The amount of talent the Soviets had in 1976 was ludicrous. Four All-Around Champions, eight Hall of Famers, 14 Olympic appearances, a dozen child prodigies, the list goes on… Continue reading The Start List of the 1976 USSR Cup Was Insane
In gymnastics history there have been a wide variety of prestigious junior competitions. But what happens when the Champions of these competitions turn senior? Continue reading Are Junior Champions Likely to Become Senior Champions?
These gymnasts once lead the Olympic All-Around standings, but they didn’t have the same luck in AA Finals. Part I covers the gymnasts of 1972-2000. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Won Olympic AA Qualifications But Not AA Finals (Part I)
Without revealing the context, if I were to have told you that these gymnasts competed against each other, your first reaction would be “that’s impossible.” Continue reading Bizarre Encounters in Gymnastics History
Explaining the difference between “Martha” and “Marta” Karolyi. Continue reading When Did Marta Karolyi Become “Martha?”
In 2021 Anastasia Ilyankova became the latest Olympian from a Russian city with a storied gymnastics history. Continue reading The Russian City That Does Nothing but Produce Olympic Gymnasts
Simone Biles may not realize it, but she just gifted Elena Mukhina something that is long overdue. Continue reading What Simone Biles did for Elena Mukhina
In this 2-part series I cover the rare phenomenon of the “near-Olympic team.” Part II covers teams from the 2000s-present Continue reading Did Everyone Go to the Olympics Without Me? (Part II)
In this 2-part series I cover the rare phenomenon of the “near-Olympic team.” Part I covers teams from the 1970s-1990s. Continue reading Did Everyone Go to the Olympics Without Me? (Part I)
These gymnasts didn’t make an Olympic team, but their young training partner did. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Were Role Models For a Future Olympian
Ranking the strongest All-Around podiums in gymnastics history based on success throughout the rest of the competition. Continue reading Ranking the Most Dominant All-Around Podiums
Ranking the strongest All-Around podiums in gymnastics history based on success throughout the rest of the competition. Continue reading Ranking the Most Dominant All-Around Podiums (By Year)
Dominique Dawes wants to change gymnastics, and she won’t mince words in an attempt to accomplish that goal. Continue reading Dominique Dawes is on a Mission to Fix Gymnastics
For 1st-year seniors it is usually impossible to win the All-Around at the European Championships. Only Nadia Comaneci had done it, now Viktoria Listunova can say the same. Continue reading Viktoria Listunova Achieved a Record Only Held by Nadia Comaneci
If you were a Soviet gymnast, you did not want to be born in the 1940s. Continue reading The Unlucky Generation of Soviet Gymnastics
What would gymnastics be like if Olga Korbut had been left off the 1972 Soviet Olympic team? This scenario came awfully close to happening. Continue reading How Close Did Olga Korbut Come to Not Making the 1972 Olympic Team?
It was the most unconventional duo in gymnastics history. The partnership between Elena Mukhina and Mikhail Klimenko was highly successful, but also proved to be mutually self-destructive. Continue reading The Unlikely Gymnast and the Unlikely Coach (Part II)
It was the most unconventional duo in gymnastics history. The partnership between Elena Mukhina and Mikhail Klimenko was highly successful, but also proved to be mutually self-destructive. Continue reading The Unlikely Gymnast and the Unlikely Coach (Part I)
Due to newly surfaced research, it has been discovered that there is an Olympic gymnast who is even older than Oksana Chusovitina. So, Oksana Chusovitina will just have to break that record again. Continue reading Oksana Chusovitina Is No Longer the Oldest Olympic Gymnast
In 1983 Dianne Durham visited Kentucky, 38 years later that visit was remembered in the Kentucky House of Representatives. Continue reading Dianne Durham Honored in Kentucky House of Representatives
As the gymnastics community mourns the passing of a legend, now is the time to reflect on the importance of her career. Continue reading Dianne Durham: A Career That Mattered
People remember Julissa Gomez for the way her career ended, but the rest of her story should be remembered as well. Continue reading Remembering Julissa Gomez
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
This small island off the coast of Madagascar has produced seven Olympic gymnasts. Continue reading Reunion: The Little French Island That Produces So Many Olympic Gymnasts
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
These gymnasts never won a gold medal. But that didn’t stop them from becoming icons of the sport. Continue reading The Most Successful Gymnasts Who Never Won a Gold Medal
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
There are many instances in which a famous gymnast had a daughter who was also a gymnast. In Part II of this series I cover all the examples of mothers whose daughters competed in the NCAA gymnastics as well as other miscellaneous examples. Continue reading Famous Mother and Daughter Duos in Gymnastics (Part II)
There are many instances in which a famous gymnast had a daughter who also went to the Olympics. In Part I of this series I cover all the examples of mothers and daughters who were both Olympians. Continue reading Famous Mother and Daughter Duos in Gymnastics (Part I)
The gymnasts who have left the greatest mark in uneven bars history. Continue reading The Greatest Bar Workers in Gymnastics History
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
The gymnasts who won a medal on every event at a single competition. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Swept a Competition
Gymnasts who would have medaled on every event, if not for a 4th place finish. Continue reading Gymnasts Who (Almost) Swept a Competition
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
Why does Mary Lou Retton contend that Ecaterina Szabo was the 1983 World Champion? Continue reading How Mary Lou Retton Tries to Rewrite Gymnastics History
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
The difficulty of performing well on vault in an Event Finals in more difficult than people realize. Continue reading The Hidden Difficulty of the Vault
Three vault legends seemed to be unbeatable on the apparatus, only to make a mistake at the worst possible moment. Continue reading Vault Queens Who Did Not Win an Olympic Gold Medal
Judges once had the power to single handedly award their own country a medal. It went about as well as one would expect. Continue reading The Unapologetically Bad Judging in Early Olympic History
The road to retrieve their daughter from Romania took Bela and Marta Karolyi to a little known Congressman who worked on trade deals. What happened next would change the course of American gymnastics history. Continue reading How Bela and Marta Karolyi Got Their Daughter out of Romania
The idea of a gymnast making it to the Olympics 2x but not the World Championships may sound ludicrous, but a surprising number of gymnasts have done it. Continue reading Two-Time Olympians Who Never Competed in a World Championships
The gymnasts who have had the worst luck with 4th place finishes. (Part II) Continue reading The Queens of 4th Place (Part II)
The gymnasts who have had the worst luck with 4th place finishes. (Part I) Continue reading The Queens of 4th Place (Part I)
Unable to hide the fact that their top gymnast had been seriously hurt, the Soviets found other ways to downplay the events that had transpired. Continue reading After Her Injury a Soviet Coverup Hurt Elena Mukhina Even More
After her injury Elena Mukhina received letters of support from fans, some of which did more harm than good. Continue reading How Fan Mail Bothered Elena Mukhina
Is it easier to win medals in men’s gymnastics or women’s gymnastics? The question sounds simple but the answer is anything but. Continue reading Is it Harder to Win Medals in Men’s or Women’s Gymnastics?
