Elena Mukhina

The 1978 world all-around champion introduced the Mukhina, a release on the uneven bars, and tumbled a full-twisting double back on floor years ahead of most rivals. In 1980, practising the Thomas salto on floor before the Moscow Olympics, she crashed and was left quadriplegic. Her injury remains the starkest warning in the sport about the pressure to add difficulty without proper safety, and it changed how the risks of new skills are discussed.