18 Facts About Olga Korbut

Olga Valentinovna Korbut was born on 16 May 1955 and is a Belarusian retired gymnast who competed for the Soviet Union.

Olga Korbut emigrated to the United States in 1991, where she now lives and trains gymnasts.

Olga Korbut finished fifth at her first competition in the 1969 USSR championships, where she was allowed to compete as a 14-year-old.

That said, Olga Korbut won three gold medals for the balance beam, floor exercise, and team competitions.

The next day, Olga Korbut repeated the same routine in the event finals, although this time successfully.

Olga Korbut is most famous for her uneven bars and balance beam routines, as well as her charismatic performances that captivated audiences.

Olga Korbut was overshadowed not only by Comaneci, but by her own teammate Nellie Kim.

Olga Korbut did collect a team gold medal, and an individual silver medal for the balance beam.

Olga Korbut graduated from the Grodno Pedagogical Institute in 1977, became a teacher, and retired from gymnastic competition.

Olga Korbut married Leonid Bortkevich, a member of Belarusian folk band Pesniary.

In 1988, Olga Korbut became the first gymnast inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Olga Korbut was featured on an episode of Celebrity Boxing, which aired on May 22,2002, with her opponent, Darva Conger, winning by unanimous decision.

Since then, Olga Korbut has worked with private gymnastics students and done motivational speaking.

In 2017, Olga Korbut sold her 1972 and 1976 Olympic medals, among 32 lots, which fetched $333,500 at Heritage Auctions.

In 2021, Olga Korbut was named by Carnegie Corporation of New York as an honoree of the Great Immigrants Award.

Olga Korbut, who has won four Olympic gold medals, is best known for her move, the Olga Korbut flip, a backflip performed on the uneven parallel bars, starting from a standing position on the high bar and then catching the same bar from below on the under swing.

Olga Korbut has one eponymous vault listed in the Code of Points.

Olga Korbut performed the Korbut flip on both the uneven bars and the balance beam.