In a little known competition from 1973, Romania’s best Olympian was beaten by an 11 year old. Continue reading The Time an 11 year Old Nadia Defeated a Legend
The little known story of the time Iran sent a gymnast to the Olympics in WAG. Continue reading When Iran had Women’s Gymnastics
An iconic American win on American soil produced a series of events that would impact the future of the sport in more ways than one. Continue reading What the Atlanta Olympics Gave Us
For Romania, Nadia was more than just a gymnast. Continue reading You Can’t Google Romania Without Getting Nadia Comaneci
The Russian gymnasts who should have won more medals. Continue reading The Russian Gymnasts Who Broke Our Hearts
The fascinating trend of great non-Olympians who came close to being 2x Olympians. Continue reading Non-Olympians Who Should Have Gone to Multiple Olympics
Unified Team, Olympic Athlete From Russia, Refugee Olympic Team, and more. I recap the history of Olympians comping under the Olympic flag. Continue reading The History of Olympians Competing Under the Olympic Flag
In the wake of her 1978 AA title, Elena Mukhina went on a world tour. Among her stops were 10 American cities. Continue reading Elena Mukhina’s Trip to America
How an Austrian gymnast and a triathlon made USA the most decorated MAG program up until the 1968 Olympics. Continue reading The Disputed Olympic Medals in American Gymnastics
It may come as a shock, but in the USA program MAG has more Olympic medals than WAG. Continue reading USA Gymnastics: Why the Men Have More Olympic Medals Than the Women
The story of the 12-year old gymnast with an Olympic medal who lived for over a century. Continue reading Gymnastics Bios #2: Carla Marangoni
Larissa Latynina won her medals in an era where the World Championships were held once every four years. What would have happened if she competed under the current format where they are held 3x every four years? Continue reading How Many Medals Would Larissa Latynina Have Won Under Modern Scheduling?
A catastrophic injury cost Mukhina the use of her limbs. But that didn’t stop her from handwriting a letter 18 months later. Continue reading Shortly After Her Paralysis Elena Mukhina Wrote a Letter
In 1963 Caslavska and Latynina were poised for an epic showdown. Instead a boycott would prevent it from happening. Continue reading The Year Without Gymnastics
A series of unusual events at the 1981 World Championships caused speculation that something was going on behind the scenes.
This is Part II that covers the actual competition itself. Continue reading The 1981 World Championships Conspiracy Theory (Part II)
A series of unusual events at the 1981 World Championships caused speculation that something was going on behind the scenes. This is Part I that covers the buildup to the 1981 World Championships. Continue reading The 1981 World Championships Conspiracy Theory (Part I)
After finishing up a successful athletic career Olga Bicherova decided to do something unconventional. Continue reading How Olga Bicherova Defied Sexism in the USSR
They are two of the most famous names in gymnastics history, but they couldn’t have been any more different. Continue reading The Differences Between Nadia and Olga Korbut
Viktoria Komova, Angelina Melnikova, and Elena Davydova. Why is a relatively small Russian city a gymnastics powerhouse? Continue reading Why So Many Gymnasts Come From Voronezh
In 1974 Turischeva first crossed paths with Nadia. The problem was, Nadia wasn’t supposed to be there. Continue reading The First Time Turischeva Met Nadia Was an Outlandish Incident
The 1975 European Championships are best known for establishing the careers of Nadia Comaneci and Nellie Kim. This is the story of the gymnast who finished 3rd. Continue reading Gymnastics Bios #1: Annelore Zinke
In the mid 1960s a new generation of Soviet gymnasts revolutionized the sport. But little did they realize, the revolution they started would be their undoing. Continue reading The Soviet Gymnasts Who Were Victims of Their Own Success.
The 1964 Olympics featured an epic showdown between Caslavska and Latynina. But it was the results of a minor competition two months later that would change the course of gymnastics history. Continue reading Two Months After the 1964 Olympics, a Little Known Event Would Change Women’s Gymnastics Forever
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