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in the 1972 Olympic games, when spectators were shocked to see gymnast Olga Korbut of the former Soviet Union, who was less about grace and more about strength and power. It was a stunning change for the sport. Olga Korbut Who is Olga Korbut? She is a gymnast from the former Soviet Union who won six Olympic medals—four gold and two silver— at the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. She was also the first gymnast inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, in 1988. As a gymnast, Korbut revolutionized the sport of gymnastics. She has been named by Sports Illustrated as one of the forty greatest athletes of all time. She brought high-level acrobatics and raw strength to the sport and was responsible for inspiring many young girls to take up gymnastics. Prior to Korbut, gymnasts were generally much older, and the sport focused on elegance rather than athleticism. Korbut retired from gymnastics in 1977 at the old age of twenty-two. She is in her mid-sixties now, lives in Arizona, and is still active in the sport of gymnastics by performing speaking engagements and other duties. Physicality of the Sport The sport has never been the same since Korbut, and science shows why gymnastics is probably the most difficult sport on the planet. Some of the skills that gymnasts need to perform follow: KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

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CONNECTING STEM & SPORTS | GYMNASTICS 10