Olga Korbut: personal life, biography, prohibited element. Last news

Many people are interested in how to become a strong, successful person and achieve heights in life. Studying the biographies of outstanding people helps in this. Who are they, how did they achieve success and fame? Maybe they are built differently or have different living conditions compared to ordinary people? Let's see if this is so, using the example of the biography of Olga Korbut, an artistic gymnast, an object of admiration and admiration for people from many countries around the world. They called her “Russian prima”, “Russian chicken”, “miniature beauty”.

Olga's family and home

The story of Olga Korbut is reminiscent of the fairy tale about Cinderella. She was born in the Belarusian city of Grodno on May 16, 1955. The girl did not have rich or famous parents. On the contrary, she grew up in a very ordinary family: her father was an engineer, and her mother was a cook. Living conditions were more than modest - the family huddled in a room without amenities with an area of 20 m2. But, in addition to Olya, three more girls grew up in the family. Six people in one room!

The beginning of the sports journey

Olya studied “excellent” in primary school. In second grade, she was accepted into the school gymnastics section. There was no money for equipment, so my mother made slippers from a terry towel and a swimsuit from a long T-shirt. Later, at the age of ten, Olya went to a sports school with coach Renald Knysh. At first, he did not believe in the girl, who was too plump, in his opinion. But another coach, Knysh’s student, Elena Volchetskaya, an Olympic champion, saw something in Olya, and she was given a chance. Gradually, Renald Knysh came to appreciate the young gymnast. Among many girls, he was looking for the most capable one, from whom he could nurture a future champion. The coach was able to see huge potential in the small and nondescript Korbut.

In general, Olya and Renald Knysh formed a harmonious tandem: he is striving for novelty, taking risks, stubborn, uncompromising, she is also stubborn, talented, flexible, very efficient, strong in body and spirit, wanting to perform and amaze the public. Simply created for gymnastics! Later, in an interview, Olga Korbut will say that all the most important things in her life - both good and not so good - are connected with gymnastics.

The difficult character of the future champion

The girl was very emotional and spontaneous. Gymnast Olga Korbut spoke about the complexity of her character in an interview, calling her character unbearable. She couldn’t help herself: either she wanted to do an exercise that the coach did not allow her to do, or, on the contrary, she flatly refused to demonstrate some trivial element suggested by Ren (as Korbut called him). The strength of her athletic character was also visible here.

Olga Korbut’s sports biography contains magnificent achievements. The athlete, together with her coach, developed her new, unusual, risky gymnastics. For the first time, Olga loudly declared herself by performing a somersault on a balance beam at a youth competition at the age of 14.

For several years, he and Renald Knysh persistently prepared this sensational element, but with varying degrees of success. Skeptics did not believe that the girl would be able to achieve consistency in performing somersaults, and that she would be able to compete with this in international competitions. But they miscalculated: Olya exhausted herself with repetitions of a unique element, and everything began to work out.

Korbut's first important victory

The first significant sports victory was won by the gymnast at the USSR Championships in 1970. Olga received a gold medal for vault. As a result, the girl joined the USSR national team.

Success at the Munich Olympics

Olga Korbut's first Olympics was approaching - in 1972 in the German city of Munich. The girl was 17 years old, the gymnast was in excellent athletic shape. Together with the coach, they prepared a unique program, full of new products and risky elements. The hour of Olga Korbut’s world triumph was approaching.

Petite (height - 152 cm), with perky ponytails tied with bright ribbons, flexible and pliable, with surprisingly clean and smooth lines, creating something stunning on gymnastics equipment, Olya made a splash. And the world was especially struck by Korbut’s “dead loop”. Until now, no one has done such a risky element in women's artistic gymnastics. The girl stood on the top rail of the uneven bars and jumped into a back somersault, grabbed the top bar and then continued her beautiful combination at a fast pace. She moved so easily and smoothly, as if the force of gravity did not act on her.

The stands rejoiced. Olga landed accurately and firmly, straightened up triumphantly and lit up with a happy smile. In general, her smile is also a kind of calling card: wide, sincere, joyful, captivating.

Olya Korbut performed superbly both on the balance beam and in the floor exercise, receiving gold for both. A new composition for freestyle “Kalinka”, specially staged before the Olympics, demonstrated in all its splendor the girl’s magnificent acrobatics and her artistry.

But on the parallel bars she still lost to the German gymnast Karin Janz and became second. In the team competition, Olga received a gold medal, a total of three golds and one silver! An inspiring result for the Olympic debutante.

The history of the “dead loop” by Olga Korbut

The athlete demonstrated this very risky unique element for the first time in 1969 at the USSR Championship.

