KURT THOMAS | The Untold Story | the Miamian Who Put American Gymnastics on the World Map
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- čas přidán 17. 06. 2020
- He has two skills named after him, starred in a Hollywood film, and was inducted to the International Hall of Fame of Gymnastics. But where did Kurt Thomas come from? What is the story of his rise to become a world class athlete and international sensation? In this special, we will discover the story of Kurt Thomas, the Miamian Who Put American Gymnastics on the World Map.
I was so honored to put this together. Thank you to Bruce Davis, Don Gutzler, Abie Grossfeld, and Peter Kormann for sharing your stories on Kurt, and producing such a wonderful athlete.
Rest in Peace Kurt Thomas 1956-2020.
#KurtThomas #RIP
CREDITS:
Producer- Zander Arthur
Writer- Zander Arthur
Bruce Davis- High school Coach
Don Gutzler- High school Coach
Abie Grossfeld- Olympic Coach
Peter Kormann- Teammate, Olympic Gymnast
Article by Bruce Davis, The Miamian Who Put American Gymnastics on the World Map: letstalkgymnastics.com/kurt-t...
Photographs by Rafael Beer from "Kurt Thomas On Gymnastics", © 1980
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Much respect to Kurt Thomas!!! Gymkata is one of my favorite movies.
I remember Kurt in the mid 60's, we lived on the same block in N. Miami, before he moved to the Silver Lakes Apts. Kurt was a natural - he would do walking handstands down the block. We had a treehouse in his backyard, the indoctrination was to jump out of the treehouse! I also remember one of his older brothers, "Juggy" was very athletic and used to teach Kurt some basic parallel bar exercises at our old elementary school, Hibiscus Elementary. Was saddened to hear of his passing earlier this year - R.I.P.
Aww that's so interesting and amazing🥺🥺
All these stories are interesting and help tell the untold stories of some of the most interesting folks. Keep sharing👍
Thank you SO much for this enlightening, impressively articulate, powerful and very moving, loving tribute. What a well done, considerable piece of work! Really wonderful. What a miracle Kurt was. PURE STRENGTH and natural fire and PASSION. What UNQUENABLE drive -- awe-inspiring self-discipline on Kurt's part! And the input of all these fellow gymnasts of Kurt's - and the all-important coaches - FANTASTIC. ❤ Today's gymnasts, in some ways, got NOTHING on Kurt.
Fantastic tribute!!! He was a amazing flare to Gymnastics!! R.I.P.
THANK YOU!
@@ZanderArthurShow Kurt Thomas made the great movie ever called gymkata
Such bad luck, so much to give. Wonderful documantory, lovely people
Your legend lives on ❤
Astrid, thank you for the kind words and watching!
What a legacy to leave behind, despite all the adversities. I'm glad to have met, trained and performed with you, Kurt. You've done well! 👊
DeVot, thank you for sharing your words and watching.
Great video!!! Kurt was the first gymnast I was introduced to and the first I looked up to. I'm still very sad about his passing, this is why I want everyone to know how great he was.
He was fantastic, thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Wow amazing to watch.
Tribute well done. I was at meets with him in the late 1970s and early 1980s and he was spectacular.
Thanks for doing this tribute. I knew your dad. I knew Kurt. I know Bruce. I know Abie. I know Don Gutzler, I know Charlie Cimino, Ron Galimore, Pete Sapanaro, Ray Octaviano, I knew Muriel Grossfeld, Jack Miles, Chick Cicio, Gene Stowe, Pat Signorelli, Tim Rand, and many others.
An incredible tribute to an American LEGEND ! May this great man Rest In Peace.
Thanks Austin!
Thank You Zander. The untold story of Kurt is wonderful. I am so glad you put together his golden remarkable life. Rest in Love and Peace Kurt. You will not be forgotten.
I loved the announcers commenting about Thomas in the '78 World Championships. "Come on baby let's keep cooking."
I got gis autograph in 1994 in Austin. Super nice guy.
OMG I'm just now hearing he passed last year. I had no idea. He was my idol growing up.
