Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut charms the World | Faster, Higher, Stronger - BBC

when the 1972 games began in Munich there was excitement about the potential of this Soviet teenager millions were watching on primetime TV for the first time in color as Corbett made her debut during the all-round competition by the uneven bars he was in third place after completing the vault and the floor exercise then there was an extraordinary moment a very public nightmare that would make Corbett a household name and this is the girl who so far has captured this audience and enchanted us all they had a biggest mistake Madeline this the operator she totally excels at except for that disastrous start I didn't feel anything because I was shocked cuz this is element can you can do it everybody can do it I didn't remember anything and it was crushing to everybody because everybody had told all of their friends who hadn't seen it watch now and then you see this disaster you know there is absolute buzz and another disaster and she's lost it there the gold medal I'm certain has gone this girl who had everybody talking about her 17 years of age she brought a new dimension to this event when I finished I just thought that this is was a dream she has had a disaster her reaction to defeat was not what was expected from a Soviet gymnast what can one say it gave us a chance to see a Russian who could break down and cry and not have that strong Soviet front up all the time saying she's human my god she made a mistake and she cried is that wonderful but Corbett had the mental strength to recover and concentrate on competing for medals in the individual categories this is a most vital one minute 20 seconds for Olga Korbut on the beam you nervous all the time because it's a thing and you concentrate because this is most dangerous a event on the beam corbett revealed the stunning move she had been perfecting in training you have to love believe and you will do it it was here that the world understood that what they were watching was the beginning of a new era for gymnastics in this modern era her stuff was daring it was like hanging it out there like no one would do chess Laska did beautiful gymnastics but you never felt she could hurt herself or she would do anything that would you know everybody to go home worst thing she do she might fall off of the beam but so what you know that's a mistake but it's not like a catastrophe Olga did stuff that you worried about her her health you you thought oh my god you know how can she do that how can she risk that Corbitt finished her competition with the floor exercise if she gets 9.9 for this exercise she will win the floor exercises and she is so vivacious has got so much confidence that she might just do that here she put on a show of impish charm and childlike delight in her gestures jumps and somersaults I just felt like I was 7 years old and I dancing just in the grass outside this is what I felt take it away from this girl isn't she marvelous Jason's here this evening she's done it No : whens daigo memory what a remarkable woman somebody have to do revolution to change nasty I broke the system you

Channel: BBC

Views: 3,415,892

Rating: 4.8808098 out of 5

Keywords: Olga, Korbut, Olympics, 1972, Munich, Gymnastics, Gymnast, Sport, Higher, Faster, Stronger, bbctwo, BBC, Two, Soviet, Soviet Union, Faster Higher Stronger, Drama, Daring, Beth Tweddle, Rebecca Downie, The Cold War

Id: FrDtXx87C38

Length: 6min 28sec (388 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 02 2012

Reddit Comments

[u/soupandsourdough]

So fun to watch her floor exercises! So much joy!

[u/fib16]

It’s interesting. You can see how far gymnastics has come in 50 years. Today this wouldn’t even qualify. The routines today are 20 times harder.