How did the phenomenal Korbut “loop” appear, which later blew up the Olympic stands? Renald Knysh said that one day during training Olya was just playing around on the uneven bars and suddenly did something out of the ordinary. The coach immediately sensed the unusualness of what was performed and tried to reproduce the element performed in his memory. This is how Olga Korbut’s legendary “dead loop” was born, which took years to perfect.

In an interview, the gymnast said that she was always scared to death of this element and, before going to the uneven bars, she overcame a great desire to run away from the competition to the whistling and hooting of angry fans. But, of course, she went and performed her composition. Not once did she fall off or get injured while performing the “loop.”

The paradox is that during all the time she competed at international competitions, the gymnast did not win a single gold medal in the uneven bars exercises. All the first places for this apparatus usually went to German athletes, and Olya was given the highest awards for exercises on the balance beam and floor. It's a shame, strange, but true.

Subsequently, Elena Mukhina repeated the “loop”, improving it (adding a screw). But one day Mukhina miscalculated something and during training, while repeating a treacherous element, she fell from the uneven bars, suffered a spinal fracture and lay paralyzed for 25 years. After this tragic incident, making a “dead loop” was prohibited. Now, according to the rules of artistic gymnastics, female athletes are not allowed to stand on the top rail of this apparatus.

Stream of worldwide fame

After the Olympics in Munich, fame literally fell on young Olga. She was idolized by fans from different countries, and as soon as she came to a store abroad, they immediately gave her goods for free. She bought a wig and dark glasses, but this did not help at all to disguise herself - they still recognized her, approached her, and took autographs.

Soviet athletes traveled to different countries with demonstration performances, and people came to see, first of all, the “Russian little sparrow.” In the USA, 200 gyms were named after Olga Korbut and a boom in artistic gymnastics began.

Meeting between Korbut and the US President

Olga met with US President Richard Nixon. Subsequently, Russian diplomats admitted to her that she had accomplished in Soviet-American politics what they had failed to accomplish in 5 years. Olga talked to Nixon completely at ease.

Nixon said to Olga: “What a little girl,” to which she, not recognizing him, answered the tall Nixon in not very good English: “You are a big boy.” The laughter among those around did not stop for several minutes. Then the team was invited to dinner. There was a feeling of warmth in relations between the countries. It was after Olga’s visit to America and her meeting with President Nixon that he flew to the USSR in 1974 during the Cold War.

Change of coach

Soon the athlete broke up with her coach Renald Knysh and began training with Olga Alekseeva. These were mentors with completely different characters. Alekseeva is calmer, more friendly, she managed to become Olga’s older friend, but this did not stop her from being a demanding and strict teacher.

World Championships in Varna

At the World Championships in 1974 in Varna, Bulgaria, Olga felt in the best sports shape of her entire sports life. During the competition, the gymnast earned two gold (in team competitions and for vault) and four silver awards (all-around, uneven bars, beam, floor). In the all-around, Lyudmila Turishcheva, Korbut’s constant rival, won gold, and Olga felt the injustice of what was happening, because she showed beautiful, clean, innovative gymnastics and was in excellent shape.

And the audience was violently indignant when they saw little Korbut’s grades. But sport is sport, what can you do.

Victories in the USSR and the Olympics in Montreal

And further in Olga Korbut’s biography is victory in the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR and the title of absolute champion of the USSR in 1975. In 1976 - the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada. There Olga Valentinovna Korbut won a gold medal as part of the team and received silver for her performance on the balance beam. This seemingly not very victorious performance was due to the aggravation of a long-standing ankle injury, and in order not to leave the competition altogether, Olga and her coach had to simplify their program as much as possible, removing from it the most spectacular and dangerous elements that were stored in abundance.

Leaving the sport

At the age of 23, in 1978, Olga Valentinovna Korbut decided to leave big sport, and her ceremonial farewell was held at international competitions in Moscow. Afterwards there were demonstration performances by Russian gymnasts in Tehran, where Korbut finally once again delighted the fans with her skills. The audience begged: “Don’t go, Olga!” But a new stage in life had already begun.

Personal life of Olga Korbut

In the biography of Olga Korbut there is a place not only for sporting achievements, but also for beautiful love. One day on the plane she met the lead singer of the famous VIA “Pesnyary” Leonid Bortkevich. Olya flew with the athletes, and Leonid flew with the musicians. Both sat apart from their groups, and Olga invited the young man to be bored together. As a result, they talked for 6 hours. Finally, Bortkevich wrote Olga his phone number. And she called back... a year later, when she was lonely and she accidentally saw Leonid’s number. We met, looked at each other for a long time, and the girl realized that love had come. Apparently, Leonid felt the same, as a result of which they got married and lived for 22 years. Olga gave birth to Leonida's son Richard, contrary to the doctors' predictions (they thought that she would not be able to give birth).

