10. August 2005  
Kiev / Ukraine  
Artistic Gymnastics

Madonna, the Russian Birch has gone...

Polina Astakhova passed away
With great sadness the Ukrainian gymnastics family feels sorrow Polina ASTAKHOVA's death, August 5.

The three-times Soviet Olympic gold medallist of artistic gymnastics - her nickname in the Fifties was "The Russian Birch", passed away at age 69 in the Ukraine capital Kiev, where the former world star lived the last years...

Polina Astachowa, 2002, as a Member of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame