There are many instances in which a famous gymnast had a daughter who was also a gymnast. In Part II of this series I cover all the examples of mothers whose daughters competed in the NCAA gymnastics as well as other miscellaneous examples. Continue reading Famous Mother and Daughter Duos in Gymnastics (Part II)
There are many instances in which a famous gymnast had a daughter who also went to the Olympics. In Part I of this series I cover all the examples of mothers and daughters who were both Olympians. Continue reading Famous Mother and Daughter Duos in Gymnastics (Part I)
The gymnasts who have left the greatest mark in uneven bars history. Continue reading The Greatest Bar Workers in Gymnastics History
Due to luck, misfortune, and/or fate, these gymnasts are associated with different Olympic quads despite being the same age. Continue reading Gymnasts From Different Eras Who Are Actually the Same Age
In 1986 seven gymnasts gathered for a picture. All of them remain iconic to this day. Continue reading The Greatest Picture of 1980s Gymnastics
In 1968 the Soviets sent six gymnasts to Mexico City, five of them married an Olympian. Continue reading The 1968 Soviet Gymnasts Who Married Each Other
In 1978 Elena Mukhina was asked about the possibility of serious injury. Continue reading The Elena Mukhina Tapes
The gymnasts who won a medal on every event at a single competition. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Swept a Competition
Gymnasts who would have medaled on every event, if not for a 4th place finish. Continue reading Gymnasts Who (Almost) Swept a Competition
Prior to the 2008 Olympic quad, the gymnasts with the most career medals came from Eastern Europe. Shannon Miller is the only exception to this trend. Continue reading The Shannon Miller Exception
Due to a quirk in age limits, for three decades gymnasts could compete in an Olympics and then return to junior competition. Continue reading The Quirky Rule Which Allowed Seniors to Compete as Juniors
This gymnast was beating Turischeva at 13 years old, scored a Perfect 10 and was named to an Olympic team the following year. But her name isn’t Nadia… Continue reading Nina Dronova: The Nadia Before Nadia
Going through pictures of Oksana Omelianchik’s leotards reveals an interesting trend. Continue reading The Lesser Known Leotards of Oksana Omelianchik
Elena Mukhina missed the 1980 Olympics due to a tragic injury. But would she have made the Olympics if that injury had never happened? Continue reading Would Elena Mukhina Have Made the Olympic Team if Not For Her Paralyzing Injury?
In July of 2020 Shawn Johnson reflected on her experiences. Her comments were almost identical to what Marcia Frederick had said nearly three decades earlier. Continue reading Marcia Frederick and Shawn Johnson Experienced the Same Struggle 28 Years Apart
Why does Mary Lou Retton contend that Ecaterina Szabo was the 1983 World Champion? Continue reading How Mary Lou Retton Tries to Rewrite Gymnastics History
In 1990 the Soviets posed for a team photo. Little did they know the breakup of the USSR was about to alter the course of their Gymnastics careers. Continue reading The Number of Olympians in this Picture is Insane
Turischeva rebounded from a devastating defeat at the hands of Nadia to salvage the final two years of her career. Continue reading Ludmilla Turischeva Went Out Like a Legend
The difficulty of performing well on vault in an Event Finals in more difficult than people realize. Continue reading The Hidden Difficulty of the Vault
Three vault legends seemed to be unbeatable on the apparatus, only to make a mistake at the worst possible moment. Continue reading Vault Queens Who Did Not Win an Olympic Gold Medal
Judges once had the power to single handedly award their own country a medal. It went about as well as one would expect. Continue reading The Unapologetically Bad Judging in Early Olympic History
The road to retrieve their daughter from Romania took Bela and Marta Karolyi to a little known Congressman who worked on trade deals. What happened next would change the course of American gymnastics history. Continue reading How Bela and Marta Karolyi Got Their Daughter out of Romania
The idea of a gymnast making it to the Olympics 2x but not the World Championships may sound ludicrous, but a surprising number of gymnasts have done it. Continue reading Two-Time Olympians Who Never Competed in a World Championships
The gymnasts who have had the worst luck with 4th place finishes. (Part II) Continue reading The Queens of 4th Place (Part II)
The gymnasts who have had the worst luck with 4th place finishes. (Part I) Continue reading The Queens of 4th Place (Part I)
Unable to hide the fact that their top gymnast had been seriously hurt, the Soviets found other ways to downplay the events that had transpired. Continue reading After Her Injury a Soviet Coverup Hurt Elena Mukhina Even More
After her injury Elena Mukhina received letters of support from fans, some of which did more harm than good. Continue reading How Fan Mail Bothered Elena Mukhina
Is it easier to win medals in men’s gymnastics or women’s gymnastics? The question sounds simple but the answer is anything but. Continue reading Is it Harder to Win Medals in Men’s or Women’s Gymnastics?
