User:Chevalierdurufle/Mikhail Klimenko

Mikhail Klimenko (born 1942) was a gymnast and gymnastics coach. He was the USSR juniors champion in 1959.

Coaching Career
Klimenko took up coaching after injury forced his retirement from competition. He coached his younger brother Viktor Klimenko to success in the 1972 Olympics where he took gold on pommel horse. In 1977 Klimenko teamed up with Elena Mukhina who became World Champion in 1978. It was whilst under Klimenko's instruction that Mukhina suffered severe injury whilst training for the 1980 Olympics.

In 1989 Klimenko moved to Milan, Italy where he continued to coach womens' gymnastics until his death from cancer in November 1987.