Olga Korbut could have two children, because she and Bortkevich were expecting a second son, whom it had already been decided to name Vanya. But the child was stillborn.

Everything in the family was normal, but for charity, Korbut began to fly to America often, eventually moving there permanently. She was still loved in the USA and received many offers of cooperation in the sports field. Leonid could not find a place for himself in America and returned to Russia to continue his musical career. The family broke up.

Olga later married journalist Alexei Voynich, but the marriage was very short.

Now everything is fine in Olga Korbut’s personal life. She is going to marry American Jay Shenfilt, a marketing specialist. Their relationship has been going on for 10 years. The chosen one is 17 years younger than the athlete, but the age difference does not bother them. Korbut also became a grandmother in 2013: Richard gave birth to a son, Valentin.

Merits in gymnastics

Olga Korbut left a significant mark in artistic gymnastics. Her achieve- , a daring, sometimes accelerated manner of performing elements, creating your own unique style.

How Olga Korbut lives now

Olga Valentinovna lives in the small American city of Scottsdale, in the state of Arizona. She trains gymnasts individually and has also developed her own fitness program and teaches fitness. She also receives royalties from the elements she invented in artistic gymnastics.

The former gymnast looks great, feels good, she has maintained her previous weight (42 kg), monitors her diet - she eats mainly fruit and vegetable salads.

An example to follow

The biography of Olga Korbut shows how the most ordinary, poor and homely girl, thanks to her perseverance, hard work, spontaneity and courage, became a famous athlete loved by millions of people. Of course, you can’t take away her talent, but every person has his own talents and abilities and can, thanks to perseverance and determination, achieve significant heights in life.

On May 16, 1955, a talented athlete, honored gymnast, master of sports, 4-time Olympic champion, absolute champion of the USSR (1975), 3-time world champion, amazing personality and beautiful woman Olga Valentinovna was born in the BSSR (city of Grodno). Korbut. The legendary Soviet gymnast became the first girl to perform a dangerous somersault on a balance beam during the Olympic Games (“Korbut Loop”). Famous for her unique tricks and outstanding achievements in sports.

Childhood and youth

Olga's parents were simple people: her father was an engineer, her mother was a cook. In addition to the future gymnast, the family raised three more girls - the Korbut sisters. Olga is the youngest favorite. The wealth of an ordinary Soviet family living in a 20 m² room left much to be desired. Perhaps this became the reason for the negative addiction of the young beauty - theft, with which she was caught already at the sports school and they even wanted to expel her, but the coach interceded.

Olga grew up surrounded by courtyard battles, which strengthened her fighting character - stubbornness, unshakable willpower. At school, the girl was not distinguished by her bright abilities and desire for new knowledge. Until the 4th grade I studied without "Cs", but then I gradually "slipped". The question of transferring Korbut to an educational institution for mentally retarded children was even raised.

In the 2nd grade, Olga’s sports skills were noticed by school physical teacher Ya.I. The king decided to take the lively girl to the gymnastics section (1963). Later, Olya tried to enroll in a youth sports school, but initially the girl was not accepted, considering her “fat.”

When Korbut turned 10 years old, the girl went back to sports school, where she met Olympic champion Elena Volchetskaya, who decided to work with the baby. A year later, Olga joined the group of Honored Trainer of the USSR Renald Knysh (1965). This man immediately saw talent in the young athlete, an acumen for new elements, and a strong-willed character.

Knysh sought to create something new, unknown to the sports community. Knysh constantly fantasized, invented special elements and actively introduced them through the young gymnast. It was a difficult collaboration, full of grievances, tears and gossip, but the result was success, popularity and fame.

Gymnastics

At the age of 14, Korbut became a participant in the Olympic Hopes youth competition. Olga made a splash by performing the most difficult gymnastic element - a somersault on a balance beam. They started talking loudly about the future champion. Afterwards, the coach added several more unique tricks to Olga’s “arsenal” of skills, performed at an unusual pace. This gave the athlete a new “color”.

The biography of the gymnast is closely intertwined with Lyudmila Turishcheva, a competitor who in her works personifies the old-style academic school of gymnastics. Olga was distinguished by innovation and risk-taking. The athletes were constantly compared, emphasizing the merits of both.

