Gymn Forum: Nina Dronova Biography

Nina Dronova (USSR)

1971 and 1974 Chunichi Cup AA Champion
1974 World Team Gold Medalist

Dronova (left) and Turischeva are interviewed after the 1971 Chunichi Cup.

Medal Total

World Championships: 1 Gold

Dronova was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1958. When she was 7, she was accepted into the gymnastics section at Gantiadi Tbilisi. Eight months later, her father died, leaving a young wife to care for 3 daughters. Nina's coaches, Sergo Burdzhanadze and V. Klimova, became her second parents. In 1969, they took her to Moscow to watch the gymnastics competitions at the IV Spartakiade. When she got back to Tbilisi, she taught herself the Burda twirl on UB.

She became a master of sport at age 11, and a year later she was included in a "top 10" list of Georgian athletes. She also appeared briefly in the documentary film "Sport, Sport, Sport." In 1971, she won 5 gold medals (and scored a 10 on FX) at the USSR Jr. Spartakiade. Her AA total of 38.95 beat the AA score of Tamara Lazakovich, winner of the USSR Sr. Spartakiade, by more than two-tenths. She wrapped up 1971 by winning the Druzhba competition and the Chunichi Cup.

Originally slated to compete at the 1972 Olympics, Nina suddenly became the alternate after she contracted a serious case of food poisoning at the final training camp in Moscow a few days before the start of the Games. She was a member of the gold-medal Soviet team at the 1974 Worlds, and won the Chunichi Cup and Champions All meets that year, as well. She competed domestically in 1976 but was never a contender for Montreal.

After leaving competitive gymnastics, Dronova graduated from the Tbilisi Institute of Physical Culture, and became a coach and choreographer. She still lives in Tbilisi with her husband, Gennday Dzhamaspishvili. Their daughter, Natasha, is a doctor in Tbilisi.

Competition Results

1967
Schoolchildren's Spartakiade: 1st AA

1970
All-Union Junior Competition: 1st UB
All-Union Youth Championships: 2nd AA, 1st V, 1st UB, 1st FX
Georgian SSR-HUN Dual Meet: 1st Team, 1st AA,
Jr. Friendship Tournament (Druzhba): 1st Team, 4th AA, 1st UB, 6th FX
Specialized Sports Schools Championships: 1st AA

1971
Chunichi Cup: 1st AA
Georgian SSR-HUN Dual Meet: 1st Team, 1st AA
JPN-URS Dual Meet: 1st Team, 3rd AA, 1st V, 2nd UB, 2nd FX
Jr. Friendship Tournament (Druzhba): 1st Team, 1st AA, 1st UB, 1st B, 1st FX, 2nd V
Jr. USSR Spartakiade: 1st AA, 1st V, 1st UB, 1st B, 1st FX
Riga International: 5th AA, 1st UB, 1st FX, 2nd V

1972
Chunichi Cup: 2nd AA
HUN-Georgian SSR Dual Meet: 1st Team, 3rd AA, 1st V, 2nd FX, 3rd B
Jr. Friendship Tournament (Druzhba): 1st Team, 1st AA, 1st UB, 1st B, 1st FX, 2nd V

1973
All-Union Youth Sports Games: 2nd AA, 1st V, 3rd B
Jr. Friendship Tournament (Druzhba): 1st Team, 1st FX, 3rd V, 5th B
USSR Championships: 2nd B, 3rd FX, 6th V
USSR Cup: 6th AA

1974
Champions All: 1st AA
Chunichi Cup: 1st AA
USSR Championships: 4th UB, 6th V
USSR Cup: 5th AA
World Championships: 1st Team, 7th AA, 4th B, 5th FX

1975
Riga International: 1st AA, 1st V, 1st UB, 2nd B, 2nd FX
USSR-GDR Dual Meet: 1st Team, 3rd AA
World Cup: 7th AA, 4th B, 6th UB, 6th FX

1976
All-Union Summer Student Games: 2nd AA
Georgian SSR Cup: 1st AA
USSR Championships: 7th AA, 4th UB
USSR Cup: 10th AA