Olympic Women's Gymnastics: Top Moments
Revisit some of the most exciting milestones in the sport.
The U.S. wins its first team medal for women’s gymnastics at the Summer Olympics in London. The U.S. women win the bronze, Hungary takes silver and Czechoslovakia wins gold. More
At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina wins six medals. Together with her six medals from the 1956 Olympics and another six from the 1960 Olympics, Latynina nets a total of 18 Olympic medals (half them gold), making her the world’s most decorated Olympian. She holds this title until 2012, when U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps surpasses her.
Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci earns a perfect 10 for her performance on the uneven bars at the Montreal Olympics. The 14-year-old athlete is the first gymnast to receive this score at an Olympic event; but because the scoreboard can only display three digits, it lists her score as “1.00.”
U.S. gymnast Mary Lou Retton scores two perfect 10s at the Los Angeles Olympics for her floor routine and her vault and becomes the first female gymnast outside of Eastern Europe to win the individual all-around gold medal. Sports Illustrated names 16-year-old Retton Sportswoman of the Year, and she is the first U.S. gymnast to appear on a Wheaties cereal box. More
At the Atlanta Olympics, the U.S. women’s gymnastics team—dubbed the “Magnificent Seven”—wins the country’s first gold medal in the team competition. Kerri Strug injures her ankle during her first vault but still manages to stick the landing on her second vault. At the same Olympics, Shannon Miller becomes the most decorated U.S. female gymnast in Olympics history. More
At the Tokyo Olympics, U.S. gymnast Simone Biles wins silver for the team competition and a bronze medal on the balance beam. Together with the four gold medals and the bronze medal she won at the 2016 Olympics, Biles collects a total of seven Olympic medals, tying with Shannon Miller.
