Women's Gymnastics

Front:
IMORE JUN 11 29 1992 Olympics Q 233 1992 MD SAL

Back:
WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS First Day of Issue: June 11, 1992 First Issue Location: Baltimore, Maryland Tiny yet well-muscled, she places both hands on the balance beam and executes her mount - a slow, deliber- ate press into a handstand. At 13, she displays the concen- tration of a Zen master until the end of her routine and dismount. Grabbing a few short minutes to catch her breath, she begins again. Such is a moment in the life of a competitive gymnast. Revived in 1896 through the efforts of Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin, the Olympic Games initially did not permit women's full participation in all events. But by 1912, women were competing in lawn tennis, figure skating, swimming and diving. Women's combined team exercises in gymnastics premiered at the 1928 Summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam. In 1952 women participated in a full regime of events, and the popularity of the sport steadily increased over the next two decades. During the 1970s and 1980s, competitors such as the Soviet Union's Olga Korbut, Romania's Nadia Comaneci and America's Mary Lou Retton elevated the sport to celebrity status with flawless performances. No. 92-21 First Day of Issue Postcard Collection™ ©1992 Fleetwood® Cheyenne, WY 82008-0001 Original painting for the First Day of Issue Postcard by Tom McNeely Teetwood