This is the sixth 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 Women’s All Around Champions of Olympics past. Where possible we have included results,scores and videos where available.
1952 Helsinki Olympic Games
- Maria Gorokhovskaya (URS) 76.780
- Nina Botsharova (URS) 75.940
- Margit Korondi (HUN) 75.820
1956 Melbourne Olympic Games
- Larissa Latynina (URS) 74.933
- Agnes Keleti (HUN) 74.633
- Sofia Muratova (URS) 74.466
1960 Rome Olympic Games
- Larissa Latynina (URS) 77.031
- Sofia Mouratova (URS) 76.696
- Polina Astakhova (URS) 76.164
1964 Tokyo Olympic Games
- Vera Caslavska (TCH) 77.564
- Larissa Latynina (URS) 76.998
- Polina Astakhova (URS) 76.965
1972 Munich Olympic Games
- Ludmila Turischeva (URS) 77.025
- Karin Janz (GDR) 76.875
- Tamara Lazakovich 76.850
1976 Montreal Olympic Games
- Nadia Comaneci (ROM) 79.275
- Nelli Kim (URS) 78.675
- Ludmila Turischeva (URS) 78.625
1980 Moscow Olympic Games
- Yelena Davydova (URS) 79.150
- Nadia Comaneci (ROM) & Maxi Gnauck (GDR) 79.075
1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games
- Mary Lou Retton (USA) 79.175
- Ecaterina Szabo (ROM) 79.125
- Simona Pauca (ROM) 78.675
1988 Seoul Olympic Games
- Elena Shushonova (URS) 79.662
- Daniela Silivas (ROM) 79.637
- Svetlana Boguinskaya (URS) 79.400
1992 Barcelona Olympic Games
- Tatiana Gutsu (EUN) 39.737
- Shannon Miller (USA) 39.725
- Lavinia Milosovici (ROM) 39.687
1996 Atlanta Olympic Games
- Lilia Podkopayeva (UKR) 39.255
- Gina Gogean (ROM) 39.075
- Simona Amanar (ROM) & Lavinia Milosovici (ROM) 39.067
2000 Sydney Olympic Games
- Simona Amanar (ROM) 38.642
- Maria Olaru (ROM) 38.581
- Liu Xuan (CHN) 38.418
2004 Athens Olympic Games
- Carly Patterson (USA) 38.387
- Svetlana Khorkina (RUS) 38.211
- Zhang Nan (CHN) 38.049
2008 Beijing Olympic Games
- Nastia Liukin (USA) 63.325
- Shawn Johnson (USA) 62.725
- Yang Yilin (CHN) 62.650
This Olympic Cycle is full of gymnasts who could take the All Around title, Jordyn Wieber, Larissa Iordache, Aliya Mustafina, Viktoria Komova….who have I left out? Who do you think will be standing on the podium in London in August to be crowned Olympic All Around Champion? Leave a comment below.
Jordyn Wieber/USA (GOLD)
Larissa Lordache/ROM (SILVER)
Kyla Ross/USA, Yao Jinnan/CHN or Anatasia Grishina/RUS (BRONZE)
I know I didn’t mention Victoria Komova or Aliya Mustafina!!! First off I’m not saying neither Aliya Mustafina nor Victoria Komova are not GOOD nor GREAT gymnasts. They are not my favorite so I’m not bent all out of shape about the truth being spoken about them or any gymnasts for that matter. You know it’s the truth being spoken about something or someone when it can cause a reaction that upsets you. Well not unless it’s an outright lie. I guess that exception can be applied when someone gives their input of what someone should have been scored “over scored or under scored.” I am simply implying my thoughts to the question “Who do you think will be standing on the podium in London in August to be crowned Olympic All Around Champion?” From what I’ve seen from these two (Aliya & Victoria) from the last few competitions I’m not convinced neither girl is ready nor has in the endurance to compete all around & win it nor even get on the podium. Regardless of the games being at the end of July, if they don’t have it now they won’t have it then; injuries regardless of their severities should always be top priority. These two are not allowing their bodies to recover so they can get back to what they can be good at. While they are trying to keep up with the Wieber’s, Yao’s, Ross’s & Lordache’s they are not letting their bodies heal, all it’s doing is making their already tired bodies do over time or haul. While they continue to struggle to get back to what they used to be, all of the other gymnasts are perfecting their skills & executions. Which is allowing all the Wieber’s, Yao’s, Ross’s & Lordache’s to go from good to great. Without a bias opinion because they’re your favorite gymnast, if you look at both gymnasts they look tired & worn out. The last time Victoria has competed on all four events was the 2011 worlds (November) over 06 months ago & she struggled. Fall of beam team finals, she almost sat her double Arabian down while on floor team finals. Look at what she produced while on her floor routine in the all around final, which cost her, her gold medal? Well to be honest, SORRY Victoria fans her endurance cost her, her gold medal. She was great on 01 of the 04 events & she won gold on uneven bars in event finals. Victoria is only being used as a beam & uneven bars specialist. Her downgrade on vault Amanar to a DTY, due to injury if she was injured she shouldn’t been competing at Worlds. Now adding more strain to a beat up body she is no longer performing the Amanar. Alexander should have applied the same rule to her like he did Aliya. You’re hurt I’m not allowing you to risk greater injury. Her uneven bars sets at the 2012 Europeans Championship were outstanding, but her beam routine was not so good. EF she had way too many balance checks & she ended up sitting her dismount down. I give her mad props and huge kudos for attempting the double Arabian dismount but she shouldn’t have done something that her body wasn’t used to doing while in recovery stage. Mustafina & her floor routine, SORRY Mustafina fans this would be her third major mess up on floor. She ended up landing on her elbows when Russia took on Switzerland & Great Britain, then her fall in Europeans team qualifications & her major stumble on team finals. Her major error on uneven bars team qualifications which took her completely on the one apparatus that she is a master at. She did not qualify for one event final or take home anything except team silver. Yes Aliya just had a bad meet it happens to every gymnast, but the European Championships sets the stage for Worlds or in the case this year the Olympic Games.
