Ellen Berger (1920/1921 – 16 April 1997) was an East German artistic gymnast, coach and International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) judge.[1]
Ellen Berger | |
|---|---|
 Berger performing at the 1950 East German Championships | |
| Born | c. 1920–1921 |
| Died | 16 April 1997 (age 76) |
| Nationality |  East Germany |
| Occupations |
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Career
editBerger began her career as an artistic gymnast in Leipzig, ending her active career in 1951.[1][2] In 1953, she became the East Germany women's national artistic gymnastics team coach, a post she held until 1976.[2] Among others, she coached world and Olympic champion Karin Büttner-Janz and world champion Erika Zuchold.[2] In 1968, she was elected to the Technical Committee of the FIG, and became President of the Committee in 1976.[1]
Berger is known for being associated with multiple controversial scoring instances at the Olympic Games. In the 1980 Games, she ruled that a British judge, Helen Thomas, had accidentally awarded Nadia Comaneci a 9.5 in the women's floor event instead of a 10 by pressing the wrong button.[3] A British official denied this, stating the score had been changed following a Romanian team protest.[3] Comaneci's 10 allowed her to win the joint gold.[3] In the women's all-around, Berger entered Comaneci's balance beam score as a 9.85 after thirty minutes of debate, overruling the Romanian head beam judge, Maria Simionescu, who had refused to do so.[4] This result put Comaneci into joint second place.[4]
In 1988, Berger infamously deducted the United States half a point in the women's team event after alternate Rhonda Faehn had stayed on the podium during the compulsory uneven bars routine of Kelly Garrison-Steves, violating an obscure rule.[5] The deduction sent the United States into fourth place behind East Germany, with United States coach Béla Károlyi claiming that it was politically motivated and accusing Berger of cheating.[5][6] FIG President Yuri Titov upheld Berger's call.[5][7] Former United States coach Don Peters speculated that Berger may have been seeking retaliation against Károlyi for an incident in the 1984 women's all-around event.[8] Károlyi (then not a team coach) broke the rules by jumping the press barricade twice to greet Mary Lou Retton after a routine, but faced with a raucous American crowd, Berger backed down from imposing a penalty that would have cost Retton the gold.[8]
Berger resigned from the FIG in 1992, and died in 1997 of a heart attack at the age of 76.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Ellen Berger gestorben". nd-aktuell.de (in German). 1997-04-19. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
- ^ a b c "Ellen Berger Watches With Eagle Eyes". Neue Zeit. 1978-08-01. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
- ^ a b c Burnton, Simon (2011-12-14). "50 stunning Olympic moments No5: Nadia Comaneci scores a perfect 10". the Guardian. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
- ^ a b Cervin, Georgia (2017). A Balance of Power: Women's Artistic Gymnastics During the Cold War and Its Aftermath (PDF). University of Western Australia. p. 234. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
- ^ a b c Janofsky, Michael (1988-09-20). "THE SEOUL OLYMPICS: Gymnastics; Karolyi Cries Foul as U.S. Slips Into 4th". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
- ^ Brennan, Christine (1991-09-13). "U.S. MEDAL STANDS WORLD ON HEAD". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
- ^ Swift, E.M. (1988-10-03). "HOW PERFECT CAN YOU BE?". Sports Illustrated Vault. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
- ^ a b Hudson, Maryann (1988-09-21). "THE SEOUL GAMES / DAY 5 : Karolyi Angered Gym Official in '84, Peters Says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-06-22.