When it comes to the most decorated gymnasts, Bridget Sloan ​immediately comes to mind. Not only because owns more than a dozen national, world and Olympic medals, but because she achieved greatness in collegiate gymnastics as well.

Although Sloan waged her fair share of battles with injuries, it never slowed her momentum. She could have retired several times, but instead came back better than before. Fans have been lucky to enjoy her gymnastics for nearly 10 years, so it’s hard to believe her career at the University of Florida will end in a few weeks.

In celebration of Bridget Sloan and all she has accomplished, let's take a look at her illustrious career.

2007-2008: Just getting started

Sloan made her senior debut in 2007 and was named an alternate on the Worlds team. She was named to the Jesolo team the next year, but was forced to sit out due to a torn meniscus. As a result, the first time many people saw Sloan compete was at the national championships that year, where she did well enough to make it through to the Olympic Trials. Although it was perhaps not one of her best meets, she did great on bars the first night, and scored a 15.75. Relive her bar routine from this meet below:

The Beijing Olympics: A Crucial Competitor

At the 2008 Olympic Games, Sloan became a crucial competitor for the team after teammates Chellsie Memmel and Samantha Peszek suffered injuries that took them out of most events. Relied on as vault leadoff during the final, Sloan delivered with a big 15.2 on her double-twisting Yurchenko (which earned a big hug from Coach Martha) to contribute to the team’s silver-medal win. Relive the moment here:

2009: National Champion turned World Champion

Sloan carried her Olympic momentum into her 2009 elite season. At the American Cup, she placed second to Jordyn Wieber. Later that year, became the new national champion, and captured gold medals on floor and bars.

But she wasn't done yet -- Sloan went on to win the London World Championships. She managed to finish .05 ahead of teammate Rebecca Bross for the victory, thanks to impressive performances on vault and bars.

Relive Sloan's floor routine below:

Battling Through Injuries

The next few years were tough -- Sloan fought a number of injuries that either limited her or kept her out of competitions altogether. But she continued to work hard, and she was named to the 2010 Worlds team to compete on bars and floor. In 2011, she was forced to sit out much of the season to recover from bicep surgery, though she did make the Pan-American team and competed on bars and floor again.

Going for a Second Olympics

Although she missed Classics, Sloan started strong in 2012. She put up a solid performance at nationals, competing on all four events and scoring 15.1 on bars in prelims and 14.95 on day two. Then, injury struck.

While warming up on bars during the Olympic Trials, she misjudged her Church release and landed hard on her elbow. The injury was serious enough that she was forced to withdraw from the Trials.

Fortunately, this was not the end of gymnastics for Sloan. Enter: Florida.

The Star of the Gators

Sloan started competing for the Gators in 2013 and enjoyed one of the best freshman seasons a collegiate gymnast can have. She won the NCAA all-around and balance beam championship titles. The all-around title made her the first gymnast ever to win national, world and NCAA titles. In addition to her individual success, Sloan also helped Florida win their first-ever NCAA Championship.

The Gators' success didn’t stop there -- Sloan also helped them win NCAA Championships in 2014 and 2015. During her senior year, she set the Florida record for the most perfect 10.0s in her career (eight total) and has achieved this score in every event. Her career-high in the all-around is an astounding 39.825 -- another Florida record.

Despite being out with an injury for much of the season, she put up a huge 9.95 with this routine last year:


It's amazing to look back at her career and see all she has achieved at both the elite and NCAA level. Her gymnastics are both impressive and fun to watch, and she competes with an admirable determination. There's no doubt she'll go down in history as one of the USA's most accomplished gymnasts.

If you're feeling nostalgic, check out our Beyond the Routine episodes with Bridget Sloan and the Florida Gators:
Bridget Sloan: The Untold Story
How Florida Did the Unthinkable
Scooters, Sparkle, & Sloan!