5 Most Dramatic Moments in Gymnastics World Championships
US Wins First Team Medal for Women’s Gymnastic
The 1948 London Olympics marked the return of the Olympics and the first time the U.S. women's gymnastics team won a medal. Hungary won silver, Czechoslovakia gold, and the U.S. bronze.
Clara Schroth Lomady, 27, the team captain, won a record with six all-around titles in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Only she had that many all-around titles until Simone Biles matched and broke it in 2019 and 2021.
Olga Korbut Performs Her Famous Flip
Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut, 17, was a fan favorite at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Korbut earned three gold medals and thrilling viewers with her antics.
Nadia Comăneci Earns the First Perfect 10
The first Olympic gymnast to score a perfect 10 was 14-year-old Nadia Comăneci in 1976. The Montreal Olympics scoreboard only displayed three digits, not the four needed to represent a “10.00.
Mary Lou Retton Vaults to Stardom
Mary Lou Retton, 16, became the first non-Eastern European female gymnast to win the individual all-around gold medal in 1984. Comăneci's 1976 Olympics performance motivated Retton to become a gymnast.
Gabby Douglas Wins All-Around Gold
Gabby Douglas, 16, became the first Black American to win an individual all-around gymnastics gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
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