Kim Gwang Suk was a fascinating gymnast, she emerged in an era of chaos while her disappearance was equally perplexing. Continue reading The Rise and Fall of Kim Gwang Suk

In Part II of this series, I cover the history of the wolf turn and why it should be considered one of the most sacred skills in gymnastics history. Continue reading The Wolf Turn Was as Popular 50 Years Ago as it is Today (Part II)

It would shock you to know that the wolf turn is not a modern skill. It was as popular 50 years ago as it is today. Continue reading The Wolf Turn Was as Popular 50 Years Ago as it is Today (Part I)

In 1928, a team of child athletes won a silver medal in the gymnastics team competition. Shortly afterwards, one of them died. Continue reading 1928 Italy: The Most Tragic Record in Sports

The 1980 Olympic boycott is widely portrayed through the lens of the USA, here is how it impacted everyone else. Continue reading The Forgotten Countries of the 1980 Boycott

Olga Mostepanova is well known for being affected by the 1984 Olympic boycott, this is how the 1980 boycott impacted her career as well. Continue reading How the 1980 Olympic Boycott Altered the Career of Olga Mostepanova

In this article I examine the unique history of gymnastics that put the sport at the center of the Holocaust. Continue reading Why Gymnastics Was the Hardest Hit Olympic Sport in the Holocaust

Gymnastics was by far the hardest hit sport in the Holocaust. In this article I recount the careers of over 20 elite level gymnasts who had been murdered during World War II. Continue reading Gymnastics and the Holocaust

Oksana Omelianchik, Tatiana Gutsu, and Lilia Podkopayeva. From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, Ukraine was an unstoppable force in gymnastics. Continue reading When Ukraine Ruled Gymnastics

Tatiana Gutsu, Oksana Baiul, Lilia Podkopayeva, and Alexandra Timoshenko. Ukraine’s dominance of artistic sports in the 1990s was a sight to behold. Continue reading When Ukraine Ruled the Artistic Sports

The Eastern Bloc once dominated gymnastics, but how should their medal count be interpreted? Continue reading How Dominant Was the Eastern Bloc in Gymnastics?

How the topic of body-image affected Elena Shushunova. Continue reading Elena Shushunova and the Impact of Body Shaming

Usually it is a coincidence when two gymnastics share a name, but what about the times when it isn’t? Continue reading Gymnasts Who Were Named After Other Gymnasts

In 1977 Elena Mukhina made the daisy-dot leotard iconic iconic, but she was far from the only gymnast who wore this leotard. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Wore the Elena Mukhina Leotard

In 1958 Larissa Latynina produced one of the most impressive performances in gymnastics history. Unbeknownst to her coaches, she competed while four-months pregnant. Continue reading The Time Larissa Latynina Won Five Gold Medals While Four-Months Pregnant

In 1981 Lavinia Agache found herself at the center of two major controversies, but she didn’t let either one distract her from the task at hand. Winning medals. Continue reading Lavinia Agache: The Art of Keeping Cool

In 1978 a leotard first appeared that would become so popular, nearly 30 Olympians wore it. Part III covers Japan, Canada, Great Britain, and rhythmic gymnastics. Continue reading The Most Popular Leotard in Gymnastics History (Part III)

In 1978 a leotard first appeared that would become so popular, nearly 30 Olympians wore it. Part II covers the United States, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Elena Davydova. Continue reading The Most Popular Leotard in Gymnastics History (Part II)

In 1978 a leotard first appeared that would become so popular, nearly 30 Olympians wore it. Part I covers the Soviet Union, China, Romania, East Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Continue reading The Most Popular Leotard in Gymnastics History (Part I)

When they weren’t winning medals, the Romanian gymnasts were afforded time to have a little fun. Continue reading The Fun Side of Romanian Gymnastics

Due to luck, misfortune, and/or fate, these gymnasts are associated with different Olympic quads despite being the same age. Continue reading Gymnasts From Different Eras Who Are Actually the Same Age

In 1986 seven gymnasts gathered for a picture. All of them remain iconic to this day. Continue reading The Greatest Picture of 1980s Gymnastics

In 1968 the Soviets sent six gymnasts to Mexico City, five of them married an Olympian. Continue reading The 1968 Soviet Gymnasts Who Married Each Other

In 1978 Elena Mukhina was asked about the possibility of serious injury. Continue reading The Elena Mukhina Tapes

Prior to the 2008 Olympic quad, the gymnasts with the most career medals came from Eastern Europe. Shannon Miller is the only exception to this trend. Continue reading The Shannon Miller Exception

Due to a quirk in age limits, for three decades gymnasts could compete in an Olympics and then return to junior competition. Continue reading The Quirky Rule Which Allowed Seniors to Compete as Juniors

This gymnast was beating Turischeva at 13 years old, scored a Perfect 10 and was named to an Olympic team the following year. But her name isn’t Nadia… Continue reading Nina Dronova: The Nadia Before Nadia

Going through pictures of Oksana Omelianchik’s leotards reveals an interesting trend. Continue reading The Lesser Known Leotards of Oksana Omelianchik

Elena Mukhina missed the 1980 Olympics due to a tragic injury. But would she have made the Olympics if that injury had never happened? Continue reading Would Elena Mukhina Have Made the Olympic Team if Not For Her Paralyzing Injury?

In July of 2020 Shawn Johnson reflected on her experiences. Her comments were almost identical to what Marcia Frederick had said nearly three decades earlier. Continue reading Marcia Frederick and Shawn Johnson Experienced the Same Struggle 28 Years Apart

In 1990 the Soviets posed for a team photo. Little did they know the breakup of the USSR was about to alter the course of their Gymnastics careers. Continue reading The Number of Olympians in this Picture is Insane

Turischeva rebounded from a devastating defeat at the hands of Nadia to salvage the final two years of her career. Continue reading Ludmilla Turischeva Went Out Like a Legend