Rhythmic gymnastics coach and Olympic judge

ANNE Talintyre was a PE teacher who was among the group of enthusiasts who brought rhythmic gymnastics to the UK from Germany.

She was then instrumental in raising it to its status as an Olympic event.

As a coach, she showed an exceptional ability to motivate those who came to her for training, and such was her reputation that she was enrolled to be a judge at international events

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Anne, who has died aged 79, was brought up in Darlington, but it was in Leeds where she was to play a pivotal role in transforming rhythmic gymnastics into a competitive sport.

Her contribution resulted in invitations to judge at European, Commonwealth, World and Olympic events.

During her coaching career she was based at Horsforth, near Leeds, but it was at Thorseby High School in the city where it all began in the late 1950s when she joined the staff as a PE teacher.

She moved to the Leeds Athletic Institute in 1964, coaching there for the next 24 years.

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In that period, she taught rhythmic gymnastics to various future internationals who went on to compete at major tournaments.

She also coached TV presenter Gabby Logan, daughter of Leeds United midfielder Terry Yorath, who represented Wales before injury forced her to give up the sport at the age of 17.

Anne began judging internationally at the 1975 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Madrid.

She made major contributions to the development of a sport which was included in the Olympic Games for the first time in Los Angeles in 1984, where she was also present.

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Her last appearance as a judge was at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, before retiring to care for her mother.

She moved to Manchester in 1995 where she spent the remainder of her retirement.

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