Glos Pracy. August 9, 1978. Since 1973, Lucja Matraszek has claimed the title of Polish champion five times. In 1974, she had to settle for second place. And yet, Helena Rakoczy - widely regarded as our finest gymnast - was a six-time national champion.
Q: Lucja, at the Munich Olympics, you received a score of 9.5 for your routine on the uneven bars: today - taking into account the progress made in this discipline - you would receive a 9.8. You were the first person in the world to successfully execute two specific elements of the routine. Prior to Montreal, you were already capable of performing the very same dismount for which Nadia Comaneci was awarded a perfect 10. You were also the first in the country to successfully execute twenty different elements. It's a pity that you were not sent to the Olympic Games in Montreal. The world championships are coming up in France this October. How do you envision your performance there?
A: My plans are modest. I aim to make the finals on several apparatuses and to place within the top fifteen in the all-around competition. Knock on wood!
Q: Alright - let's knock on wood, just so we don't jinx it. But why do you see yourself so far down in the rankings?
A: It's always the case that those who are absent lose their standing and their oppportunities. And I suppose there is some truth to that, considering people say I'm unlucky. I've never competed at a major event at full strength - whether it was an injury that hadn't fully healed, or a lack of proper physical recovery. And, of course, the equipment back home was somewhat archaic. Fortunately, a great deal has already changed in our sport of gymnastics.
Q: And what are your plans regarding the Moscow Games?
A: My performance at the world championships will provide half the answers. At the Olympics, the routines that proved successful at the world championships are the ones that count - and vice versa. When I competed in Munich, I was still too inexperienced as an athlete. In 1974, at the world championships, nerves and bad luck got the better of me; as for the Montreal Games, I didn't compete at all. The fact that I was invited to Canada a month after the Olympics - and that I subsequently defeated the Olympic bronze medalist, Teodora Ungureanu - or that the FIG extended a personal invitation for me to join nine of the world's top gymnasts on an extensive tour of Brazil...all of this served merely to dry the tears of a disappointed young girl; it was not true compensation for a gymnast. I went back to work with a renewed determination, and I am now training at the Olympic Preparation Center in Olsztyn. I train seven hours a day, performing several full routines on each apparatus during every session.
Q: Who do you fear most at the world championships?
A: The Soviet competitors, the Americans. The Romanians should be strong contenders as well. Due to our absence in Montreal, the Polish gymnasts carry less weight with the judges than their foreign rivals. It's no secret how things stand regarding the officiating in this sport...
Q: And what is the level of your domestic rivals?
A: The next generation is slowly emerging. For instance, Anita Jokiel form Slavia Ruda Slaska shows great promise, and there are several young competitors at Stomil Olsztyn. Then there is Beata Milewska - probably my most formidable rival right now - who has been competing in the master class for barely a year and a half. but I won't go down without a fight...
J. BRYL