International book international book of favorite sports2 | Page 51

While Korbut retired from gymnastics in 1977 at the age of 22, which was
considered young for gymnasts of the period, Korbut's influence and legacy in
gymnastics was far reaching. Korbut's 1972 Olympic performances are widely
credited as redefining gymnastics, changing the sport from emphasising ballet
and elegance to acrobatics and technique, as well as changing popular opinion
of gymnastics as a niche sport to one of the most popular sports in the world.
https://i.pinimg.com/474x/39/bf/d1/39bfd1681d774c247d86f42f81b6a6b8---olympics-balance-beam.jpg
Oksana Chusovitina- born 19 June 1975) is a world and Olympic level gymnast
who has competed for the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan, and Germany.
Chusovitina's career as an elite gymnast has spanned more than a quarter
century. She won the USSR Junior Nationals in 1988 and began competing at the
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