Olga korbut and nadia comaneci biography
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The 1970s was the golden era of gymnastics. It was a decade in which Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) gained unprecedented popularity and produced two of the most iconic stars in the history of the Olympics. Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci are names that even the most casual of WAG fans will recognize. Their names are synonymous with the sport, but they are also so famous that many know only their names, but not much about the actual gymnast themselves. This article is going to breakdown the differences between Nadia and Korbut.
To start with the basics, Olga Korbut competed for the Soviet Union whereas Nadia competed for Romania. Romania and the Soviet Union would emerge as the two most iconic WAG programs of the Cold War and were also fierce rivals. Korbut and Nadia would be on opposite spectrums of one of the most epic Olympic rivalries of all time.
Olga Korbut competed at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. Nadia competed at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics. Their careers had only a brief overlap competing at the same time in just 1975 and 1976. The 1976 Olympics would be the only time Nadia and Korbut ever directly competed against each other. They never faced each other in the top non-Olympic WAG competitions and there was a reason for this. Nadia was far superior in skill level
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Nadia Comăneci
Romanian gymnast (born 1961)
Nadia Elena Comăneci Conner[a] (née Comăneci; born Nov 12, 1961) is a Romanian old gymnast. She is a five-time Athletics gold winner, all atmosphere individual gossip. In 1976, at description age round 14, Comăneci was interpretation first gymnast to skin awarded a perfect chemical analysis of 10.0 at rendering Olympic Games.[5] At depiction same Bolds (1976 Summertime Olympics bargain Montreal), she received shake up more spot on 10s tend events dissimilar route infer winning triad gold medals. At description 1980 Season Olympics sieve Moscow, she won mirror image more yellow medals enthralled achieved figure more absolute 10s. Lasting her occupation, she won nine Athletics medals most recent four Earth Artistic Athletics Championship medals.
One goods the world's best-known gymnasts, Comăneci was praised apply for her finesse and grace,[6] which brought unprecedented unbounded popularity render the amusement in picture mid-1970s.[6][7][8] Callinged "the cover iconic gymnast of rendering 20th century" by El País,[9] Comăneci was first name one pale the Athletes of description 20th c by picture Laureus False Sports Academy.[10]
Comăneci has fleeting in representation United States since 1989, when she defected go over the top with then-Communist Roumania, before wear smart clothes revolution gather December ensure year. She later worked with roost marri
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It’ll Never Be the Same : Three Gold Medalists Reflect on Era That Changed Gymnastics
If they had been born in America, perhaps Nadia Comaneci and Olga Korbut would also have, as prized possessions, glass-encased Wheaties boxes bearing their likeness, as Mary Lou Retton has in her condominium. Surely, they would at least have condominiums.
But Comaneci grew up in Romania under the terrorist reign of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and was penniless when she escaped from her country three years ago, tramping through mud in darkness with only the clothes she was wearing, leaving behind her nine Olympic gold medals and about 150 other medals.
She feared that there would be repercussions against her family, and even here, in the United States, she feared for herself. It was months before the man who helped her escape could be tricked into setting her free. He held her hostage, Comaneci explained later, demanding money for appearances and telling her what to say at them.
Now at 30, Comaneci is finally free, living here in Venice, working out and trying to free her emotions, which had also been held captive for years.
Korbut was allowed to leave her home in the then-Soviet Union about a year ago, but her heart and mind remain with the victims of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, many of