Korbut

Korbut is a surname of Slavic origin. The most widely known bearer is Olga Korbut (born 1955), a Soviet artistic gymnast whose performances at the 1972 Munich Olympics helped popularize the sport worldwide.

Olga Korbut was born in Grodno, then part of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, and trained under coach Renald Knysh. She rose to international prominence in the early 1970s and became one of gymnastics’ most recognizable figures. At the Munich Games she won several medals and captivated audiences with her expressive style and willingness to attempt difficult routines. Her success contributed to a shift in gymnastics toward higher difficulty and greater showmanship, aided by growing television coverage.

The Korbut flip is a gymnastics element named after her, performed on the uneven bars, and the routines she popularized featured innovations that influenced scoring and technique in the sport. Her performances helped broaden global audiences for women’s gymnastics and left a lasting impact on how the sport was presented and judged.

Following her competitive career, Korbut worked as a coach and remained involved in gymnastics through exhibitions and public appearances. The surname Korbut is now closely associated in the public mind with her contributions to gymnastics, though the name may appear in other, unrelated contexts.