1988 Olympic champion Yelena Shushunova dies at 49

Elena Shushunova, a Soviet gymnast who won the women’s all-around gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, has died. She was 49.

Shushunova was one of only five women to have won the gymnastics “Grand slam” of continental, world and Olympic all-around titles.

She won five European, five world and two Olympic gold medals. Her total medal tally was 22.

Her most famous victory came at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where going into the final rotation Shushunova needed a perfect 10 on vault to beat Romanian rival Daniela Silivas. And that was exactly what she did – to win the all-round gold by only 0.025 points.

Shushunova also won gold in the team event, silver on the balance beam and bronze on the uneven bars.

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