Top 34 Quotes & Sayings by Olga Korbut

Explore popular quotes and sayings by a Russian athlete Olga Korbut.

Last updated on April 14, 2025.

Olga Valentinovna Korbut is a former gymnast who competed for the Soviet Union. Nicknamed the "Sparrow from Minsk", she won four gold medals and two silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games, in which she competed in 1972 and 1976 for the Soviet team, and was the inaugural inductee to the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1988.

Russian - Athlete | Born: May 16, 1955

Source: Wikipedia

But let me do I will show the world what gymnastics looks like. Well may be this is a future gymnastics.

Olga Korbut

I feel great. I feel younger. And I don't feel anything at all. I don't know who knows, but right now I'm, how, how many years have I, fifty five, something like that. Forty three years old. And I feel like seventeen, like twenty five years ago.

Olga Korbut

And, in nineteen seventy two Olympic Games I wasn't really going to be a star, and overnight I became a star.

Olga Korbut

Finally I almost dropped gymnastics because I couldn't live without create, and you know, and then, all public in the world start to say, we don't want to see gymnastics without OLGA.

Olga Korbut

And in nineteen seventy two I almost wasn't, on the team, but I knew about it just before Olympic Games for three months before this why this is was not very good for me. I'd been ready to go, you know.

Olga Korbut

Thank god, and now all I have are, twenty one years together, in January and, you know, I, you know I forgot this all about things. And anyway the first place is good thing.

Olga Korbut

But probably this is helps to win, to win, to gold, more gold medals, and to win most my important medal, heart of people. This is most important for me.

Olga Korbut

Up to nineteen seventy six when I quit gymnastics I was very, disappointed because I didn't have anything which is, live with. I didn't have a friend so I didn't have a coach anymore.

Olga Korbut

I would say this is not negative this is h, a hard part in gymnastics. You can't eat, whatever you want to eat. And what kind of meal you're supposed to have, you can't.

Olga Korbut

Anyway I will go same road because I, I was born in gymnastics. This is my, how to say, my life and my duty.

Olga Korbut

I think if I wasn't in very high level, I never will be in the team. Cause I was high, in very high level.

Olga Korbut

Then I was lucky I met with my future husband, and I started new life with my husband, and I was happy again. He was a musician. I start to travel with him through Europe also and around the former Soviet Union.

Olga Korbut

I think this is all my life. Because if I was split gymnastics and something else like far, fun or to go with friends. No, this, you're supposed to one go, one straight road and to do every day. And touch the wall, of the goal.

Olga Korbut

Because up to sixteen years old you feel gymnastics more. You can show your emotion, grace, like woman gymnastics, not kid's gymnastics. I feel I have good shape, and I can do it elements everything, but, it's not competition for me.

Olga Korbut

It's better to have a rich soul than to be rich.

Olga Korbut

And I suggested to change very simple way to Olympic Games, in one competition, two different levels. Separate from, until sixteen, and after sixteen years old.

Olga Korbut

This is probably why, my life is easier, and my family is very happy, because we never lie each other. This is probably all people supposed to feel each other, so be always in all of the world they'll be peace.

Olga Korbut

I am not interested in medals or titles. I don't need them. I need the love of the public and I fight for it.

Olga Korbut

How many people in the world is, each of them is individual. And I like to eat bread, somebody don't like that. You know this is the same in gymnastics.

Olga Korbut

Remember before nineteen seventy two Olympic Games I was total skinny, I was small, very strong, they may be don't like to see a gymnastics like that. I don't know but, gymnastics, might. Nineteen seventy two supposed to be change somewhere.

Olga Korbut

And we lost a lot because of that, and I think this is future gymnastics to separate ages. Because kids can do it more than adult. A woman and adult woman can show more than the small kids.

Olga Korbut

And from that nineteen sixty four, this was my goal to go to Olympic Games. And I realized what does it mean, Olympic Games, like big celebration.

Olga Korbut

But, I couldn't live without creation gymnastics.

Olga Korbut

I'd been ready too, because before Olympic Games, I wasn't compete in big competition like, World Championship, like European Championship. I just competed in national competition.

Olga Korbut

The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself.

Olga Korbut

I've never wanted to be anything but a gymnast. Maybe it is dangerous-but when you start thinking about danger, you might as well give up.

Olga Korbut

This ability to conquer oneself is no doubt the most precious of all things sports bestows.

Olga Korbut

I am a great realist in all aspects of life. Whatever I can do ... here it is.

Olga Korbut

Don't be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That's only the initial impression. The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself.

Olga Korbut

If there has not been such a thing as gymnastics, I would have had to invent it because I feel at one with the sport.

Olga Korbut

I think I spent all my life in gymnastics. And if you will ask me I want to change something in your past life, no. I will go same.

Olga Korbut

Its better to have a rich soul than to be rich.

Olga Korbut

I am not interested in medals or titles. I dont need them. I need the love of the public and I fight for it.

Olga Korbut

Life is marvelous now because I have a tape recorder.

Olga Korbut