In 1972, during the Munich Olympics, Korbut lost to Turishcheva, making a serious mistake while performing her signature number (biased judging). In subsequent performances, the girl became a favorite, received a huge number of audience sympathy and 3 gold medals.

Only in 1999, shocking information appeared in American publications about the cruel treatment of Renald Knysh (Rena) with his student. This was a confession from Korbut herself. It turned out that in Munich, after Olga’s victory, a drunken coach Ren burst into her room. For several hours, Knysh beat and raped the 18-year-old gymnast. In 2011, Renald publicly refuted the statement, expressing his desire to spit in the athlete’s face.

In 1973, Olga, as a member of the USSR gymnastics team, went to the USA on a 20-day tour. There she was called a Russian prima, a miniature beauty, Korbut’s popularity knew no bounds.

The girl’s external feature was her charm, small stature (152 cm), childlike spontaneity and the incredible complexity of the prepared program.

After 4 years, Knysh transferred Korbut to another coach - Olga Alekseeva. For the athlete, this was a new training format, because Alekseeva’s methods were significantly different from the previous master. Kind, sociable, but confident and unshakable, Alekseeva became Korbut’s friend and was always by her side during the most difficult period for the athlete.

In 1976, performing at the Olympics, Olga won only 1 gold medal (team event), but did not lose her popularity. At the age of 23, the girl decided to say goodbye to her career as a gymnast, and even thought about finding herself in equestrian sports. Korbut later returned to the sport as a coach in the United States.

"Korbut Loop"

The “Korbut Loop” is a free gymnastic trick – a backward jump with two legs. This element was performed for the first time by Olga, which is why it was named after her.

Olga worked on a unique exercise for 5 years together with coach Knysh. She demonstrated the loop in 1969 (14 years old) at the USSR Championship. The girl felt fear every time she performed a dangerous somersault.

In 1978, Elena Mukhina improved the risk element by adding a screw. Now the “Korbut Loop” is a prohibited technique in gymnastics, because The new rules do not allow competition participants to stand with their feet on the top of the sports equipment (uneven bars).

The reason for this was the unfortunate fall of the gymnast Mukhina in 1980 during preparation for the Olympic Games. The girl hit her head on the floor and broke her spine. The athlete was bedridden for 26 years.

After Olga showed her enchanting loop, clubs, schools, and gyms opened in the United States under the majestic surname Korbut. An interesting fact is the creation of documentary videos and feature films dedicated to the life and achievements of the majestic athlete (“Miracle with Pigtails” - 1974, “Korbut Loop” - 2007).

Personal life

Gymnastics fans know the love story of Olga Korbut and her husband, lead singer of the Pesnyary group Leonid Bortkevich. The future spouses met in 1976 on a plane on which a team of athletes and a musical group were flying to the United States on tour.

The gymnast chatted with Leonid, who was married at that time, for 8 hours on end, and a year later, having learned about his first wife’s infidelity, Bortkevich decided to call his young fellow traveler while drunk. Olga rushed to his house, cleaned up, cooked dinner and left. In the evening of the next day, Lenya went to her hotel, and in the morning he told his mother by phone that he was getting married. Soon the couple decided to live together. After some time, the lovers got married.

Olga Korbut and Leonid Bortkevich with their son

While married, Korbut received a higher education (diploma in history). Olga often toured with her chosen one and dreamed of children. Years spent in a dangerous sport affected the girl’s health, but God sent the couple a son, Richard. The next child from Bortkevich, whom the parents wanted to name Vanechka, was stillborn.

Pensions in the USSR paid to athletes at that time were meager. Olga regularly received invitations from America, but could not obtain permission to leave. The sports legend was “awarded” with cars and cash prizes, but all this was strangely appropriated by officials.

In 1989, the family won the right to cross the border. In the USA, Olga took up teaching. She taught American girls gymnastics, wrote memoirs at the same time, and participated in television shows.

In 2000, Leonid returned to Belarus, the couple separated, having lived together for 22 years. The reason is her husband’s constant tours, and as a result, Olga’s betrayal with a man 25 years younger than her. The young lover Alex became Korbut’s second husband, and the gymnast maintained friendly relations with her first.

In 2017, Korbut put her gold medals and some personal belongings (32 lots) up for auction, earning $225,000. This served to spread rumors about her crisis financial situation and problems in her personal life.

In fact, Olga Valentinovna now lives comfortably and even luxuriously with her third husband in the town of Scottsdale (Arizona). The new chosen one, David, is the heir of a wealthy philanthropist father and fully provides for his beloved.

The couple moved to Arizona because the former gymnast had low blood pressure. Here Korbut is warm and comfortable. In America, Olga has influential friends (, etc.).

