Which gymnast introduced the Korbut flip at the 1972 Munich Olympics?

Olga Korbut introduced the Korbut flip at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The daring move began with the gymnast standing on the high bar, performing a backward salto, and regrasping the same bar during the downswing.

Korbut, a Soviet gymnast from Belarus nicknamed the “Sparrow from Minsk,” helped transform women’s gymnastics from a posture-focused sport into one celebrated for acrobatics and risk. At just 17, her energetic routines made her one of the breakout stars of Munich.

The move is sometimes confused with a dismount or with Korbut’s balance-beam skills, but the Korbut flip specifically refers to the backward release on the uneven bars. It was named for Korbut because she was the first gymnast to perform it at a major international competition.

Modern elite gymnastics no longer permits the original standing position on the high bar, so the famous skill is now chiefly remembered through historical footage. Korbut won three gold medals and one silver at Munich, adding two more medals at the 1976 Olympics.