Degrees of Difficulty: How Women's Gymnastics Rose to Prominence and Fell from Grace

Description

How the Cold War era changed the trajectory of women's gymnastics Electrifying athletes like Olga Korbut and Nadia Comăneci helped make women’s artistic gymnastics one of the most popular events in the Olympic Games. But the transition of gymnastics from a women’s sport to a girl’s sport in the 1970s also laid the foundation for a system of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of gymnasts around the world. Georgia Cervin offers a unique history of women's gymnastics, examining how the high-stakes diplomatic rivalry of the Cold War created a breeding ground for exploitation. Yet, a surprising spirit of international collaboration arose to decide the social values and image of femininity demonstrated by the sport. Cervin also charts the changes in style, equipment, training, and participants that transformed the sport, as explosive athleticism replaced balletic grace and gymnastics dominance shifted from East to West. Sweeping and revelatory, Degrees of Difficulty tells a story of international friction, unexpected cooperation, and the legacy of abuse and betrayal created by the win-at-all-cost attitudes of the Cold War. Cover Title Copyright Contents Preface: Being a Gymnast, Being a Historian Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Origins of Women’s Artistic Gymnastics 2. From Amateurism to Professionalism 3. Diplomacy in Gymnastics and the Olympic Movement 4. Making and Breaking the Rules 5. Feminine and Feminist? 6. Coaching and Culture Conclusion Notes Bibliography Illustration Credits Index Back cover