Exceptional Gay Moment: Svetlana Boginskaya's '92 Floor Routine

Svetlana Boginskaya was unquestionably the most celebrated gymnast of her day.  Unfortunately, she suffered the distinction of being at her personal peak between Olympic Games.  By 1992, the Belorussian Swan had been through hell and back to make her second Olympic Team.  After a narrow (and bullshit) loss to Kim Zmeskal at the 1991 World Championships, an ankle injury kept Bogi from being at her best in Barcelona.

Floor Exercise was always Bogi's signature event.  Though she didn't have the most difficult tumbling by '92, her expression, passion and performance made up for it.  Her '92 routine was not as wildly popular as its predecessors, but it retained all of the style, class, flair and attitude that was her hallmark.  It is a routine that has grown on me over the years,  Early on, it just didn't stand out.  It was sad to see Bogi not in fighting form.  Now, I notice the subtleties of the routine.  The rib isolations and neck/head movements are brilliantly captivating.  The climax of the routine occurs before the third pass when she looks to the right, above and then to the left.  It is a total' OHHH GURLLL WORKKKK' moment.


In many ways, I blame Bogi for my being such a temperamental queen.  Imagine anyone else trying to pull off this routine.  This level of bitchface will never be forgotten.