An extremely risky gymnastics routine was so dangerous that it was performed only one time before getting banned for the last half a century.
The move is called the ‘deadloop’, as those who choose to perform it literally put their life on the line.
The banned move involves a gymnast standing on the high bar, performing a backflip, and catching the bar on their way back. If unsuccessful, the athlete can fall from high up and crash onto the bar.
The move was performed only once back in 1972 at the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany by Belarussian athlete Olga Korbut, whom the move was named after (the Korbut flip), and has been banned ever since.
"This ability to conquer oneself is no doubt the most precious of all things sports bestows."
– #OlgaKorbut 🇧🇾🤸♂️🥇🥇#OnThisDay in 1972 gymnast #OlgaKorbut won gold medals for the balance beam and the floor exercise, at the Games of the XX Olympiad, in #Munich #Germany. pic.twitter.com/hs9HyyiQRs— Eric Streetman (@EricStreetman) September 1, 2022
The risk of head or bone-breaking cannot be overstated, and in addition, it the deathloop is also extremely difficult to perform.
Five decades ago, the Belarussian was allowed to perform the deadly move, even though her performance may have been the main cause for it getting banned.
All 4' 11" and 84-pounds, the USSR's #OlgaKorbut had the Olympic crowds cheering in Munich OTD in 1972 as she performed nearly flawless & boldly athletic, #gymnastics. #ColdWar tensions melted as the 17 y/o #SparrowfromMinsk won 3 gold medals (Team, Balance Beam, Floor Exercise). pic.twitter.com/o5SrjGrqge
— Dr. Paul (@DrPnygard) August 31, 2022
Back in the old days, prior to this event, gymnastics was very different from what it is today, with moves that weren’t nearly as dramatic as today’s.
I was a competitive gymnast in the early 80’s and Korbut was my hero. This large framed picture of her still hangs on my wall. For me her routines were – and always will be – perfection 👌 #olgakorbut pic.twitter.com/6vDw6ZexHZ
— Les (@lesleylena) August 31, 2022
In addition, there were massive developments in sporting equipment over the years, so if modern day athletes went back in time and tried to train and perform under the harsh conditions of old, one might say that they would’ve suffered massive injuries.
See the deathloop in action as performed by Olga Korbut back in 1972 in the video below:
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