Special Gymnastics Memories: The Korbut Flip

In the run-up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games, we at The Zone have picked a number of key moments that we think deserve to be highlighted as some of the most amazing gymnastics achievements in international competition over the last few decades. Share your favourite memories with us on our Facebook page In 1972, gymnastics was given a breath of fresh air, flying on the wings of “the Sparrow from Minsk”, in a moment that would change gymnastics for the next half century! That Backflip: Olga Korbut wows crowds with her innovative daring (above). Stepping up to the uneven bars, crowds at the 1972 Olympics expected a typically strong but unemotional performance from the young Soviet gymnast. However, only seconds into her routine, Olga Korbut did the unthinkable, she stood upright on the high bar before leaping into a mighty backflip, grabbing onto the bar on her way down and continuing her routine! The Munich crowd could not contain itself! An American commentator even remarked “this is a historic performance you are watching right now in gymnastics”, which in the middle of the Cold War was a big compliment! Probably the best thing about Olga’s routine that day was the impact it had on gymnastics, which transformed it into the sport that we know and love today! The power of Olga’s backflip inspired gymnasts to change the sport into one of acrobatics and daring rather than monotonous elegance. That is the reason why we have loved to watch the impressive routines of gymnasts like Beth Tweddle and Nadia Commeneci over the years! Sadly though, we no longer have the chance to see today’s gymnasts perform the famous backflip since it was subsequently banned for being too dangerous. Although this is a shame, it quite possibly makes Olga Korbut’s legacy even more enduring.