Korbut gave up gymnastics. Today Olga Korbut went into fitness, developing her own program. The Soviet queen of sports is in great shape and leads a healthy lifestyle (Korbut’s weight is 42 kilograms).

The official website of the Russian athlete contains photos of Olga’s hobbies: tourism, cooking, sports. The legendary personality also sells photographs with his own autographs.

Son Korbut lives in Russia (St. Petersburg), is engaged in business, and is a programmer by profession. Richard is married to a St. Petersburg girl, Anna, and they have a common son, Valentin (named after the father of a famous grandmother). Relatives sometimes meet, but rarely.

Achievements

4-time Olympic champion (1972 - team championship, balance beam and floor exercise, 1976 - team championship).
Two-time vice-champion of the Olympic Games (1972 - uneven bars, 1976 - balance beam).
1974 world champion in vault.
World champion 1970 and 1974 in the team championship.
Winner of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR and absolute Champion of the USSR in 1975, multiple Champion of the USSR.
Winner of the silver medal at the 1973 European Championship in the absolute championship.

The beginning of the sports journey

The difficult character of the future champion

Korbut's first important victory

The first significant sports victory was won by the gymnast at the USSR Championships in 1970. Olga received a gold medal for vault. As a result, the girl joined the USSR national team.

Success at the Munich Olympics

Petite (height - 152 cm), with perky ponytails tied with bright ribbons, flexible and plastic, with surprisingly clean and smooth lines, creating something stunning on gymnastics equipment, Olya created a sensation. And the world was especially struck by Korbut’s “dead loop”. Until now, no one has done such a risky element in women's artistic gymnastics. The girl stood on the top rail of the uneven bars and jumped into a back somersault, grabbed the top bar and then continued her beautiful combination at a fast pace. She moved so easily and smoothly, as if the force of gravity did not act on her.

The history of the “dead loop” by Olga Korbut

The athlete demonstrated this very risky unique element for the first time in 1969 at the USSR Championship.

Stream of worldwide fame

Meeting between Korbut and the US President

Change of coach

World Championships in Varna

And the audience was violently indignant when they saw little Korbut’s grades. But sport is sport, what can you do.

Victories in the USSR and the Olympics in Montreal

Leaving the sport

Personal life of Olga Korbut

Olga Korbut could have two children, because she and Bortkevich were expecting a second son, whom it had already been decided to name Vanya. But the child was stillborn.

Olga later married journalist Alexei Voynich, but the marriage was very short.

Merits in gymnastics

Olga Korbut left a significant mark in artistic gymnastics. Her achieve- , a daring, sometimes accelerated manner of performing elements, creating your own unique style.

How Olga Korbut lives now

The former gymnast looks great, feels good, she has maintained her previous weight (42 kg), monitors her diet - she eats mainly fruit and vegetable salads.

An example to follow

Olga Korbut: biography, personal life, sporting achievements - all the nuances of beauty on the site

Beauty and style are the main components of the success of every girl. Of course, it’s not bad at all if you also have a sparkling sense of humor and remarkable mental abilities. Anyone who mistakenly believes that to “open all doors” and find personal female happiness is enough to have a pretty face and an excellent figure, but style is not necessary, I hasten to disappoint, even as it is necessary. These are two halves of one whole. A stylish person a priori cannot but be beautiful. This is how our psyche works. We perceive everything unusual and original as beautiful. Beauty and style in the modern interpretation are practically synonymous.

A famous athlete who won the hearts of millions. Honored gymnast, master of sports, Olympic world champion. She is a sports star, an attractive woman and an amazing personality.

Olga Korbut has retired from her sports career, but remains a person whose biography, personal life, family are under the close attention of reporters who are trying to get new photos of the star lady.

Born on May 16, 1955 in the city of Grodno. Mother worked as a cook. My father devoted himself to the profession of engineer. Olya is not the only child in the family. She was raised with three older sisters. Living with a large family in Soviet times is not easy. The size of the living space was 20 m². Parents did not spoil their children with gifts due to lack of money.

yandex_ad_1 Olga admitted that the situation in her family forced her to steal. A girl was caught stealing at a sports school. Korbut got away with the crime thanks to the coach, who saved the future sports star from expulsion.

People who have known Olga since childhood note that from an early age she was different:

unshakable willpower;

stubbornness.

School years

Olga was not interested in school. She showed good abilities and desire to study until the fourth grade, and after that she preferred new hobbies. The teachers were worried about this fact, and the issue of transferring to another school was considered.

