VAULT

This video is a little long but it's so interesting because it shows the evolution of the vault. Some of the early footage is from the 1970's. You can see how the skills get more and more complicated and you can also see how the equipment has changed. Do you think girls today are better trained or is it that technology has changed? Why do you think they can do much harder stunts?

Uneven BARS

In the 1976 Olympics a young girl from Belarus named Olga Korbut became the first real "famous" gymnast. She is credited for being the person to turn gymnastics into the popular sport that it is today. She is also given credit for easing tension between Russia and the United States during the Cold War. She was and still is a very influential athlete. Ask your parents if they know her. Here is her beam routine in the 1976 Olympics.



In the 2008 Olympics, an American named Nastia Liukin won a gold medal in the uneven bars. This video is her routine in the Pac Rim Championships in 2008. Notice how much longer and more difficult this routine is compared to Olga Korbut's routine in 1976.