Olga Korbut

1.

Olga Korbut

2.

Olga K orbut is a former S oviet
gymnast known for her extraordinary
talent and innovation in the sport of
gymnastics. S he made a significant
impact on the artistic side of
gymnastics and changed the sport
forever.

3.

Korbut was born in Grodno
to Valentin and Valentina
Korbut. She started training
at age 8 and entered a
Belarusian sports school
headed by coach Renald
Knysh at age 9.

4.

She got the fifth place at her
first competition in the 1969
USSR championships, where
she was allowed to compete
as a 14-year-old. The next
year, she won a gold medal in
the vault. Due to illness and
injury, she was unable to
compete in many of the
competitions before the 1972
Summer Olympics.

5.

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in
Munich, Korbut made a historic
performance on uneven bars with
"Korbut Flip", which not only
impressed the judges, but also
caused a flurry of enthusiastic
responses from the audience and the
press.
Korbut's 1972 Olympic performances are
widely credited as redefining gymnastics,
changing the sport from emphasising
ballet and elegance to acrobatics, as well
as changing gymnastics from a niche
sport to one of the most popular sports
in the world.

6.

Korbut retired from gymnastics in 1977
at the age of 22, but her influence and
legacy in gymnastics were far-reaching.
She emigrated to the United States in
1991, where she lives and trains
gymnasts, and became a citizen in
2000.