Olga Korbut is an American gymnast who has a net worth of $3 Million. She is best known for winning 4 gold medals at the “Summer Olympic Games”. In addition, Olgan took home 2 silver medals as well which she competed for the Soviet team in 1972 and 1976.
When Olga was 20 years old, Tourischeva held world Olympic and European titles all at the same time. She ended her career with nine Olympic medals including four of the most precious medals.
She was a composed athlete who consistently displayed exceptional performance. Additionally, she served as a respected team leader for the Soviet gymnastics team and was well-liked by her peers. The gymnast is also known by her nickname “Sparrow from Minsk” who was a prominent star of Soviet gymnastics.
What is Olga Korbut’s Net Worth?
[table id=574 /]Early Life
Olga Valentinovna Korbut was born on May 16th, 1955, in Hrodna, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union. She is the youngest child of her parents, Valentin and Valentina Korbut. Olga grew up with three older sisters, all of whom are not publically known.
Olga moved to Grodno from Dubniaki with her family during World War II. As a kid, she developed an interest in gymnastics and began training by the age of eight.
Next year, she joined a Belarusian sports school and continued training under the guidance of coach Renald Knysh. Olga was able to learn a challenging backward somersault on the balance beam thanks to Renald’s help.
Career
In 1969 Olga made her backward somersault debut at a competition in the Soviet Union. In the same year, she achieved a significant feat by becoming the first woman to successfully execute a backward release move on uneven bars – a backflip-to-catch.
At 15 years old, she participated in her first USSR championship and met the requirements to compete. After finishing fifth overall, she won a gold medal in the vault. However, she was not able to perform in further competitions due to being ill and injured.
Breakthrough
Olga showcased her skills with creative gymnastics moves at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, becoming a fan favorite. Her outstanding performance led her to win a silver medal along with three gold medals.
By the star of the individual all-around competition, all eyes were on Olga. There was no social media in those days, but it would be true to say that Korbut went viral. During the Floor Exercises and Balance Beam at the individual events, she won two gold medals. After the Vault and Floor exercises, Olga was in third place.
Next up, the Uneven bars, from the begging her routine went badly wrong. She was heavily marked down, a score of 7.5 effectively ended her medals chances. Her tears were a highly visible expression of emotion that played a significant role in making her a well-known household name.
Further Success
In 1974 Olga got a chance to compete in the “World Championships in Varna” in which she wound up winning six medals. She achieved gold medals in the vault and team all-around competitions, as well as a silver medal in the uneven bars, all-around, and floor exercises.
She made her first debut in International gymnastics by competing in the Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976. Her immense performance on the Balance Beam won her a team gold medal and an individual silver medal.
Following that success, she retired from gymnastics competition and started teaching other students. Around that same time, she graduated from Grodno Pedagogical Institute in 1977.
Several years later in 1991, Olga moved to America with her family where she became a gymnastics teacher. After moving to Arizona in 2000, she took on the role of Head Coach for Scottsdale Gymnastics and Cheerleading.
Other Ventures
On the Balance Beam, Olga pulled off a stunt no one had ever seen before in an International competition. Her performance was sensational and she won gold in that discipline. She followed it up with an extraordinary display on the floor.
On Uneven Bars, she made a mistake in the qualification round but made it through to the finals. There, she pulled off her boldest maneuver yet. It had never happened before, but this performance was surely deserving of a perfect ten score from the judges.
The judges thought not and awarded Korbut 9.8. Some spectators thought there had been a big mistake. However, judges stuck to their decision. It was still enough to give Olga a silver medal. The audacious backward somersault became known as “The Korbut Flip“. But in 2009 that move was banned.
Personal Life
Olga started dating singer Leonid Bortkevich who is known for being one of the main vocalists of the band “Pesniary”. The couple married in 1978 and welcomed their first child, a son named “Richard”. Olga and Leonid were separated in 2000. Olga became a naturalized American citizen after marrying Alex Voinich.
Career Highlights
- 1972 Female Athlete of the Year by Associated Press
- 1972 Sportswoman of the Year by the British Broadcasting Corporation
- ABC’s Wide World of Sports named her “Athlete of the Year” in 1972
- 1975 Woman of the Year and Gold Tuning Fork by the United Nations
- Being the 1988 inaugural inductee to the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
Olga Korbut Net Worth
Olga Korbut was one of the bright stars of Soviet gymnastics and gained popularity with her nickname “Sparrow from Minsk”. She caught the eye from her first appearance in Munich.
Olga had been training relentlessly from the age of 12 back home in Minsk, in modern-day Belarus. It was Olga who won people’s hearts and had the support of millions when it came to Individual events.
Korbut made headlines when she showed her skills with her impressive flip which was later called “Dead Loop“. Though the flip was banned in 2009, she quickly became a role model for young gymnasts. As of 2023, Olga Korbut’s net worth is estimated to be $3 Million.
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