My memories of watching gymnastics began with Soviet Olga Korbut during the 1972 Olympics. She might have been on the other side of the Cold War, but she enchanted us all. Not only did Korbut popularize the sport, but she also reduced tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
I followed Olympic gymnastics from the Olga Korbut era until 1996, and then returned in 2012. I was struck by a change that seemed especially pronounced these past weeks in Paris: the importance of sticking the landing.
In my earliest memories, sticking the landing was almost a prerequisite for a spot on the podium. In Paris, sticking the landing was the icing on the cake, not the cake itself. The cake was height, complexity, and innovation. Commentators informed me that the difficulty of a gymnast’s routine made sticking the landing uncertain, but that same difficulty could overcome penalties. Risk triumphed perfection.
I’ve known that perfectionism was an enemy, but watching gymnasts accept potential mistakes in order to reach the podium was a good reminder.
Many people think of perfectionism as striving to be your best, but it is not about self-improvement; it’s about earning approval and acceptance.
Brene Brown
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