Former top Olympic gymnast Olga Korbut sells off medals

[uk666 5,298]

Former top Olympic gymnast Olga Korbut sells off medals

 

 

Olga Korbut, the Soviet gymnast who charmed the world at the 1972 Munich Olympics, has sold her medal haul and other trophies in a US auction.

 

The sale of seven lots - including two golds and a silver from the Munich Games - fetched $183,300 (£147,000) for Korbut. The most expensive item was her team gold ($66,000).

 

One of Korbut's gold medals from 1972

 

Born in Belarus, she moved to the US in 1991. Now 61, she lives in Arizona. Russia's Gazeta.ru news reports that she has had financial difficulties.

"Medals saved Korbut from hunger."

 

Today, aged 61, Korbut lives a quiet life in Arizona

 

 

Heritage Auctions, organiser of the sale, says "there is hardly a gymnast alive who doesn't credit this tiny force of nature for the explosion of the sport's popularity on a global level".

 

The sale items included one of her performance leotards, her 1972 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, various Soviet medals and a sports magazine cover signed by her.

 

The Korbut Flip was a spectacular trick that she performed on the asymmetric bars - a trick now banned from the Olympics as it is considered too dangerous.

 

The flip can be seen on YouTube - it begins with a somersault on the top bar:

 

http://youtu.be/c2NGqI6FqeQ

Edited March 1, 2017 by Tech 425

[Tech 425 3,942]

I made the video show here