By this time, Korbut understood in which direction she wanted to develop, so her studies did not bother her. The school physical education teacher saw in Olga the makings of a talented athlete and invited her to the gymnastics section. It was not possible to enter the Youth Sports School right away. For the first time, the admissions committee did not accept me. The reason for refusal is excess weight.

At the age of 10, the girl tried her luck. This was the beginning of her path to success. Enrolling in a sports school, she met Elena Volchetskaya, an Olympic champion, who believed in the baby and took her under her wing.

Volchetskaya’s efforts were not in vain. A year later, Korbut received a personal trainer, Renald Knysh, who appreciated:

Olga's strong-willed character;

e ability to quickly hone new elements;

desire strives for more.

Knysh’s collaboration with Korbut contributed to the emergence of new elements in gymnastics. The coach came up with complex gymnastic tricks, and Olga performed them with ease. The young gymnast, despite the illusion of an idyll in her relationship with Knysh, describes the partnership as difficult. It was this that gave impetus to fame.

Success in a sports career

The first serious competition was the “Olympic Hope” youth competition, in which Olga impressed the judges with a complex gymnastic element - a somersault on a balance beam. The future star made everyone talk about her. But the first success did not turn my head.

Under the guidance of a coach, she developed and learned new unique tricks, which were performed at an unusual pace. This feature distinguished the athlete among gymnasts.

yandex_ad_2 For a long time, Korbut’s main rival was Lyudmila Turishcheva, who adhered to the academic school of gymnastics in her performances.

Olga preferred:

innovation;

risky style.

The talent of both was amazing, but in the competition there was only one gold medalist. Turishcheva took part in the Munich Olympics. The reason for Korbut’s defeat was a serious mistake, which the judges could not turn a blind eye to. Failure forced the gymnast to work harder.

The title of favorite in all competitions.

Three gold medals.

Incredible number of audience sympathies.

Great success awaited her. During the USSR gymnastics team's tour in the United States, Olga realized that her popularity was limitless. Korbut was treated like a Russian prima. She was considered an attractive athlete because of her petite build, undeniable charm, childlike spontaneity and incredible thirst for victory.

The collaboration with Knysh was coming to an end, the gymnast moved to a new coach. Olga Alekseeva had a different approach to her students. Korbut found in the coach a friend and the reliable support she needed.

At the 1976 Olympics, Korbut received one gold medal in the team event. This did not affect its popularity. At the age of 23, she decided to end her career. There were rumors that Olga was switching to equestrian sports, but the star did not confirm the information. After a while, she returned to gymnastics as a coach.

Personal life

Olga devoted most of her time to her career, but there was a place for love in her busy schedule. Olga Korbut, speaking about her biography, rarely talks about her personal life, family, rarely shares photos, but some facts cannot be hidden from the media.

Many people talked about the romance between Korbut and Leonid Bortkevich. The gymnast met the lead singer of the Pesnyary group on a plane heading to the USA. Olga was flying to the competition, and the musicians were on tour. During the 8 hour flight, Olga and Leonid chatted about everything.

Fate brought them together again a year later, when Bortkevich decided to leave his wife after learning about her betrayal. He called Korbut, and the next day the gymnast was at his house.

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Leonid firmly decided to win the beauty’s heart and marry her. Before the wedding, the couple lived in a civil marriage. Olga seemed happy in her marriage. She went in for sports, received higher education, and became a mother. After retirement, Olga was looking for a way to earn a decent living. Life on retirement was difficult for athletes in the USSR. The former gymnastics star received offers from the United States to work as a coach with young talents.

There were rumors in her homeland that Olga lived luxuriously, receiving money, cars and apartments for her past successes. The gifts were appropriated by officials and they did not reach Korbut.

Getting to America was not easy. But in 1989 it was possible. While settling in a new place, Olga devoted herself to teaching. At the beginning of 2000, Olga and Leonid separated. The marriage lasted 22 years. The man decided to return to Belarus. Later it turned out that his wife cheated on Leonida. The star decided to have an affair with her young lover (the age difference is 25 years).

Alexey Voynich took Korbut away from the family and became the second husband of the gymnast. The marriage did not last long; Olga prefers not to talk about the reasons for the separation.

The third husband is an American named David. Little is known about the last chosen one. The media learned that the man is the heir of a famous philanthropist and supports his wife. The couple resides in Scotts Dale. Olga Valentinovna suffers from pressure changes.

In America, Korbut quickly settled down before her influential husband arrived. I made new friends, including Donald Trump and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Married to the lead singer of the Pesnyary group, Olga gave birth to a son in 1979. The boy was named Richard. Korbut dreamed of experiencing the happiness of motherhood again, but playing sports affected the woman’s health. The second pregnancy ended badly. The star gave birth to a stillborn baby, whom the couple wanted to name Ivan.

