returned to the worlds in 1987 and won the all-around plus several individual medals, and then went on to win the bronze in the all-around and individual gold medals in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
Bilozerchev's best events prior to 1985 were arguably the pommel horse, with his long elegant lines and superior flexibility that set a standard for future gymnasts, and the high bar, with his breathtakingly perfect double full-in back-out dismount. His floor was also picture perfect, with usually no movement on landings, and his parallel bars showed the same spectacular form and flexibility as his pommel horse routine, but Dimitri had no weak event, and after 1985, with so much time off putting any weight on his legs, he became an outstanding ringsman, landing his double layout dismount admirably, despite the injury that had nearly finished his career.
Today, Dimitri is one of a long line of remarkable Russian coaches, continuing the legacy of the Soviet greats of which he was a shining star.
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