In This Month: July

In This Month: July

Jul 28, 2014 by Amanda Wijangco
In This Month: July

     

The summer months are often some of the busiest of the year with a break from school and sports competitions all over the world. This is especially true for gymnastics as these are often the months leading up to the Olympics and World Championships. In the "In This Month" series, key events in gymnastics history that once occurred in the current month will be highlighted and ranked in order of importance.

In the gymnastics world, July is often associated with the Olympics, as numerous Olympic Games begin in July. Here are the top Olympic moments from the month of July.

1. 1976 Montreal Olympics
On July 17, 1976, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci scored the first perfect 10 in modern Olympic history during the team compulsories.
In addition, Comaneci and current President of the FIG Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Committee Nellie Kim swept the women’s individual finals. Comaneci won gold in the all-around, bars and beam while Kim won gold for vault and floor. Comaneci once again made history with her all-around win as she became Romania’s first Olympic All-around Champion. 
 

2. 1952 Helsinki Olympics
These Olympic Games marked a few firsts, the Soviet Union's first Olympics competing in gymnastics and the first time with women's individual all-around, vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise competitions. 
Since the Soviet Union is the winningest country in Olympic artistic gymnastics, the 1952 Games were an important one for them as it marked the beginning of Soviet domination. In Helsinki, the Soviets brought home an astonishing 22 Olympic medals home, most notably gold for the women’s team, all-around, vault and beam and gold for the men’s team, all-around, pommel horse, rings and vault.
 
3. 1992 Barcelona Olympics
More firsts came 40 years later in Spain. These Olympics were the first to not carry qualifying scores from the compulsory and optional rounds over to the individual finals. Therefore, the winners of the event and all-around finals were based solely on the scores given during the finals.
The Barcelona Games also marked the first time the Unified Team competed at an Olympic Games. In their first Olympics, the Unified Team won a total of 20 medals, including gold for the rhythmic all-around, the men’s and women’s artistic all-around competitions, the men’s and women’s team, pommel horse, rings, men’s vault, parallel bars and balance beam. The nations of the former Soviet Union continued the Soviet’s dominance in the sport despite the fall of the Union.
The Americans also made history in Barcelona as the women won the bronze medal in the team competition for the first time. In addition, Shannon Miller became the most decorated American athlete at these games with five medals (silver for all-around and beam and bronze for team, bars and floor).
 
4. 1996 Atlanta Olympics 
Just like the 1952 and 1992 Olympics, the 1996 Games are significant for a number of reasons.
Most importantly, these Olympics were the last major competition to have compulsories. They have since been replaced with prelims.
Two firsts also occurred in Atlanta, the first team gold for the US women and the first (and only) Ukrainian Olympic All-around Champion. The Magnificent Seven won the first team gold for the American women on July 23. It was at these Games where Kerri Strug performed her iconic stuck vault on one leg.
In the all-around, Ukraine’s Lilia Podkopayeva became the first and only Ukrainian Olympic All-around Champion, man or woman. She is the 1995 World All-around Champion, making her the last female gymnast to win the Olympic all-around as reigning World Champion. Also, since Ukraine has never medaled in the women’s team final, Podkopayeva is also the only women’s Olympic All-around Champion to not win a team medal with the all-around gold.
 
5. 2012 London Olympics 
Even in the four July days of the London Olympics, gymnastics history was made in the men’s and women’s team finals. On July 30th, the British men gave their country a great performance to win the team bronze for the second time in British Olympic gymnastics history. On the final day of July, the U.S. women also made history. The Fierce Five won team gold, highlighted by McKayla Maroney’s near-perfect Amanar. This was the second time the American women won team gold and the first time they won the Olympic gold outside of their country.


What are your favorite July Olympic moments? Tell us in the comments section below!

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In This Month: June

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