What success did the Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut and why decided to renounce everything

She was admired throughout the USSR and even beyond. She was the most fearless gymnast of her time. Today, the stunts she performed are banned from the Olympics. Every young gymnast wanted to be as talented. Olga Korbut is a strong spirit and will, stubborn and very purposeful gymnast of the Soviet Union.

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Instagram Today editorial office "Site" He will tell you about her and her fate.

When the fourth girl was born in 1955 in the family of a cook and engineer, no one could think that a real star was born. The family lived in a small apartment in the Belarusian city of Grodno. All her childhood Olya spent in the yard, learned to defend their rights and just survived. She did not have a special craving for knowledge, they even wanted to send her to a school for mentally retarded children. But Oli had one fascination that she was only thinking about. It was gymnastics. The girl studied in the school section from the second grade. Although for a successful career, she took up this sport very late. But only her persistence yielded fruit.



Instagram's first attempt to enter the DJUSS failed. Ole was refused due to excess weight. It took Ole a year and a half to get the result. When she came to school for the second time, she was immediately noticed by Olympic champion Elena Volchetskaya. Elena trained Olga for a year. After that, the young gymnast was in the group of Honored Coach of the USSR Renald Knysh. Having assessed all the sports characteristics of the girl, as well as her combat character and willpower, Renald decided that Olga was fully suited to perform new complex tricks.



Instagram Knysh was known for his innovative approach to gymnastics. He came up with new tricks and elements, many of which were first performed by Olga. They had a difficult relationship with the coach. Frequent scandals and disputes, but they always achieved their goal. Unique trick "loop Korbut" today is forbidden to perform, but it could perform only Olga. It was in her honor that this trick was named. 9 years after his performance, gymnast Elena Mukhina was able to repeat and even improve it. But for her, the Mukhina noose became tragic. Olga performed her trick easily, and it seemed that everything was happening somehow unrealistic.



When Olga was 14 years old, her first serious competition took place - the youth tournament "Olympic Hopes". Then she performed one of the most difficult elements in gymnastics, “flip on a log”. It was a success, and then the whole Union talked about Olga. Coach Renald Knysh added more and more complex elements to Olga’s program. He persistently prepared her for the Olympic Games and the gold medal.



In 1972, the Olympic Games were held in Munich. As part of the USSR national team, two of the strongest gymnasts of that time - Korbut and Turishcheva. They were completely different athletes in the technique of performance. But it was then that Korbut made a gross mistake on the bars. She didn't even make the prize-winner. The gold went to Turishcheva. This failure only added to Olga’s perseverance, and in subsequent performances she received three gold medals and one silver. And it was then that Olga got the love of all America.



In 1973, Olga as part of the entire team was invited to tour in America. In every city where the performance took place, there was a real sold-out. Tickets were sold out at an incredible speed. Everyone wanted to see the famous gymnast. Then Olga had an acquaintance with American President Richard Nixon. All he could say was, "You're so small." Olga was really very miniature, with a height of 152 cm she weighed 38 kg. And at the same time, it performed the most complex elements, as if fluttering like a butterfly.



Olga’s personal life was very popular, and her relationship with her coach was getting worse. It was said that the girl began to develop star disease. Knysh accused her of alcoholism and lies. For the new Olympic Games Olga has already prepared another coach – Olga Alekseeva. The second great victory in 1976 did not happen, and Olga earned only one gold medal. But it was also popular in America. In the same year, Olga met her future husband, the soloist of the group “Pesnyary” Leonid Bortkevich. At the time of their acquaintance, Leonid was married, but a year later Leonid decided to marry Olga.



After getting married, Olga received a higher education, dreamed of working as a coach. But the loss of the party ticket put an end to her further coaching career. The pension of the Olympic champion was negligible, and the couple decides to emigrate to America. There, Olga was remembered and always called. The family was allowed to leave the USSR only in 1989. Then the family had a son Richard and they were expecting a second child. Alas, the boy was born dead. But this did not break the Olympic champion. In America, her career grew rapidly. She trained a group of girls, gave master classes in sports schools. Thanks to her, there was a real boom in gymnastics in America.



Today, Olga continues to live in America. She is married to wealthy American Jay Shenfilt. She sold all her Olympic awards and outfits, recalls Soviet gymnastics with horror, and former coach Renald Knysh has been accused of violence. Whether this was true, you will never know again. But the fact that the contenders for the Olympic Games suffered unrealistic torture and torture by their coaches is known to everyone. And Olympic gold went to a great country at the expense of the health and sometimes the lives of athletes.