Background
Lazakovich, Tamara was born on March 11, 1954 in Kaliningradskaia Oblast’.
Lazakovich, Tamara was born on March 11, 1954 in Kaliningradskaia Oblast’.
Graduated from the Vitebsk High School of Physical Culture, 1974.
She showed promise early on, winning many gold and silver medals at the 1968 and 1969 Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Junior Championships. A low score of 8.00 on the balance beam during the compulsory segment of the team competition dropped her down to 21st place in the all-around, the lowest ranked of the Soviet team In the 1971 Europeans, Lazakovich tied her teammate, European, World, and Olympic All-Around Champion Ludmilla Tourischeva for the European All-Around title.
In addition to being co-champions in the all-around, she or Tourischeva occupied the gold and silver positions on the podium on all 5 individual events, keeping German Erika Zuchold in 3rd place on 4 out of 5 of them.
The next year, at the 1972 Olympics where Tourischeva dominated the all-around and Soviet teammate Olga Korbut stole the crowd"s and media"s attention with her daring moves and charismatic personality, Lazakovich quietly worked her way onto the individual podium three times, winning the bronze medal in the individual all-around and floor exercise, plus winning silver on the balance beam. However, Korbut performed her beam routine without mishap, scoring 9.90 for the gold.
Lazakovich winning silver. Her four-event total of 38.25 was the highest of any gymnast in the team compulsories segment of the competition.
She suddenly retired after the 1972 Olympics.
She then worked as a gymnastics coach in Vitebsk and died aged 38.