Word: sport
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...prospect of so many gymnasts performing at levels of difficulty never before witnessed in Olympic competition that promises to make the showdown in Seoul a hold-your-breath affair. With each Olympics, the sport ascends to a new plateau of audacity that would have been unthinkable four years earlier. And four years from now, even those moves may seem out of the dark ages. So too will the sweethearts of Seoul. When Olga Korbut tried to repeat her Munich triumphs in 1976, she was upstaged by Newcomer Nadia Comaneci. When Nadia tried to re-create her glory in 1980, audiences...
There is little chance of building an Olympic dynasty these days -- newcomers shave world records with every shot of the starting gun. One notable exception: East Germany's women's swimming teams. Since they captured 17 gold and silver Olympic medals in 1976, they have ruled the sport thanks to a combination of Prussian precision and phenomenal dedication. But in Seoul their dynasty will be on the line...
...Sport...
...with the statistical assessment of the nation's second- and third-graders, who are measured, weighed, timed and questioned. The resulting data is churned through a computer at the German College of Physical Culture in Leipzig, which determines whether a child might have a special aptitude for a certain sport. Says Renate Vogel, a former world champion G.D.R. swimmer and now deputy coach of the West German women's Olympic team: "No one with talent falls through the sieve...
...gold that enhances national pride and compensates for the state's political failings. Most athletes are grateful and patriotic. Ulf Timmermann, 25, a member of the ruling Socialist Unity Party and world-record holder in shot put, speaks of "my obligation to achieve high performances in sport as a contribution to strengthening our Republic." More tangible benefits include world travel and a genuine popularity at home...