Olga Korbut: The Sparrow from Minsk

Korbut was a Soviet gymnast who made a splash at the 1972 Munich Olympics when she took home three gold medals and a silver medal. Diminutive and charismatic, she was the first person ever to do a backward aerial somersault on the balance beam and the first to perform a backward release move on the uneven parallel bars. She greatly increased the popularity of gymnastics and influenced the sport’s turn toward a more athletic, powerful style. What two gymnastics moves did Korbut invent? Discuss

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