Gymnastics events have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1896.Gutman, Dan (1996). Gymnastics. Puffin Books. p. 8. Soviet female gymnasts participated in every Olympic Games from 1952 to 1988, except for 1984."Soviet Union Gymnastics Women's Team All-Around Results". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. A total of 41 female gymnasts represented the Soviet Union. Soviet women won 88 medals at the Olympics – 9 in team all-around, 2 in team portable apparatus, 18 in individual all-around, 15 in balance beam, 17 in floor exercise, 15 in vault, and 12 in uneven bars. The medals included 33 golds."Soviet Union Gymnastics". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. The Soviet Union won the gold medal in team all-around in all nine Summer Olympics that they participated in.Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement (2011). Scarecrow Press. p. 335. The Soviet Union's success might be explained by a heavy state's investment in elite sports to fulfill its political agenda on an international stage.

Eight Soviet female gymnasts won at least six medals at the Olympic Games: Larisa Latynina (18), Polina Astakhova (10), Ludmilla Tourischeva (9), Sofia Muratova (8), Maria Gorokhovskaya (7), Nellie Kim (6), Olga Korbut (6), and Tamara Manina (6).

Competing at her only Olympics in 1952, Maria Gorokhovskaya won seven medals, setting a record for the most medals ever won in a single Olympics by a woman. She won golds in team all-around and individual all-around.

Larisa Latynina competed at three Olympic Games from 1956 to 1964, and her 18 career Olympic medals is a record for any female athlete. She won six medals in each Olympics that she participated in. Nine of her medals were gold, and she won three straight floor exercise titles.Longman, Jere. "Phelps Tops Another Olympian, but at 77, She Grins". nytimes.com. July 31, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2013."With her all-time record set to fall, little-known Latynina looks back". sportsillustrated.cnn.com. July 10, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2013. Polina Astakhova also competed at the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Games. She won 10 total medals and ranks second to Latynina for the most medals among Soviet female gymnasts. Astakhova won uneven bars gold medals in 1960 and 1964.

Latynina's and Astakhova's teammates included Sofia Muratova and Tamara Manina. Muratova won eight total medals in 1956 and 1960, and Manina won six total medals in the 1956 and 1964 Games.

Ludmilla Tourischeva competed at three Olympics and won nine total medals – one in 1968, four in 1972, and four in 1976. Her golds included the 1972 individual all-around."Ludmilla Tourischeva". ighof.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. Olga Korbut, who competed at her first Olympics in 1972, was popular with fans and the media for her daring moves. That year, she won four medals, including golds in balance beam and floor exercise. She won two more medals in 1976 and finished her career with six overall. Nellie Kim, who competed at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics, also had six total medals. She won two golds in floor exercise."Nelli Kim". ighof.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013.

Gymnasts

Gymnast YearsGoldSilverBronzeTotal medalsRef. 1956, 1960, 1964 5 2 3 10 "Polina Astakhova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1988 1 0 0 1 "Svetlana Baitova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1952 2 2 0 4 "Nina Bocharova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1988 2 1 1 4 "Svetlana Boginskaya". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1968, 1972 2 0 0 2 "Lyubov Burda". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1952 1 1 0 2 "Pelageya Danilova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1980 2 1 0 3 "Yelena Davydova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1976, 1980 2 0 1 3 "Mariya Filatova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1952 2 5 0 7 "Mariya Horokhovska". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1964 1 0 0 1 "Lyudmila Gromova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1976 1 0 0 1 "Svetlana Grozdova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1956, 1960 2 0 1 3 "Lidiya Kalinina-Ivanova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1952 1 1 0 2 "Medeya Jugeli". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1952 2 1 0 3 "Yekaterina Kalinchuk". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1968 1 0 0 1 "Olga Karasyova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1976, 1980 5 1 0 6 "Nelli Kim". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1972, 1976 4 2 0 6 "Olga Korbut". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1972 1 0 0 1 "Antonina Koshel". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1968 2 0 2 4 "Nataliya Kuchinskaya". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1956, 1960, 1964 9 5 4 18 "Larysa Latynina". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1972 1 1 2 4 "Tamara Lazakovich". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1988 1 0 0 1 "Natālija Laščonova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1956, 1964 2 3 1 6 "Tamara Manina". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1952 1 1 1 3 "Galina Minaicheva". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1956, 1960 2 2 4 8 "Sofiya Muratova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1980 1 0 0 1 "Yelena Naimushina". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1960 2 0 0 2 "Marharyta Nikolaieva". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1968 2 0 1 3 "Larisa Petrik". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1972, 1976 2 0 0 2 "Elvira Saadi". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1952 1 1 0 2 "Galina Shamray". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1980 2 0 2 4 "Nataliya Shaposhnikova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1988 1 0 0 1 "Yelena Shevchenko". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1988 2 1 1 4 "Yelena Shushunova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1988 1 0 0 1 "Olha Strazheva". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1968, 1972, 1976 4 3 2 9 "Lyudmila Turishcheva". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1952 1 1 0 2 "Galina Urbanovich". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1964 1 0 0 1 "Yelena Volchetskaya". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1968 1 1 2 4 "Zinaida Voronina". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1956 1 0 1 2 "Lyudmila Yegorova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1980 1 0 0 1 "Stella Zakharova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013. 1960, 1964 2 0 2 4 "Tamara Lyukhina-Zamotaylova". sports-reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013.

