» WOMEN ’ S TEAM DOMINATION The Soviet Union ( USSR ) won every women ’ s
team gold for this entire period : 1952 , 1956 , 1960 , 1964 , 1968 , 1972 and 1976 . The USSR would go on to also win in 1980 , 1988 and 1992 ( as the Unified Team ), for a total of 10 women ’ s team titles , eight of which were consecutive . No other country has won more than three team titles .
» MEN ’ S TEAM DOMINATION The Japanese Men ’ s team won 5 Olympics in a row during this period 1960 , 1964 , 1968 , 1972 and 1976 . The only other time a country has won consecutive men ’ s team golds was Italy , in 1912 , 1920 and 1924 , at a much smaller Olympics .
The Japanese were so strong as a team that in 1972 , the men took two or three medals on every event except vault ! This is what the medal ceremony flags looked like :
AA
FX PH SR PB
HB
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ALL AROUND DOMINATION Four gymnasts - two men and two women - successfully defended their AA Gold Medals during this period . Not even one gymnast has done this since !
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Viktor Chukarin - USSR ( 1952 , 1956 )
Sawao Kato - JAP ( 1956 , 1960 )
ïLarisa Latynina - USSR ( 1956 , 1960 )
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Vera Caslavska - CZE ( 1964 , 1968 )
» The oldest competitor during this time was Heikki Savolainen ( FIN ) who was 44 years old . It was his 5th Olympics , and he helped Finland win the bronze medal in the team competition in 1952 .
» There were 8 ties for medals in the 1956 Olympics . One of them , the men ’ s silver on Floor , was a three-way tie . Ties are no longer allowed in the Olympics .
» Due to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 , Vera Caslavska lost her training facility and had to practice in the woods !
» Nadia Comaneci was the youngest AA Gold Medalist ever .
» In the 1952 & 1956 Olympics , women all competed in a “ Team Apparatus ” routine − similar to today ’ s Team Rythmic Gymnastics .
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