Nikolai Andrianov (October 14, 1952 – March 21, 2011) was a Soviet/Russian gymnast…..who held the record for men for the most Olympic medals at 15….with 7 gold medals, 5 silver medals and 3 bronze medals….until USA swimmer Michael Phelps surpassed him at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Andrianov is the third athlete (male or female) in total Olympic medals after Phelps’s 28…
In a Sports Illustrated article written about the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympic Games women’s gymnastics competitor from Romania, Nadia Comaneci was the following description….“At Montreal, Nadia Comăneci received four of her seven 10’s on the uneven bars….which is an apparatus that demands such a spectacular burst of energy in such a short time….only 23 seconds….that it…
Two gymnastic moves were named for Kurt Thomas….the Thomas Flair….which is a pommel horse move ….and the Thomas salto….which is his signature skill on floor exercise….encompassing a tucked 1.5 backward salto with 1.5 twist into a roll out….which is a difficult and dangerous skill even by today’s standards. The Thomas Flair on pommel horse….which he also performed on floor….was developed over years…
Jim McKay was an American television sports journalist…..who is best known for hosting ABC’s Wide World of Sports from 1961 to 1998…..where his introduction for that program has passed into American pop culture….in which viewers were reminded of the show’s mission of “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports”….along with what lay ahead in “the thrill of victory and the…
In this ABC’s Wide World of Sports episode seen herewith…..legendary sportscaster Jim McKay and Cathy Rigby, the 1st American female to ever win a medal is World Championship competition…..provide highlights from the 1979 USA & USSR Gymnastics Exhibition…..which features performances by USSR’s Elena Mukhina on the uneven bars…..Nicolai Andrianov on the high bar…..Stella Zakharova on the balance…
Acrobatic gymnastics is a competitive gymnastic discipline where partnerships of gymnasts work together and perform figures consisting of acrobatic moves, dance and tumbling….which is set to music. There are three types of routines….a ‘balance’ routine at FIG grade 5 and above….where the focus is on strength, poise and flexibility….a ‘dynamic’ routine that is also FIG grade…
Mary Lou Retton is a retired American gymnast…..who won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games….as well as two silver medals….and two bronze medals…..when her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. Retton’s routine on the uneven bars included a move that came…
This video seen herewith provides a wonderful look into a day spent in New York City by the Romanian women’s gymnastic team during their stay while performing in a USA – Romania gymnastics exhibition…. as ABC’s Jim McKay covers the activities of the team while touring The Big Apple. As I write this post, I can…
Kurt Thomas earned All-America honors 13 times in his career….and was the James E. Sullivan award winner in 1979….as well as the 1979 Nissen Award (the “Heisman” of men’s gymnastics) awardee. He was inducted into the Indiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2010. Thomas became a…