Kurt Thomas (gymnast)

The Thomas flair, a circling of the legs in a wide straddle supported on the hands, began on the pommel horse and spread to men's floor routines, where it is still a staple; breakdancers later borrowed it too. Thomas turned it from a novelty into a standard element, and in 1978 he became the first American man to win a world title, on floor. The US boycott kept him from the 1980 Olympics, but his skill is performed in gyms everywhere.