Richard, after his parents' divorce, lived with his mother in America and was interested in computer technology. In an interview, the guy admitted that studying at school was easy, but higher education institutions were difficult. Richard, thanks to his mother's connections, opened a business.

The guy did not apply for citizenship, but enjoyed residence rights under the Green Card, which played an important role in his life. Richard was deported to Belarus to his father after counterfeit banknotes were found in his house.

Fans of Olga Korbut who are interested in her biography, personal life, family, and the latest photos of the star know that the woman communicates with her first husband and flies to Belarus to celebrate the holidays with her son.

“I told Vitaly Mutko that I would like to share my experience with Russian gymnasts. He promised to think about it, but so far everything is up in the air.”

On the eve of her 55th birthday, Olga Korbut admitted to MK that she was ready for a new “loop” of fate. She really wants to jump over the ocean and return to Russia.

But I'm not sure I can land on my feet here.

Olympics in Munich, 1972... Olga Korbut, flashing her famous smile, was preparing to do her signature performance - jump on the upper bars, in a matter of seconds make a backward loop in the air and land back on the upper bars. She still doesn’t remember what she did wrong when she fell on the mats... The stands fell silent, the girl cried, hiding her face in her hands, her little pigtails trembled... Spectators on TV screens around the world sobbed along with the athlete.

— Because of that failure, the audience began to feel even more sincere sympathy for you... Do you think that you lost or won something more than a gold medal?

“I didn’t lose even then, although I was very upset,” Olga Korbut answers on the phone with a slight “overseas” accent. — Because I fought not for medals, but for results. And although journalists always remember my first failure, I believe that they loved and recognized me all over the world for my cheerful smile.

— When you arrived in America, Nixon himself met you...

“I personally was given a car right up to the plane’s steps, and when Nixon approached me at the conference, I didn’t recognize him: “You’re so small!” — He looked down at me with a smile. “You’re not a big boy either!” — I didn’t reach into my pocket for a word. And then it turned out that in front of me was the President of the United States.

— Did you already know English well then?

“I realized that I needed a language after I came to a demonstration performance in Japan, and in the evening I went out for a walk and lost my way to my hotel. Passersby did not understand me. Then I found the key to my room and showed the name of the hotel to the policeman, who accompanied me - it turned out that it was only two blocks away, but I remembered the lesson for a long time.

— It must have been difficult for you to leave big sport shortly after the 1976 Olympics - then you had to remove your famous “loop” from the program...

— In professional sports, I suffered 23 fractures and 4 concussions, and it was during the Olympics in Montreal that old wounds made themselves felt - after the first competition I began to openly limp. And I realized that it was time to quit... I was offered to be the coach of the Soviet artistic gymnastics team, for this I had to be a member of the party, but I lost my party card. There was a “punishment” for this in the Union - expulsion for a year, but I couldn’t stand idle that long. And from Atlanta I received an offer to sign a coaching contract. And I accepted it.

— How many years did you make the “loop” after that?

“The first time I made a loop was by accident and I perfected this trick for 20 years. Even after moving to America in 1988, she honed her skills at demonstration performances. Now, of course, I don’t do the “loop” anymore - for this I need to constantly train. Although I am in good shape, I have developed and teach a special shaping program that is suitable for any age - from 5 to 90, with it you can eat anything and look great.

- What, do you eat hamburgers?

— I still promote healthy eating, and fast food is a garbage dump! I myself adhere to a vegetable and fruit diet... Although I love pizza, I don’t order from restaurants - I always cook it myself.

Ups and downs

Today Olga Korbut is not married. After 22 years of marriage, in 2000 she divorced her husband, lead singer of “Pesnyary” Leonid Bortkevich. He did not take root in America and returned to Belarus, and although he and his ex-wife are separated by an ocean, they still consider each other close people...

“We talk on the phone almost every day,” says Leonid Bortkevich. “It’s very difficult for Olga there.”

— It’s symbolic that you met on a plane flying to the USA...

- This is fate... In 1973, “Pesnyary” and I flew to America for the first time. And they got on the same plane with the gymnasts. We started getting acquainted. I was not in the mood for noisy company, and Olga also hid in a secluded corner of the salon - they began to get bored together. And we chatted with her for seven hours straight. “I will never marry an artist or an athlete,” she admitted to me with a laugh. Then our paths diverged, and a year later Olga called me exactly a few days after my first wife cheated on me. She herself was also supposed to get married, but she quarreled with her athlete fiance and literally ran away from the wedding. When she showed up on my doorstep, I was stunned by her beauty. “Can I come in?” — my future wife defused the situation. And she came into my life for 22 years.

