Olga Korbut: The Gymnastics Icon Who Defied Gravity

She is single-handedly responsible for the frenzied explosion in popularity and growth that has defined gymnastics since she marched out from behind the Iron Curtain in 1972 to kick it into an entirely different stratosphere! Olga Korbut (born May 16, 1955, Grodno, Belorussia, U.S.S.R. [now Hrodna, Belarus]) is a Soviet gymnast who won three gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games in. Forty years ago, at the Munich Olympics, Olga Korbut became the first female pixie star of women's gymnastics. With a slight build and yarn-tied pigtails that belied her 17 years,. Here are five women who have done exactly that in gymnastics. At the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, 17-year-old Olga Korbut captivated the world with her daring acrobatics. Olga Korbut is one of the greatest gymnasts the Olympics has ever seen -- not just for her medal haul, but for her enduring legacy within the sport. Her ground-breaking performances at the...

Olga Korbut is one of the greatest gymnasts the Olympics has ever seen -- not just for her medal haul, but for her enduring legacy within the sport. Her ground-breaking performances at the... Olga Korbut (born May 16, 1955, Grodno, Belorussia, U.S.S.R. [now Hrodna, Belarus]) is a Soviet gymnast who won three gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games in. I’ve been really struck by Olga Korbut while watching Defying Gravity. While I’m an obsessive consumer of current gymnastics news, I don’t have as much historical knowledge, so I knew her by name only. Here are five women who have done exactly that in gymnastics. At the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, 17-year-old Olga Korbut captivated the world with her daring acrobatics. She is single-handedly responsible for the frenzied explosion in popularity and growth that has defined gymnastics since she marched out from behind the Iron Curtain in 1972 to kick it into an entirely different stratosphere!