Incredible Performance From Olga Korbut 'Darling Of Munich' - Munich 1972 Olympics

Olga Korbut captured the public imagination with her charismatic and daring performances in the team competition at the 1972 Munich Games, aged just 17 year old.

After her spectacular routine on the uneven parallel bars, Korbut later recalled, "It was amazing. One day, I was a nobody, and the next day, I was a star."

Unfortunately in the individual final two days later, disaster struck. Korbut made three errors on the uneven bars, the judges gave her a score of 7.5 and she wept with disappointment as she dropped to seventh place. Yet she recovered to claim gold in the floor exercise and beam to add to her victory in the team competition. =========================================

[susanwilliams]

Looking at this after all these years, Olgas performance still looks fresh and perfect, and still the best gymnast of all time.

[juanantoniozuleta]

I will never understand why she did not get a 10 in the uneven bars, best performance ever.

[TheMorningtrain]

That bar routine is probably the most perfect bar routine I have ever seen, I just keep watching it over and over because it's so daring, visually amazing and perfectly executed. The actual routine and tasks it contains are amazing. I'd like to watch a performer who got a 10 on the uneven bars (if anybody has achieved this) just for comparism if anybody can refer me to such an event. There is something about olga - no wonder the world fell for her in 72

[DiabloOutdoors]

What she did on the bars is absolutely stunning!

[toryleeann]

I miss this style gymnastics. So graceful. Olga was phenomenal.

[rosiepena]

It's so beautiful how she combines ballet with gymnastics. All of her moves look so effortless.

[VickyLatorreArt]

Her performance is so impressive . I wonder who was her coach. She seemed to enjoyed every bit of it; and the banned death flip in the double bars that only her got to do is as impressive as her perfect landing.

[Damon-pu]

Absolutely fantastic!! There'll never be another gymnast like Olga.

[youthought]

All uneven bars routines from back then were so beautiful

[daviacolman]

Her uneven bars performance is one of the best I have ever seen.

[franciscagomes]

She made gymnastics look so easy. She was flawless but still charismatic, not even a bit boring to watch. You can tell that she was just having the time of her life.

[lillygirl]

I'll never forget Olga! She is absolutely the very Best!!

[brendaannedufaur]

I think Olga's parallell bar routine was one of the best of all time. Her bars and all her gymnastics is just unique & gorgeous stuff. Her legs are so tight on parallel bars and her feet so pointed. They never part a dot from beginning to end. Her body indulates. She is the epitome of flawless effortlessness. She is like melting liquid to watch. Not a single pause. Mesmerizing. There arent enough words. The moves and choreography are so inventive.

[uhbera]

I wasn’t even born at that time but I can still feel the magic in the air when she performs. Olga truly had a gift. I can only imagine how incredible it must be to watch her perform live.

[kathleenirish]

You had to be living in '72 to understand how she changed the world. Electrifying!! she was beloved! Gymnastics was practically unheard of in the USA before Olga!

[missmercurys]

This is my favorite bars routine of all time. She is so fearless.

[moshe]

45 years later and I still enjoy watching Olga as much as I did in 1972.

[captjim]

I was lucky enough to see her in the 72 Olympics. I knew at that time she was a once in a lifetime.

[Henrykhine]

Olga Korbut was a golden fish on the floor and the most beautiful bird in the air.. She is a terrific gymnast.. I like her bar exercise the best.. To me, it was 10.00.

[natenelson]

I know nothing about gymnastics as I’m a basketball player but this was the most athletic performance I’ve seen in my life.