— Did you decide to get married right away?

“We immediately began to live together. And the Central Committee married us, they called us from the party and gave us a surprise: “Tomorrow you have a wedding, the banquet has been ordered!” I had to invite friends at high speed. Five hundred people gathered, even Kobzon was invited...

— Did they also provide the bride with a dress?

— Did Olga have psychological trauma from the fact that coach Knysh was too persistent in pursuing her?

- Yes, we had to overcome this problem together. Although she spoke of him with great respect. And when Knysh’s predilections for minors came to light, we went together to the prosecutor and begged him to close the criminal case. Still, she loved him on some level.

— Was Richard the long-awaited son?

— Olga just left sports, in the Union she was assigned a lifelong allowance of 300 rubles, and for three years she traveled with “Pesnyary” throughout the Union, it was the happiest time in my life. And my wife was spoiled by trips abroad, but she didn’t know her homeland at all. We were afraid that after so many injuries she would not be able to give birth, we did not succeed for a long time... We named Richard in honor of my grandfather, the Polish prince.

— You also had to go through a difficult time: your second child was stillborn, and then Olga herself almost died due to an accident... How did you cope with this?

“Misfortunes indeed haunted us at one time.” It was especially difficult for Olga. They had already come up with a name for the second child; they wanted to call him Vanechka. But the day before the birth, the Belarusian doctor examined Olga unsuccessfully... We never found out what really happened. Everyone called us with congratulations the next day, and we cried into the phone, reporting our grief. Olga was terribly depressed, she tried to forget herself in her new achievements - she took up sports dressage horses, but before one meeting with journalists in the stable, the horse threw himself from the saddle and pierced the chest with his hoof. Olga had three internal bleedings, before my eyes in the hospital she almost died - she was already starting to turn blue when she was given a blood transfusion...

Arizona Dream

“We decided to leave for America not only for career reasons, but also after the Chernobyl disaster, which hit Minsk hard,” says Olga Korbut. “We were worried about our son’s health.

But Leonid Bortkevich had to leave his favorite business for this...

“I spent a whole month transferring my responsibilities to the remaining members of the group,” he says. - In Atlanta, they gave us a house, Olga was surrounded by fans, she trained gymnasts and went on demonstrations, and for two years I was completely idle, studying with Richard, whom we got into a local school. Then I sent out my resume, and one company invited me to sell photographic equipment, which I did for five years.

— What made you return to Belarus?

“We had a good relationship with Olga, but I really missed my homeland and what I loved. And I realized that profession is the meaning of life for me when I was invited to a festival in Belarus. I went out onto the hay again, sang “Birch Sap”, the audience stood up... And I went backstage and cried. When I returned to America, I told Olga that I couldn’t live like this anymore. To be honest, there was also a woman in Belarus, Svetlana, with whom I fell in love a long time ago, but I did not cheat on Olga... She waited for me ten years later.

- Olga calmly let you go?

“She understood everything, we are close people... So that she would not be left alone, I even sent her a groom from Belarus myself. Our mutual friend Alex had been in love with her for a long time, we went with him to the consul, and honestly told him why we wanted to send Alex to America. He understood everything. And for some time Olga lived with him, but then they ran away - they didn’t get along in character.

— Why did your son Richard also return to Belarus?

“He trained in America to be a programmer and showed such talent in this matter that the American intelligence services caught him hacking. They offered either cooperation with them or deportation. And Richard chose the second - now he has his own company in Belarus. And Olga was left in America completely alone.

— What’s the dark story when Olga was detained for theft in a supermarket in 2002?

- Yes, she just forgot her wallet in the car, there were only $19 worth of groceries. Olga was arrested because Russians often steal from stores. And during a search in her house, they found counterfeit bills - Richard printed them out of self-indulgence. I had to pay a deposit for Olga - $600.

Korbut admitted to a MK reporter that she was always interested in American men and she recently gave preference to one of them.

- But no details, so as not to jinx it.

— Olga, in 2008, for the first time in 20 years, you came to Moscow. Could you live in the capital of Russia?

“During that visit, I told Vitaly Mutko that I would like to share my experience with Russian gymnasts, I have something to teach them, I have enormous experience. And I would leave my profitable work in America for this. He promised to think about the proposal, but for now it hung in the air. It’s strange, but I travel a lot around the world, all countries have invited me to the Olympics. But I’m not sure whether they’ll invite me to Sochi...