In a little known competition from 1973, Romania’s best Olympian was beaten by an 11 year old. Continue reading The Time an 11 year Old Nadia Defeated a Legend
The little known story of the time Iran sent a gymnast to the Olympics in WAG. Continue reading When Iran had Women’s Gymnastics
An iconic American win on American soil produced a series of events that would impact the future of the sport in more ways than one. Continue reading What the Atlanta Olympics Gave Us
For Romania, Nadia was more than just a gymnast. Continue reading You Can’t Google Romania Without Getting Nadia Comaneci
The Russian gymnasts who should have won more medals. Continue reading The Russian Gymnasts Who Broke Our Hearts
The fascinating trend of great non-Olympians who came close to being 2x Olympians. Continue reading Non-Olympians Who Should Have Gone to Multiple Olympics
Unified Team, Olympic Athlete From Russia, Refugee Olympic Team, and more. I recap the history of Olympians comping under the Olympic flag. Continue reading The History of Olympians Competing Under the Olympic Flag
In the wake of her 1978 AA title, Elena Mukhina went on a world tour. Among her stops were 10 American cities. Continue reading Elena Mukhina’s Trip to America
How an Austrian gymnast and a triathlon made USA the most decorated MAG program up until the 1968 Olympics. Continue reading The Disputed Olympic Medals in American Gymnastics
It may come as a shock, but in the USA program MAG has more Olympic medals than WAG. Continue reading USA Gymnastics: Why the Men Have More Olympic Medals Than the Women
The story of the 12-year old gymnast with an Olympic medal who lived for over a century. Continue reading Gymnastics Bios #2: Carla Marangoni
Larissa Latynina won her medals in an era where the World Championships were held once every four years. What would have happened if she competed under the current format where they are held 3x every four years? Continue reading How Many Medals Would Larissa Latynina Have Won Under Modern Scheduling?
A catastrophic injury cost Mukhina the use of her limbs. But that didn’t stop her from handwriting a letter 18 months later. Continue reading Shortly After Her Paralysis Elena Mukhina Wrote a Letter
In 1963 Caslavska and Latynina were poised for an epic showdown. Instead a boycott would prevent it from happening. Continue reading The Year Without Gymnastics
A series of unusual events at the 1981 World Championships caused speculation that something was going on behind the scenes.
This is Part II that covers the actual competition itself. Continue reading The 1981 World Championships Conspiracy Theory (Part II)
A series of unusual events at the 1981 World Championships caused speculation that something was going on behind the scenes. This is Part I that covers the buildup to the 1981 World Championships. Continue reading The 1981 World Championships Conspiracy Theory (Part I)
After finishing up a successful athletic career Olga Bicherova decided to do something unconventional. Continue reading How Olga Bicherova Defied Sexism in the USSR
They are two of the most famous names in gymnastics history, but they couldn’t have been any more different. Continue reading The Differences Between Nadia and Olga Korbut
Viktoria Komova, Angelina Melnikova, and Elena Davydova. Why is a relatively small Russian city a gymnastics powerhouse? Continue reading Why So Many Gymnasts Come From Voronezh
In 1974 Turischeva first crossed paths with Nadia. The problem was, Nadia wasn’t supposed to be there. Continue reading The First Time Turischeva Met Nadia Was an Outlandish Incident
The 1975 European Championships are best known for establishing the careers of Nadia Comaneci and Nellie Kim. This is the story of the gymnast who finished 3rd. Continue reading Gymnastics Bios #1: Annelore Zinke
In the mid 1960s a new generation of Soviet gymnasts revolutionized the sport. But little did they realize, the revolution they started would be their undoing. Continue reading The Soviet Gymnasts Who Were Victims of Their Own Success.
The 1964 Olympics featured an epic showdown between Caslavska and Latynina. But it was the results of a minor competition two months later that would change the course of gymnastics history. Continue reading Two Months After the 1964 Olympics, a Little Known Event Would Change Women’s Gymnastics Forever