Zander, you did such a wonderful job for such a wonderful athlete. Thank you from all of us gymnasts who watched Kurt’s life grow through our beautiful sport. Bravo
Thank you for the kind words and watching Sarah!
A great tribute to Kurt Thomas! It's interesting to see his path to being one of the best gymnasts in the world and how different it is to how today's gymnasts get there. You don't hear about a lot of Olympians getting recruited as teenagers because of their lawn tumbling. It seemed to be more organic and not like the gymnast factories that there are today, which are much closer to the Soviet programs.
Perceptively put, Matt!
Kurt is my uncle, nice job on the tribute I miss him😥
He seemed like such a cool dude. His story is so inspiring
He was great in gymkata
Great video!! Kurt was the first gymnast I was introduced to and the first I looked up to. I want people to know how great this Miami native was.
Absolutely Hector. Thanks!
As an aussie who was born in 69 there was little if any showing of gymnastic competitions.. through the yrs more access has been given with better showing of events and having olympic and commonwealth games here meant them being shown at better times for us to view, add to that uploading of content to youtube and other places a quick search on the net can bring us the opportunities to watch great athletes like kurt, nadia as examples of gymnastics and many others in all the sports around the world... it is so sad to hear of his passing and condolences to his wife, children and other family members.. R.I.P. Kurt... you will certainly be missed by all who knew you personally and those of us who enjoy watching talent like yours in a sport that takes strength, agility and skill...
Thanks for this video. Many good anecdotes about Thomas, specially the one about the Thomas salto. As I wrote in my instagram account: Every time I see gymnastics, I see flairs; every time I see flairs I hear “Kurt Thomas”; every time I see gymnastics I hear “Kurt Thomas”.
Holy crap, you can hear it in his voice and see it on his face, he's definitely Kurt travis' father
THANK YOU SO MUCH Sir Zander for sharing the Documentary of Legendary Sir Kurt Thomas I Salute all Gymnast all over the World. The extra ordinary Sport and skill more patient and determination OMG Again RIP sir Thomas and all Gymnast Legent Pastaway.. GOD BLESS Us All.. Hi and Regards im Gymnatic sport fans in the Manila Philippines 🇵🇭
so many memories watching this, Zander. as you know I worked for bruce at gymiami at the opalocka gym. I lived in NMB at the time. I had recently moved there from sarasota where I worked for Jon Culbertson. I met Peter (Korman) at one of the Christmas clinics at Robards. I met don (gutzler) at the first ever safety certification clinic in Florida as he was the clinician. as an athlete Kurt WAS my generation , Kurt was just 3 years younger than i. he was my idol. I actually got invited to participate in the Miami dade training sessions where I learned many skills. it was an exciting time for our sport. I also had the fortunate pleasure of meeting your dad at the many mens meets throughout South Florida. thanks for making this.........
He was great in gymkata
I trained with Bruce back in March of 1999 at the Miami Dade College Gym. He taught me how to do the back uprise on rings by putting me in the spotting belt. I was able to do it by myself the third time. Great experience, Bruce is a great guy. I attended Indiana State from 97-99 and it was there where I was introduced to gymnastics by Mrs. Treiber, the former coach of the women's team. I was able to hear a lot of great stories about Kurt and the gymnastics program everyday.
Hector, that's amazing. Where did you meet Bruce at a training camp? Or at Miami-Dade?
@@ZanderArthurShow Zander Arthur I met Bruce at NAIGC Nationals in Buffalo back in April of 98. He took two guys who were former members of the Cuban National Team that were training with him at Miami Dade College to compete. I told him how I just got started in the sport that year as an adult while attending Indiana State. We hung out that night after the competition at a party for the athletes and talked for a while. I hung out with the Cuban guys as well, super cool guys. He told me to look him up when I returned to Miami. I moved back to Miami in March of 1999. I called Bruce to let him know let him know that I was going to open gym Saturday afternoon at the Miami Dade College gym and he said great "tell them I said you can workout anytime". He arrived about 20 mins after I did and that's when he helped me out . Great guy!! It's an experience I'll never forget. Now that I remember I went to your gym FGTC to visit because I believe Bruce told me that one of the Cuban guys was also training there. I went to the gym and spoke to Norlan who was coaching and we talked for a while and he told me to check out Octavianos because at that time they had more older guys training there and that's where I trained the rest of he summer. I was treated really well at your gym I remember it was a really nice facility. Norlan is a cool guy, I remember he came to Octavianos once to hang out and we talked some more.
