2009 SU Update: The ‘Igarashi Dismount’

1976 Olympic Champion Isato Igarashi follows attentively the Artistic Gymnastics competition in Belgrade

With the Artistic Gymnastics competitions finished and the Rhythmic Gymnastics event ready to start here at the 25th Summer Universiade in Belgrade, FISU Media had a chat with FISU Executive Committee member Hisato Igarashi from Japan. Mr. Igarashi has followed the Artistic Gymnastics event very closely as he has a keen interest in gymnastics. Quite logical, since in 1976 he won a gold medal in Artistic Gymnastics in the team event at the Olympic Games in Montréal, Canada!

‘I’m very much impressed with the level of competition’, the former Olympic Champion told FISU Media. ‘The scores are so close and the margin for error is very small. Every little detail counts. All these young athletes are so promising. I’m very pleased with the performance of the Japanese gymnasts. The men’s team got the gold and in the men’s individual competition the Japanese took two gold, a silver and a bronze medal. I’ very satisfied’, Igarashi commented.

At the Olympic Games in Montréal Hisato Igarashi finished on the high bar with a double summersault dismount in the straight body position, which earned him a 9.85. Until today, that dismount in gymnastics is still known as the ‘Igarashi Dismount’.

 A Japanese gymnast ‘airborne’