5 famous female gymnasts who revolutionized the sport ft. Olga Korbut, Simone Biles

Modified Jul 13, 2024 05:21 GMT

While women's gymnastics was introduced only at Amsterdam Olympics in 1928, it soon became one of the most popular symbols of the Summer Olympics. From Simone Biles to Olga Korbut, there have been many female gymnasts who have not just won laurels, but also redefined the sport with their achievements altogether.

Here are some of the female gymnasts who have revolutionized the sport in their own way:

_________________________________________________________________

5 female gymnasts who revolutionized the sport ft. Olga Korbut, Simone Biles

#5) Kerri Strug:

Kerri Strug, the epitome of dedication [Image Source: Getty]

While she might not be as famous as Simone Biles is right now, Kerri Strug has her place etched in the glorious chapters of artistic gymnastics. She was a part of the 'Magnificent Seven', the nickname given to the American female gymnastics squad that worked wonders at Atlanta Olympics 1996, and included the likes of Shannon Miller.

However, her greatest moment of glory was the way she performed her exercises, especially over the vault, despite tearing two ligaments that almost ended her career. Her dedication to the sport was not only appreciated, but her efforts also paid off, leading to USA winning the gold medal in the team all around event.

#4) Nastia Liukin:

Nastia Liukin, the first Olympic champion in the open end scoring system [Image Source:Getty]

Before Simone Biles overcame the record of the most medals won in a single Olympics at Rio Olympics, Anastasia 'Nastia' Liukin was the joint topper in terms of the most medals alongside Shannon Miller.

Liukin, who is the daughter of double Olympic gold medalist Valeri Liukin, would have made it to Athens 2004, if not for her young age. This was why she had to make her debut at Beijing Olympics at the age of 19.

So what makes Nastia Liukin's achievements special? When she entered the Beijing Olympics, the scoring systems had undergone a massive transformations, and it was less about artistry and more about technique. However, Liukin combined both her artistic skills, as well as the right techniques to win a gold medal in the individual around, alongside three silver medals and an individual bronze medal in floor exercise as well.

#3) Nadia Comaneci:

Nadia Comaneci [R], the first gymnast with a "Perfect 10" [Image Source: Getty]

The Summer Olympics can be clearly divided into two time frames : the Olympics before Nadia Comaneci and the Olympics after Nadia Comaneci.

When the Romanian gymnast made her debut at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, none of the spectators or the jury members anticipated the glory she was headed for. During the uneven bars segment of the compulsory team all around qualifications, Nadia performed her routine brilliantly.

However, the scoreboard read '1.00'. It later turned out that the digital scoreboard was not designed to give the actual score that Comaneci had achieved : the 'Perfect 10'. Nadia Comaneci had managed to achieve what even the likes of Larisa Latynina and Olga Korbut couldn't. She later won 4 more Olympic medals at Moscow 1980, including 2 gold medals in balance beam and floor exercise events each.

#2) Olga Korbut:

Olga Korbut [L], the trendsetter in artistic gymnastics [Image Source: Getty]

Olga Korbut is probably the perfect example of the motto 'Improvise, Adapt, Overcome'. Before Nadia Comaneci, before Simone Biles, it was Olga Korbut who showed the world how to be a trendsetter.

At the Munich Olympics in 1972, Olga Korbut showed some of the most innovative acrobatics. She was the first gymnast to do a back flip on the uneven bars, and execute a near perfect backward somersault on the balance beam, all at the age of 17 years.

For these performances, Olga Korbut won 3 gold medals and a silver. However, that was not all. Her back flip became so famous that it was given a new name : the 'Korbut Flip'.

#1) Simone Biles:

Simone Biles, The GOAT gymnast [Image Sources: Getty]

Simone Biles is to artistic gymnastics what Usain Bolt is to athletics or what Michael Phelps is to swimming.

At Rio Olympics, the American gymnast from Columbus, Ohio made the "perfect" debut, winning an impressive 5 medals, including 4 gold medals from team all around, individual all around, vault, and floor exercise. At Tokyo, she was touted to have won a historic six medals. However, she withdrew from most of the competitions, focusing on just the team all around and the balance beam, where she won a silver medal and a bronze medal respectively.

Despite that, Simone Biles is now one of the most decorated gymnasts in the history of artistic gymnastics, with 7 Olympic medals and a staggering 30 World Championship medals to her credit. Paris Olympics 2024 might be her final attempt at Olympic glory, and she aims to end this on a golden high.