Olga Korbut

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Valentinovna and the family name is Korbut.

Olga Korbut
Вольга Корбут
Olga Korbut c. 1972
Personal information
Full nameOlga Valentinovna Korbut
Nickname(s)Sparrow from Minsk[1]
Country represented Soviet Union
Born (1955-05-16) 16 May 1955 (age 69)
Hrodna, Belarusian SSR, Soviet Union (USSR)
HometownScottsdale, Arizona since 2002
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
ClubSoviet Army Grodno[1]
Head coach(es)Renald Knysh
Eponymous skillsKorbut flip
Retired1977
Medal record
Representing  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1972 Munich Team
Gold medal – first place 1972 Munich Balance beam
Gold medal – first place 1972 Munich Floor exercise
Gold medal – first place 1976 Montreal Team
Silver medal – second place 1972 Munich Uneven bars
Silver medal – second place 1976 Montreal Balance beam
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1974 Varna Team
Gold medal – first place 1974 Varna Vault
Silver medal – second place 1974 Varna All-Around
Silver medal – second place 1974 Varna Uneven bars
Silver medal – second place 1974 Varna Balance beam
Silver medal – second place 1974 Varna Floor exercise
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1973 London All-Around

Olga Valentinovna Korbut[a] (born 16 May 1955) is a Belarusian retired gymnast who competed for the Soviet Union. Nicknamed the "Sparrow from Minsk", she won four gold medals and two silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games, in which she competed in 1972 and 1976 for the Soviet team,[1] and was the inaugural inductee to the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1988.

Korbut retired from gymnastics in 1977 at the age of 22, considered young for gymnasts of the period,[2] but her influence and legacy in gymnastics were far-reaching.[3] Korbut's 1972 Olympic performances are widely credited as redefining gymnastics, changing the sport from emphasising ballet and elegance to acrobatics, as well as changing gymnastics from a niche sport to one of the most popular sports in the world.[2][4] She emigrated to the United States in 1991, where she now lives and trains gymnasts. She became a citizen in 2000.

  1. ^ a b c Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Olga Korbut". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference guardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference McCarthy2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Artisty was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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