Medalists MedalNameYearEvent Bocharova, Danilova, Gorokhovskaya, Jugeli, Kalinchuk, Minaicheva, Shamrai, Urbanovich 1952 Helsinki Women's team Bocharova, Danilova, Gorokhovskaya, Jugeli, Kalinchuk, Minaicheva, Shamrai, Urbanovich Women's team portable apparatus Maria Gorokhovskaya Women's all-around Nina Bocharova Women's all-around Ekaterina Kalinchuk Women's vault Maria Gorokhovskaya Women's vault Galina Minaicheva Women's vault Maria Gorokhovskaya Women's uneven bars Nina Bocharova Women's balance beam Maria Gorokhovskaya Women's balance beam Maria Gorokhovskaya Women's floor exercise Astakhova, Yegorova, Kalinina, Latynina, Manina, Muratova 1956 Melbourne Women's team Astakhova, Yegorova, Kalinina, Latynina, Manina, Muratova Women's team portable apparatus Larisa Latynina Women's all-around Sofia Muratova Women's all-around Larisa Latynina Women's vault Tamara Manina Women's vault Larisa Latynina Women's uneven bars Sofia Muratova Women's uneven bars Tamara Manina Women's balance beam Larisa Latynina Women's floor exercise Astakhova, Ivanova, Latynina, Lyukhina, Muratova, Nikolaeva 1960 Rome Women's team Larisa Latynina Women's all-around Sofia Muratova Women's all-around Polina Astakhova Women's all-around Margarita Nikolaeva Women's vault Sofia Muratova Women's vault Larisa Latynina Women's vault Polina Astakhova Women's uneven bars Larisa Latynina Women's uneven bars Tamara Lyukhina Women's uneven bars Larisa Latynina Women's balance beam Sofia Muratova Women's balance beam Larisa Latynina Women's floor exercise Polina Astakhova Women's floor exercise Tamara Lyukhina Women's floor exercise Astakhova, Gromova, Latynina, Manina, Volchetskaya, Zamotaylova 1964 Tokyo Women's team Larisa Latynina Women's all-around Polina Astakhova Women's all-around Larisa Latynina Women's vault Polina Astakhova Women's uneven bars Larisa Latynina Women's uneven bars Tamara Manina Women's balance beam Larisa Latynina Women's balance beam Larisa Latynina Women's floor exercise Polina Astakhova Women's floor exercise Burda, Karasyova, Kuchinskaya, Petrik, Tourischeva, Voronina 1968 Mexico City Women's team Zinaida Voronina Women's all-around Natalia Kuchinskaya Women's all-around Zinaida Voronina Women's vault Zinaida Voronina Women's uneven bars Natalia Kuchinskaya Women's balance beam Larisa Petrik Women's balance beam Larisa Petrik Women's floor exercise Natalia Kuchinskaya Women's floor exercise Burda, Korbut, Koshel, Lazakovich, Saadi, Tourischeva 1972 Munich Women's team Ludmila Tourischeva Women's all-around Tamara Lazakovich Women's all-around Ludmila Tourischeva Women's vault Olga Korbut Women's uneven bars Olga Korbut Women's balance beam Tamara Lazakovich Women's balance beam Olga Korbut Women's floor exercise Ludmila Tourischeva Women's floor exercise Filatova, Grozdova, Kim, Korbut, Saadi, Tourischeva 1976 Montreal Women's team Nellie Kim Women's all-around Ludmila Tourischeva Women's all-around Nellie Kim Women's vault Ludmila Tourischeva Women's vault Olga Korbut Women's balance beam Nellie Kim Women's floor exercise Ludmila Tourischeva Women's floor exercise Davydova, Filatova, Kim, Naimushina, Shaposhnikova, Zakharova 1980 Moscow Women's team Elena Davydova Women's all-around Natalia Shaposhnikova Women's vault Maria Filatova Women's uneven bars Elena Davydova Women's balance beam Natalia Shaposhnikova Women's balance beam Nellie Kim Women's floor exercise Natalia Shaposhnikova Women's floor exercise Baitova, Boginskaya, Laschenova, Shevchenko, Shushunova, Strazheva 1988 Seoul Women's team Elena Shushunova Women's all-around Svetlana Boginskaya Women's all-around Svetlana Boginskaya Women's vault Elena Shushunova Women's uneven bars Elena Shushunova Women's balance beam Svetlana Boginskaya Women's floor exercise As the Unified Team Boginskaya, Chusovitina, Galiyeva, Grudneva, Gutsu, Lysenko 1992 Barcelona Women's team Tatiana Gutsu Women's all-around Tatiana Lysenko Women's vault Tatiana Gutsu Women's uneven bars Tatiana Lysenko Women's balance beam Tatiana Gutsu Women's floor exercise

References