Background
Muratova"s childhood passed in Leningrad during the Siege, her mother died there.
Muratova"s childhood passed in Leningrad during the Siege, her mother died there.
In 1941 Muratova was evacuated from the city, but due to the war, she had not the ability to go to school regularly. Meanwhile, going in for sports became dominant in her life from the very beginning. She began artistic gymnastics in 1943, entering a children"s sports school, and just three months later she competed in the Russian SFSR Championships for girls.
In 1944 Muratova went to Moscow, where she continued training sessions at the Young Pioneers Stadium.
Her trainer was Igor Zhuravlev. At the same time, she was sometimes fatally unlucky in the major international events.
Muratova missed the 1952 Summer Olympics due to injury, but one of the most disappointing was her injury at the 1954 World Championships in Artistic Gymnastics. She debuted at the 1956 Summer Olympics, winning the Team gold and two bronze medals in the all-around and on the uneven bars.
Injuries haunted her on the way to the 1960 Summer Olympics, and many people didn"t believe her participation there.
She presented her gold medal to Zoya Mironova as a token of gratitude. Sofia Muratova finished her competitive career in 1965 and worked as a coach for 34 years. She was awarded Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1957.