Olga Korbut won the hearts of millions with her gymnastics skills at the 1972 Olympics.
What happened at the 1972 Olympics?
Olga Korbut qualified as an alternate but replaced an injured teammate, catapulting her into competition.
She emerged as a star during the team events, becoming the first person to complete a backward somersault on the uneven parallel bars.
Her score helped the Soviet Union win the gold medal in the team competition.
Why did Olga Korbut struggle in the all-around individual competition?
Olga Korbut was favored to upset teammate Lyudmila Turishcheva but disaster struck on the uneven bars.
She scuffed her feet on the mat, slipped off the bars, and botched her remount, scoring a mere 7.5.
This effectively eliminated her from the race for the all-around gold.
What was Olga Korbut's emotional response to her struggles?
Olga Korbut wept uncontrollably as she sat hunched over on the Soviet team's bench.
This scene was constantly replayed on television for days to come.
How did Olga Korbut recover from her struggles?
The next day, Olga Korbut won gold medals for her performance on the balance beam and in the floor exercise.
She also took a silver medal for the uneven parallel bars.
Olga Korbut's magical smile returned, and her emotional roller coaster epitomized the drama of the Games.
Olga Korbut won a team gold medal again at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
She picked up a silver medal for the balance beam and retired in 1977.
Olga Korbut became an idol in the United States and was invited to the White House in 1973.
Pres. Richard Nixon told her that she did more for reducing the political tension during the Cold War than the embassies were able to do in five years.