Where is Olga Korbut Now? Who is Olga Korbut?
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Updated Aug 02, 2024
Where is Olga Korbut Now?
After her successful gymnastics career, Olga Korbut moved to the United States. She now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. In her new home, Korbut works as a private gymnastics instructor, teaching and mentoring young athletes.
Although she no longer competes, she remains involved in the sport by sharing her skills and experience with others. Korbut's move to the U.S. allowed her to continue her passion for gymnastics in a different role, helping to inspire and train the next generation of gymnasts (Source: Women's Health)
Who is Olga Korbut?
Olga Korbut is a retired Belarusian gymnast who competed for the Soviet Union and is renowned for her transformative impact on the sport. Born on May 16, 1955, in Hrodna, Belarusian SSR, Korbut became a prominent figure in gymnastics during the 1972 Munich Olympics, where she won three gold medals and one silver.
Her innovative routines, including the Korbut Flip, revolutionized gymnastics by shifting the focus from ballet to acrobatics. Korbut's performances helped popularize the sport worldwide. She retired in 1977, moved to the United States in 1991, and became a U.S. citizen in 2000.
She continues to influence gymnastics through coaching and training. Korbut was also the first inductee into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1988.
| Full Name | Olga Valentinovna Korbut |
| Nickname(s) | Sparrow from Minsk |
| Date of Birth | May 16, 1955 |
| Place of Birth | Grodno, Belarusian SSR, Soviet Union (USSR) |
| Hometown | Scottsdale, Arizona, USA since 2002 |
| Height | 4 ft 11 in (150 cm) |
| Weight | 84 lb (38 kg) |
| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics |
| Club | Soviet Army Grodno |
| Notable Skills | Korbut flip |
| Retirement | 1977 |
Olga Korbut in Olympics
Olga Korbut made a huge impact in gymnastics at the Olympics, especially in 1972 and 1976. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, she won gold medals in the team competition, balance beam, and floor exercise, and took silver in the uneven bars.
Her performances were groundbreaking and helped shift gymnastics towards a focus on acrobatics rather than just ballet, making the sport more popular worldwide. In the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Korbut won another gold medal with her team and a silver on the balance beam.
Although she struggled due to injury and was overshadowed by Nadia Comăneci and her teammate Nellie Kim, Korbut's achievements were still impressive.
Olga Korbut Medals
Event |
Year |
City |
Medal |
Olympic Games |
|||
| Team Event | 1972 | Munich | Gold |
| Balance Beam | 1972 | Munich | Gold |
| Floor Exercise | 1972 | Munich | Gold |
| Team Event | 1976 | Montreal | Gold |
| Uneven Bars | 1972 | Munich | Silver |
| Balance Beam | 1976 | Montreal | Silver |
World Championships |
|||
| Team Event | 1974 | Varna | Gold |
| Vault | 1974 | Varna | Gold |
| All-Around | 1974 | Varna | Silver |
| Uneven Bars | 1974 | Varna | Silver |
| Balance Beam | 1974 | Varna | Silver |
| Floor Exercise | 1974 | Varna | Silver |
European Championships |
|||
| All-Around | 1973 | London | Silver |
Olga Korbut After Retirement
After retiring from gymnastics in 1977, Olga Korbut transitioned to a career as a teacher and coach. She graduated from the Grodno Pedagogical Institute and married Leonid Bortkevich, a member of the Belarusian folk band Pesniary. They had a son, Richard, born in 1979.
In 1991, Korbut and her family emigrated to the United States, primarily due to concerns about the Chernobyl disaster's impact on Belarus. They settled in New Jersey, where Korbut taught gymnastics. She later moved to Georgia, continuing her coaching career. Korbut and Bortkevich divorced in 2000, and Korbut became a U.S. citizen that same year. She moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2002, where she became head coach at Scottsdale Gymnastics and Cheerleading.
Korbut has also been involved in motivational speaking and appeared on reality TV shows, such as Celebrity Boxing, where she competed against Darva Conger. In 2012, she visited the London Olympics and participated in a special exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of her 1972 Olympic victories.
Korbut faced controversy when she publicly accused her former coach, Renald Knysh, of sexual abuse, sparking discussions about abuse in gymnastics. In 2021, she was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award.
Her legacy includes her groundbreaking gymnastics moves, such as the Korbut flip, and her influence in popularizing the sport.
Olga Korbut Age
Olga Korbut, born on May 16, 1955, is 69 years old as of August 2, 2024. Renowned for her groundbreaking performances in gymnastics during the 1970s, Korbut revolutionized the sport with her acrobatics and remains a significant figure in gymnastics history.
Olga Korbut Career
Olga Korbut, a retired gymnast from Belarus, had a remarkable career that left a lasting impact on gymnastics. She began training at age 8 under coaches Elena Volchetskaya and Renald Knysh. By 1969, she had made a name for herself by performing new moves, including the first backward release on the uneven bars, and she finished fifth in her first major competition.
Korbut gained fame at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where she won three gold medals in team, balance beam, and floor exercise, and a silver medal on the uneven bars. Her performances, including the Korbut flip, changed gymnastics from focusing on grace to daring acrobatics. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, she earned another gold medal with her team and a silver on the balance beam, though she was overshadowed by Nadia Comăneci and Nellie Kim.
After retiring from gymnastics in 1977, Korbut became a teacher. She moved to the United States in 1991, continued coaching, and became a motivational speaker. In 1988, she was honored with an induction into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Korbut is remembered for her innovative routines and dynamic performances, which have had a lasting influence on the sport
