Gymnastics Isn't What It Used to Be...and That's a Good Thing.

MTV News ^ | 11 Aug 2016 | Unknown

[American Quilter]

Gymnastics isn't What It Used to Be...and That's a Good Thing.

[American Quilter]

Here are two videos of Olympics gymnastics--what a difference 60 years has made.

[American Quilter]

Shoot—didn’t post the video correctly—working on it...

[American Quilter]

Okay, that should do it. Click on the MTV News link.

[ctdonath2]

https://www.facebook.com/mtvnews/videos/1220401541335361/

[Dr. Sivana]

Okay, and car stereos, and fuel injection. Outside of that I’ll take almost everything else from the ‘50s. (If hat means no Internet and 3-6 channels coming in fuzzy, so be it.)

[ntnychik]

My elementary school gym had (unused) Indian clubs and medicine balls.
My new 60’s junior high gym had ropes, flying rings, men’s pommel horse, men’s parallel bars and trampoline, and Olympic sized swimming and diving pools. There was one girl who was an expert at the flying rings. Just saw her at the 50th reunion.

[glenduh]

Gymnast body shapes sure have changed.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Same goes for any sport. There are always improvements as athletes look to push the envelope.

Heck, hockey goal tenders didn't use to wear face masks back in the 60s.

And how many Golden Gloves could an baseball fielder achieve using one of these:

[CodeToad]

“Gymnast body shapes sure have changed.”

Athletic 12 year old boy bodies.

[poinq]

OK, there was a period in there where gymnastics was much better than it is now. Look at the 19080’s and 90’s. Nadia’s performance isn’t even allowed any more because its too dangerous. These girls don’t come close to it.

[Theoria]

It is fascinating, that some past records are hard to beat, while recent results are amazing. Ledecky’s 400m freestyle would have won the men's 1972 Olympics 400m. Crazy.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Indeed. I do like watching the Olympics...and the various World Championships only to see who can make themselves the fastest, farthest, most accurate, etc.

Though, I must say...in the era of Olga Korbut, the woman who grabbed my attention during the Munich games was Ludmilla Tourischeva. Now that was a Communist I'd like to have a few vodka shots with...

[dfwgator]

She married Valery Borzov who won the 100 meters in 1972. They are Ukrainian.

[Swordmaker]

The equipment the athletes use today is considerably different than it was in the past. For example, the floor exercises are now done on a floor made with very strong springs instead of dead flat mats as they were done back in the 1950s. That equipment makes a lot of difference in what the athletes can do. . . safely.

[Company Man]

More gymnastic, less grace.

[HotHunt]

We have fun. We have kicks. We're the Class of '66?

My class motto. I'm attending my 50th in October. :-)

[luvbach1]

Hard to believe the 50s version was from the Olympics.

[ntnychik]

Best reunion ever! I hope you enjoy yours.

[HotHunt]

Thanks. I will do my best. I can hardly wait.

I'm driving from central Florida to Arizona for the half-century high school reunion. But while there, I am also taking a side trip up to Las Vegas to see The Moody Blues in concert at the Venetian Hotel and Casino, also celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band.

Great old guy's road trip down memory lane. :-)

[T-Bone Texan]

"...Outside of that I’ll take almost everything else from the ‘50s...."

Broad spectrum antibiotics and frangible bullets!