This is the twelfth 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 this week with the Women’s Floor Champions of Olympics past. Where possible we have included results,scores and pictures or videos where available. Remember – only four Friday’s left until the Opening Ceremony!
1952 Helsinki Olympic Games
- Agnes Keleti (HUN)
- Maria Gorokhovskaya (URS)
- Margit Korondi (URS)
1956 Melbourne Olympic Games
- Larissa Latynina (URS) &a Agnes Keleti (HUN) 19.732
- Elena Leusteanu (ROM) 18.732
1960 Rome Olympic Games
- Larissa Latynina (URS)
- Polina Astakhova (URS)
- Tamara Lyukhina (URS)
1964 Tokyo Olympic Games
- Larissa Latynina (URS) 19.599
- Polina Astakhova (URS) 19.500
- Aniko Ducza (HUN) 19.300
1972 Munich Olympic Games
- Olga Korbut (URS) 19.400
- Ludmilla Turischeva (URS) 19.550
- Tamara Lazakovich (URS) 19.450
1976 Montreal Olympic Games
- Nellie Kim (URS) 19.850
- Ludmilla Turischeva (URS) 19.825
- Nadia Comaneci (ROM) 19.750
1980 Moscow Olympic Games
- Nellie Kim (URS) & Nadia Comaneci (ROM)
- Maxi Gnauck (GDR)
1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games
- Ecaterina Szabo (ROM) 19.975
- Julianne McNamara (USA) 19.950
- Mary Lou Retton (USA) 19.800
1988 Seoul Olympic Games
- Daniela Silivas (ROM) 19.937
- Svetlana Boginskaya (URS) 19.887
- Diana Doudeva (BUL) 19.850
1992 Barcelona Olympic Games
- Lavinia Milosovici (ROM) 10.00
- Henrietta Onodi (HUN) 9.950
- Tatiana Gutsu (EUN) 9.912
1996 Atlanta Olympic Games
- Lilia Podkopayeva (UKR) 9.887
- Simona Amanar (ROM) 9.850
- Dominique Dawes (USA) 9.837
2000 Sydney Olympic Games
- Elena Zamalodchikova (RUS) 9.850
- Svetlana Khorkina (RUS) 9.812
- Simona Amanar (ROM) 9.712
2004 Athens Olympic Games
- Catalina Ponor (ROM) 9.750
- Nicoleta Daniela Sofronie (ROM) 9.562
- Patricia Moreno (ESP) 9.487
2008 Beijing Olympic Games
- Sandra Izbasa (ROM) 15.650
- Shawn Johnson (USA) 15.500
- Nastia Liukin (USA) 15.425
Floor has come a long way from what it originally was in the Olympics. Today’s tumbling is more powerful and spectacular than ever before. In terms of our Olympic Floor Champion – Who do you envision on the podium in less than 1 months time? Leave a comment below. Beth Tweddle, Viktoria Komova, Jordyn Wieber, Gabrielle Douglas, Aliya Mustafina all have amazingly strong floor routines, could Sandra Izbasa retain her Olympic title? It will be hard to predict this one!
Also in this series:
- Gymnastics History: Olympic Champions – MAG Vault
- Gymnastics History: Olympic Champions – MAG Parallel Bars
- Gymnastics History: Olympic Champions – MAG AA
- Gymnastics History: Olympic Champions – WAG AA
- Gymnastics History: Olympic Champions – MAG Pommel Horse
- Gymnastics History: Olympic Champions – WAG Vault
- Gymnastics History: Olympic Champions – MAG Still Rings
- Gymnastics History: Olympic Champions – MAG High Bar
- Gymnastics History: Olympic Champions – WAG Beam
2012 Olympics-
Gold- Lauren Mitchell
Silver- Ally Raisman
Bronze- Ksenia Afanasyeva
🙂
2012: Larisa Iordache and a great 3 peat for Romania 😀
Larisa Iordache is my pick for FX
Gold Iordache
Silver Sui Lu
Bronze Afanasyeva
…Aaaww, I miss those old “back and forth” tumblings.
I still find Lavinia Milosovici’s FX amazing!
Also, I find mind boggling to see really hard tumbling passes decades ago (double twist-double back?!), considering they didn’t have the most cutting edge training facilities back then.
Some of those tumbling passes are still hard-core to this days!
…BUT…
The “cheating the code” is getting tired, I wonder if it’s a result of the non-compulsory era.
Some limitations should apply:
Just like the “rolling out of a tumbling” for men, women should only be able to “leap out of a tumbling” only once or twice. (The Romanians are back-tucking out of everything, it’s just odd!)
Front walkovers shouldn’t count as a front pass.
There should be a deduction for passes like “1st pass: double layout, 2nd pass: double pike, 3rd pass: double tuck.”
IMHO, of course.
1. Aly Raisman — she’s the best!
2. Larisa Iordache
3. Sandra Izbasa
In 1952, the third place gymnast, Margit Korondi is Hungarian. You have listed her as Russian