
Korbut Flip
There are two gymnastics skills that are known by the name Korbut Flip. Both are extremely difficult, and were first performed by Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut. [1]
The first is performed on the uneven bars. The gymnast stands on the high bar, performs a back flip into open air, and catches the bar again. When Korbut performed it at the 1972 Summer Olympics, it was the first backwards release move ever attempted on the uneven bars. In 1977, Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina modified the flip by adding a full twist. The movement was later modified in the 1980s when it was performed towards the low bar; that is, the gymnast's flip takes place above the bars rather than behind them. The Korbut flip is still considered to be one of the most difficult moves that can be performed on the bar.
The Korbut Flip on uneven bars is no longer allowed in gymnastics competition because it involves standing on the high bar, a maneuver which is now illegal in the Code of Points.
The second move is a standing back flip to swing down, so that the person lands straddled on the beam. Performed on the balance beam. This movement has been modified many times to includes a full twist, piked or tucked legs, or to be performed in sequence with other movements. This movement is still considered exceptionally difficult.
References
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