This is the fifth post in our new series “Gymnastics History: Olympic Champions”. Over the coming months we will be looking back at former Olympic Champions and also a chance to see how our sport has developed over the years. Every Friday in the lead up to the Olympics in July, Full Twist will post a new article in this series. We will continue this series with the Men’s Pommel Horse Champions of Olympics past. Where possible we have included results,scores and videos where available.
1896 1st Olympic Games – Athens
- Louis Zutter (SUI)
- Herman Weingartner (GER)
- Gyula Kokas (HUN)
1904 St Louis Olympic Games
- Anton Heida (USA) 42.00
- George Eyser (USA) 33.00
- William Mertz (USA) 29.00
1924 Paris Olympic Games
- Josef Wilhelm (SUI)
- Jean Gutweniger (SUI)
- Antoine Rebetez (SUI)
1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games
- Hermann Hanggi (SUI)
- Georges Miesz (SUI)
- Heikki Savolainen (FIN)
1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games
- Istvan Pelle (HUN)
- Omero Bonoli (ITA)
- Frank Haubold (USA)
1936 Berlin Olympic Games
- Konrad Frey (GER)
- Eugene Mack (SUI)
- Albert Bachmann (SUI)
1948 London Olympic Games
- Paavo Aaltonen (FIN), Veikko Huhtanen (FIN), Heikki Savolainen (FIN)
- Luigi Zanetti (ITA)
- Guido Figone (ITA)
1952 Helsinki Olympic Games
- Viktor Chukarin (URS) 19.500
- Grant Chaginian (URS), Evgeny Korolkob (URS) 19.400
1956 Melbourne Olympic Games
- Boris Shaklin (URS) 19.250
- Takashi Ono (JPN) 19.200
- Viktor Chukarin (URS) 19.100
1960 Rome Olympic Games
1. Eugen Ekmann (FIN) 19.375
1. Boris Shaklin (URS) 19.375
3. Shuji Tsurumi (JPN) 19.150
1964 Tokyo Olympic Games
- Miroslav Cerar (YUG) 19.525
- Shuji Tsurumi (JPN) 19.325
- Yuri Tsapenko (URS) 19.200
1972 Munich Olympic Games
- Viktor Klimenko (URS) 19.125
- Sawao Kato (JPN) 19.000
- Eizo Kenmotsu (JPN) 18.950
1976 Montreal Olympic Games
- Zoltan Magyar (HUN) 19.700
- Eizo Kenmotsu (JPN) 19.575
- Michael Nikolay (GDR) 19.525
1980 Moscow Olympic Games
- Zoltan Magyar (HUN) 19.925
- Dityatin Alexandr (URS) 19.800
- Nikolay Michael (RDA) 19.775
1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games
1. Li Ning (CHN) & Peter Vidmar (USA) 19.950
3. Timothy Daggett (USA) 19.825
1988 Seoul Olympic Games
1. Lyubomir Geraskov (BUL) 19.950
1. Zsolt Borkai (HUN) 19.950
1. Dmitri Bilozertchev (URS) 19.950
1992 Barcelona Olympic Games
1. Vitaly Scherbo (EUN) & Pae Gil Su (PRK) 9.925
3. Andreas Wecker (GER) 9.887
1996 Atlanta Olympic Games
- Li Donghua (SUI) 9.875
- Marius Urzica (ROM) 9.825
- Alexei Nemov (RUS) 9.787
2000 Sydney Olympic Games
- Marius Urzica (ROM) 9.862
- Eric Poujade (FRA) 9.825
- Alexei Nemov (RUS) 9.800
2004 Athens Olympic Games
- Teng Haibin (CHN) 9.837
- Marius Daniel Urzica (ROM) 9.825
- Takehiro Kashima (JPN) 9.787
2008 Beijing Olympic Games
- Xiao Qin (CHN) 15.875
- Filip Ude (CRO) 15.725
- Louis Smith (GBR) 15.725
Could this be the year for Louis Smith? He has three routines to choose from 16.900, 17.000 or 17.100. Or will the title go to Hungary’s double Pommel World Champion Krisztian Berki? Of course Great Britain’s Daniel Keatings could also do well. France’ Cyril Tommasone placed 2nd at the 2011 World Championships or could 2004 Olympic Champion Teng Haibin sneak up and raise his start value? Does Kohei Uchimura want the Pommel Horse title?
Who do you think will be our 2012 Olympic Pommel Horse Champion? Leave a comment below.
Berki is the main favourite but Chinese and Japanese gymnasts may make an attempt to his leadership
I think it could be Loius Smith”s chance for gold, being home crowd too. He has such stamina. i would not rule out Daniel keatings either.