The fabulous Fabrichnova

Fabrichnova is my favourite Russian from the 1990's. I have absolutely no time for Khorkina, and found Kotchetkova to be clean with great skills but fairly dull to watch for some reason. Laregly overshadowed by both, Oksana is best known for introducing the double double bars dismount, named after her. It is one of the two hardest bars dismounts and still carries a high tariff and was performed by both Viktoria Komova and Beth Tweddle in London. She was also a great floor worker with an odd style and hard tumbles, and a fabulous beam worker. Vault was not her strongest point and she generally had issues with sticking landings, but she always had amazing form in the air. Unfortunately, she peaked in 1993 and struggled with injury and growth spurts thereafter. She did win several medals for bars and beam throughout her career, but her highest accolade is probably finishing 5th in the AA in 1993 worlds, the highest place for a Russian. Although she was in contention for the 1996 Russian team, she was not in a fit state to compete at that point. She travelled with a circus for years before turning to coaching at her old club in Moscow, Dinamo. Oksana wins bonus points for always wearing some of the worst 90's leotards seen in that decade..and it was a very fugly time for leotards. Nostalgic love for the 1993 one though.

Here she is on bars.

Great form, and the dismount is of course spectacular.

BHS-LOSO-LOSO-LOSO is the famous acro line done by Dawes and Miller but Fabrichnova's is far superior to me. Great move onto her back too, called the cradle. Total and utter confidence in her mount, tough acro line, perfect form and a very hard dismount!

Love her quirky style here, her Soviet balletic training showing through nicely. Great extension and form, again. That double tuck is pretty cowboyed, but love the rest.

Never had a great landing on either of her vaults, but they are both very tidy in the air.

So many under-rated gymnasts!