Olga Korbut performs her floor exercise routine in the event finals of the 1972 Olympic Games. She scores a 9.900, which was the highest floor score in the event finals, and she wins the gold medal.
"She feels like she could fly to the moon on her own power right now." Can we just appreciate that even during all of the U.S. and Soviet tensions, Olga stole the hearts of all Americans? Remarkable
The music is called Java. She ditched her old routine and put this one together 2 weeks before the Olympics. Not many gymnasts can pull that off. Olga is my all time favorite. She blew the doors open for gymnastics fans and made it enormously popular. Olga, you rock!!!
I still get goosebumps watching this to this day. What a thrill to see. I was 12 years old when Olga Korbut won this gold medal. I can still remember sitting at our kitchen table watching this on tv. I was spellbound by it. I love hearing the "live" piano accompaniment. There is something special about it resonating through the stadium that just adds to the ambience of this special moment. The song is Java by Tousan, made famous by Al Hirt on trumpet. Amazing how the Soviets allowed such an American pop song to be used for such a performance. So glad they did! Olga won our hearts that day.
Olga revolutionized and inspired the world, not because of her extensive medal hall, but because of her charm. She inspired everyone, not just one nation.
Olga inspired me to start gymnastics. She did more to help USA USSR relations than the politicians. I believe her music is Java. She will always be my favorite gymnast EVER!!
What sets this routine apart from all others is the remarkable flow from one move to the next that is so athletic and gracefully elegant at the same time . ❤❤❤
I don't seem to be able to reply to DegrassiTop40, but: The US women's gymnastics team came in 4th in the team all-around in 1972. You've perhaps heard of Cathy Rigby? But ABC's coverage of the Olympics was much more complete and far less jingoistic than NBC's coverage has ever been. NBC doesn't bother covering sports in which the US isn't in medal contention. Most of my childhood Olympic idols - in all sports - were not American. That is because ABC had the sense to realize that Americans could be interested in other sports and other athletes, as long ast the coverage was good.
Amen to that, honey. Not only does NBC do that sport for sport but even within gymnastics itself they won't bother showing you all the routines. You'll get to see the Americans (whether they are in medal contention or not) and the medalists. And now that the US is the dominant team, they've just gotten even worse in their coverage.
I said many times that Shannon Miller and Gina Gogean are two of the all best, nobody came close to Olga's floor routine in 72. Her grace, elegance, beauty and childlike charm on the floor is unmatched.
i watch this over and over and I that second pass always takes my breath away. proof that you don't need to do a double or a triple anything to really wow a crowd. Its how you do it. X factor for days in this special lady. Thank you, Olga!
amazing that i can watch a performance done a little more than a decade before i was born and still be blown away. watching modern day gymnastics, then going to this, it makes me wonder where the grace has gone in the sport, it's all about speed and flamboyance these days
I often find floor routines of that era to not be terribly exciting (only because I’m not a ballet fan), but she made the floor exercise look fun!! Her bars routine was absolutely amazing- and terrifying…
It was watching Olga Korbut and Ludmila Tourischeva when I was a little girl in 1972 that taught me to distrust anti-Soviet propaganda in American media. And why can't we have television coverage of the Olympics that's as gracious as ABC's coverage was? Can you imagine one of NBC's announcers taking so much joy in a non-American's routine? Can you imagine them saying, "I hope she gets it"?
The Soviets and other communist countries used their athletes badly, and were never good or trustworthy Olga was beloved for who she was as individual.
To the Quik: Great Performance! Great Style! Great Person! To the Point: No other Gymnast comes close to her Exceptional Ability & Dedication! Smooth! Amen.
Love Jim McKay & the lyrical Olga! I hate hearing all these gymnasts & their teachers praise that they could do just as well or better! Um, no you couldn't if not for this gal or the patronage of Jim McKay! Shut up, you'd B lucky to be recognized w/out either of them!
What is that move at 0:53?? A salto with rollout on her chest? That looks so scary. I see it's the most replayed so apparently other people are also interested in it.
The delusion of American fans has reached new heights with that comment. It's okay to reach, just don't dislocate your arm whilst doing it. Leave that kind of hyperextension to the gymnasts.
That is fair and I actually agree with you there. But overall it was weaker (that's not to say it was weak, I mean, it made event finals at the Olympics) compared with Korbuts. As for Ludmilla yes she also had more difficult tumbling like Joan but she had a pretty big mistake on the second pass.