{Continued from my first comment} I wish both Aliya & Victoria the best of luck! I just don’t see neither gymnast on the top of the podium with an Olympic Gold Medal for All Around, I think Wieber, Yao; Ross & Lordache have surpassed them, due to their injuries. Time will tell and NO ONE including Wieber is the defiant winner. The pass games have always been a surprise 00 Games “Raducan/ROM” winning but then being stripped of her medal, but placing 5th in the 99 worlds. “Patterson” beating “Khorkina,” at the 04 Games but placing second to her in 03 Worlds, “Liukin” beating “Johnson” at the 08 games and not even making the podium in the AA at the 07 Worlds, the only gymnast that has won both worlds and the Olympic AA Gold since the breakup of the Former Soviet team is Podkopayeva from the Ukraine were is captured the 95 AA title and 96 games AA title.
I could be totally wrong but didn’t Milo tie with Amanar for bronze in 1996
Depending on how her mental toughness is, Gabby Douglas could get a spot for a medal. Otherwise I see Wieber, Komova, and Iordache on the podium.
I thought Lavinia Milosovici got a Bronze in 1996 – I remember watching her compete in atlanta – she was one of my favourite gymnasts at the time. It was Lilia, Gina, Lavinia & Simona on that medal podium. Mo Huilan in 5th I think. Everyone thought Mo might beat Lilia and then she had a fall on floor.
And Andreea Raducan will always be 2000 champion in my eyes.
As for this year – Mustafina looks like she still has a long way to go when she was at Euros. Komova’s bars looked fabulous, but beam still looked very shaky. Iordache was looking fantastic.
I think chances to Komova, Wieber, Iordache, Raisman (for a bronze if she can avoid major mistakes on bars), Douglas, Yao (if she’s healed up in time – heard she got injured). We shall see….!
Absolutely love this series on Olympic history!
I’d love to see a shock and see Wieber overturned, but at the end of the day she is the powerhouse with a decent amount of artistry and flexibility and seems genuinely modest as oppose to others (cough Komova, Little Miss Moody at Worlds) I suppose only time will tell and its impossible to predict the injures that may arise in the last few weeks in the run up to the games!
I’m hoping, dreaming and praying that Mustafina wins the AA title!!! Wiber is so overated.
MUSTAFINA (GOLD)
KOMOVA (SILVER)
IORDACHE (BRONZE)
Ideally this my picks for the podium. I do believe that those 3 will also be showing their amanars in London – I do believe both the Russian and Romanian coaches DO understand that the do-or-die vault is the ultimate edge-setter for this Olympics and thus will NOT send their gymnasts to London without one. Those 3 also have the form, particularly on bars (even Iordache).
I’d love Aliya to get the gold, especially after all the difficulties inherent with her injury. I think it’s wrong to assume that if the gymnasts don’t have “it” now, they won’t in time for London. I beg to differ. Even in the lead up to the Olympics 2008, the medal winners faltered in their national events.
Christina,
Yes, Lavinia did earn/win the Bronze in 1996 AA. 🙂
@ adriana aguirre: Wieber “over rated,” but yet that over rated gymnast shut down, Jordache, Mustafina and Komova
@ Marguerite: Your selection makes no sense. Mustafina got beat by Komova @ the last Russian Cup and it was not by a small margin. Mustafina’s time was 2010 Worlds and she’ll NEVER have that moment again. She’s lucky “IF” Russia gets a medal in the team final and lucky if she can claim a medal on uneven bars.
Wieber Gold
Jordache or Douglas Silver (depending on Douglas’s nerves, if she can get thru it error free, “IF” she does make an error than)
Komova Bronze
Not being bias Wieber is the MOST ERROR FREE gymnast and can handle herself under pressure. These games AA gymnasts is not going to be grace she’ll be a powerhouse “Liukin/Grace” won last games. They flip back and forth (Power, Grace, Power, Grace, Power)
88 Sushonova (power)
92 Gutsu (grace)
96 Poakopayeva (power)
00 Raduican (grace/DQ)/ Amanar
04 Patterson (power)
08 Liukin (grace)
It always happens this way with the exceptions of 80 & 84 (boycotted games) since Comaneci won in 76.