Natural talent. LEGEND
Dammm I'm just now finding out about his passing. I was wondering what had happen to him he was a bad dude that had awesome moves that stood out. So funny how all of the men were coping him so bad. Rest in peace Kurt another legend gone.
He was the Best in the World! The U.S robbed him of his Olympic dreams in 1980 and the ridiculous Olympic rules robbed him in 1984! Sad.
Kurt Thomas was worthy of more glory in gymnastics than he got. Keep in mind that nonetheless he was without peer worldwide. Likewise, his one venture as a action film star in the movie GYMKATA was also worthy of more acclaim than it received initially. Nonetheless, the movie has since reached cult classic status.
He had short legs and long arms that was perfect for artistic gymnastics. He wasn't a good vaulter and OK on Floor. Kurt had a hip operation in his 40's. Today they call it 'flair work' ,, I know it as the Thomas Flair
All that training and never got to do it at the Olympics. I think they were just scared of him in 1984 and didn't want him to win.
Wish you could have gotten some feedback or found someone who would give you a LOT of insight into Kurts REAL coach that seriously DID bring structure AND IS the PERSON who
taught KURT his 1/12 twisting 1 and 3 that is the mount you watched in Strasbourg! This person TOTALLY designed his great P- bar routine and ACTUALLY DID have KURT practice MULTIPLE
flairs on pommels AND FX!
The DECISION to NOT put in the multiple flairs on pommels and FX was to cut the risk of error down and this person KNEW KURT had enough in his routines to place very high if he just hit on the routines as they were!
This person is NOT ABIE Grossfeld ----- It is ROGER COUNSIL!!
Roger WAS PROFOUNDLY responsible for Kurts preparation and development on a international level! When Kurt came to training camp for international preparation--- it was ALREADY DONE!
We were ALL amazed as KURT STOOD at the END of a balance beam, jumped up --- STARTED his flairs ON the BEAM------ and went ALL the way to the other END ---- it was so smooth and just so complete!
Further more -- we ALL KNEW --Kurt did NOT NEED the -- Full in back out that Abie wanted him to do, and Kurts double back WAS actually VERY, VERY easy for him -- what you have on video is NOT KURT when he was FULLY prepared(thanks to Roger)-- as the MOST important -- INTERNATIONAL meets came! To be honest his FULL IN-- did need work and he worked it on trampoline a LOT!
We ALSO -- ALL KNEW --- the 1 1/2 twisting 1 and 3 was MORE DIFFICULT -- than the FULL -IN, Roger - DID talk with the coaches assigned - to the international contingent and TOLD them -- it would be a good idea to leave it as his opening pass!
MAYBE -- Peter Kormann, who Abie CODDLED and was HIS OWN gymnast from Southern Conn state, could ANSWER-- this question----- Peter --just stated on YOUR video-- that only himself and only 2 russians were doing Full-ins at the time--- FAIR ENOUGH!
NOW -- PETER in -- ALL your so called expertise---- HOW MANY RUSSIAN-- OR AMERICANS --- were(at that time) DOING --- a 1 1/2 twisting 1and 3 roll out---- IN INTERNATIONAL -- COMPETIITON( remember -- I SAID -- russians or americans ---- IN international competition!!-------------------------- I'll spare you----- the ANSWER was ------- NONE! and KURT NEVER got that skill named after him!
Roger is sadly gone, and it might be hard to find someone who was close ENOUGH -- to know the incredible AMOUNT of time, physical workout and design that --- ROGER put together!
The coaches that were assigned to lead the U.S.A. team in international competition, NEVER really added much to what was ALREADY done -- by Roger Counsil !
Good luck, finding the real inside details that Roger was SO responsible for -- in helping Kurt --- be prepared AND successful on an international level!
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