REWIND : WEEK EIGHT 11/11 : 1972 Olympics

[MaryClare]

Because this coverage is beautiful, seriously beautiful, a work of art in itself.

The 80s has legendary status in the sport, but actually I think the 70s was better. The leotards, the piano music, everything.

1972 is often seen as the birth of modern gymnastics. But I disagree. It has much more in common with the previous decade.

 

[irichluck21]

OOOOOH good find! Can't wait to watch later.

 

[JaJa]

Evolution of a sport

 

[Bob]

love it.

 

[IratePanda]

The East Germans were so much nicer to watch back then. I really did not enjoy them from 1976-88.

 

[naimushina]

I rlly think Korbut should've received the first 10 here, not Comaneci

 

[MaryClare]

I rlly think Korbut should've received the first 10 here, not Comaneci

On which routine?

 

[IratePanda]

I rlly think Korbut should've received the first 10 here, not Comaneci

And I would have given 10s to Karin Janz on UB and FX. She was brilliant.

 

[Denn]

And I would have given 10s to Karin Janz on UB and FX. She was brilliant.

I forgot that Janz and Tourischeva tied in prelims. (Scores) So you would have also had Janz winning the AA!

I'm not sure I'm all the way there on that. Janz had trouble on the free hip to HS and also had trouble kipping out of that transition to the high bar. Her EF routine, below, was quite a bit better — truly spectacularly performed (for the time), except the dismount, which is maybe why it was a 9.9 and not a 10.0 in event finals?


I also feel that her floor didn't have the amplitude of movement that Tourischeva's did — both in the elements and the dance. And that double full Tourischeva did as a mount pass was a big deal in 1972! So I can see why Janz got 9.7 to Tourischeva's 9.9 on floor.

 

[MaryClare]

THERE IS A FULL F*CKIN ORCHESTRA, in formal attire, seated to the side of the floor area. Purely to play the national anthem of the winning athlete. Handily for them, they only had to learn 3 anthems across the men’s and women’s competition!

Why is everything so cheap and rubbish these days?!

 

[Denn]

Holy crap — I didn't see that!!! I don't think I had any idea that a live band was used back then. I assumed it was a recording on some kind of reel-to-reel tape or something.

My guess is that they jumped from competition to competition. Hmm...

 

[KorbutFan]

Well to be fair Munich ‘only’ had to cater for 7,134 athletes. There were 10,500 in Paris.

I do dislike the use of digital flags though.