Polina Astakhova 1936-2005
Polina Astakhova was was a Soviet/Ukrainian gymnast who won ten medals (five gold medals, two silver medals and three bronze medals) at the Summer Olympics, where she participated as a member of the USSR team in 1956, 1960 and 1964.
She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2002.
If you show this tribute video to gymnasts today, they’ll laugh.
They’ve never known an era when adult women were World Champions. And when grace and artistry won the competition.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
(via The Couch Gymnast)
The first of the young, big trick gymnasts was Olga Korbut at the 1972 Olympics. She lost to the more mature traditional routines of Ludmilla Tourischeva.
Nadia and Nellie Kim ushered in the sport we know today in 1976. Young girls doing very big difficulty.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 