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Summer Olympics: Gabby Douglas and All-Time Medal Winners of the Women’s Gymnastics Individual All-Around
Gabby Douglas Wins Women’s Gymnastics Individual All-Around Gold, Third In A Row For The USA
Poised and confident spitfire Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas, “The Flying Squirrel,” won the women’s gymnastics individual all-around gold last night in London, making it a threepeat for the USA.
Americans Nastia Liukin and Carly Patterson won in the 2008 and 2004 Games at Beijing and Athens, respectively.
Mary Lou Retton, perhaps the US’s most famous female gymnast, is the fourth, and last, American woman to win the all-around gold.
For most of the sport’s Olympic history, though, it has been the Romanians and Soviets who have dominated, at least in terms of overall medals.
Here are all the Olympics medalists in the event since 1952, the first year it became official, followed by a breakdown by country.
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OLYMPICS WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND MEDALISTS
| YEAR | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |||
| 2012 | Gabby Douglas | USA | Viktoria Komova | RUS | Aliya Mustafina | RUS |
| 2008 | Nastia Liukin | USA | Shawn Johnson | USA | Yang Yilin | CHN |
| 2004 | Carly Patterson | USA | Svetlana Khorkina | RUS | Zhang Nan | CHN |
| 2000 | Simona Amânar | ROU | Maria Olaru | ROU | Liu Xuan | CHN |
| 1996 | Liliya Podkopaieva | UKR | Gina Gogean | ROU | Simona Amânar | ROU |
| Lavinia Milosovici | ROU | |||||
| 1992 | Tetiana Hutsu | EUN | Shannon Miller | USA | Lavinia Milosovici | ROU |
| 1988 | Yelena Shushunova | URS | Daniela Silivas | ROU | Svetlana Boginskaya | URS |
| 1984 | Mary Lou Retton | USA | Ecaterina Szabo | ROU | Simona Pauca | ROU |
| 1980 | Yelena Davydova | URS | Maxi Gnauck | GDR | – | – |
| Nadia Comaneci | ROU | |||||
| 1976 | Nadia Comaneci | ROU | Nelli Kim | URS | Lyudmila Turishcheva | URS |
| 1972 | Lyudmila Turishcheva | URS | Karin Janz | GDR | Tamara Lazakovich | URS |
| 1968 | Vera Cáslavská | TCH | Zinaida Voronina | URS | Nataliya Kuchinskaya | URS |
| 1964 | Vera Cáslavská | TCH | Larysa Latynina | URS | Polina Astakhova | URS |
| 1960 | Larysa Latynina | URS | Sofiya Muratova | URS | Polina Astakhova | URS |
| 1956 | Larysa Latynina | URS | Ágnes Keleti | HUN | Sofiya Muratova | URS |
| 1952 | Mariya Horokhovska | URS | Nina Bocharova | URS | Margit Korondi | HUN |
WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND GOLD MEDALS BY COUNTRY
| 1. | URS | Soviet Union | 6 |
| 2. | USA | United States | 4 |
| 3. | ROU | Romania | 2 |
| 3. | TCH | Czechoslovakia | 2 |
| 5. | EUN | Unified Team* | 1 |
| 5. | UKR | Ukraine | 1 |
WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND OVERALL MEDALS BY COUNTRY
| 1. | URS | Soviet Union | 18 |
| 2. | ROU | Romania | 11 |
| 3. | USA | United States | 6 |
| 4. | RUS | Russia | 3 |
| 4. | CHN | China | 3 |
| 6. | GDR | East Germany | 2 |
| 6. | HUN | Hungary | 2 |
| 6. | TCH | Czechoslovakia | 2 |
| 9. | EUN | Unified Team* | 1 |
| 9. | UKR | Ukraine | 1 |
* Following the political collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia and 11 other former Communist block countries formed the Unified Team of 1992.
Photo: thegrio.com
Summer Olympics: USA Wins Women’s Team Gymnastics Gold. Countries with the Most Team Gymnastics Medals (Women)
USA Women Win the 2012 Olympics Gymnastics Team All-Around Gold
The USA’s Women’s Gymnastics Team walked away with the gold medal in the team all-around event yesterday, the second in the country’s history and its first since 1996.
With so many competitive and well-known women gymnasts over the years – Mary Lou Retton, Shannon Miller, Kerri Strug, Carly Patterson and reigning individual gold medalist Nastia Liukin – one would think the Americans (in the team event) had won more gold. Nope. Just twice.
Mary Lou Retton, perhaps the most famous American gymnast, scored big individually in 1984, but the team actually came in second.
It doesn’t just happen to Americans. Nadia Comaneci, perhaps the most famous gymnast ever, went off with three golds and a perfect 10 in 1976, but Romania took the silver in the team all-around.
Today’s list runs down those countries with the most women’s gymnastics team all-around medals in Olympics history, led by Comaneci’s Romania with 12. The Soviet Union has nine team medals – all gold – in second, followed by the USA with eight.
Note, though, that if you combine the Soviet Union’s nine, with the Unified Team* gold in 1992 and Russia’s four team medals, then the Soviet Union and its political offspring have 14 medals all together.
I’ve added a second list which ranks countries by the most gold medals, and finally a third list that provides the chronological order of all medal winners. Men’s gymnastics were a part of the Olympics since the first Games in 1896. Women’s gymnastics became an official event in 1928.
Thanks to sports-reference.com, my source. Check it out!
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MOST WOMEN’S TEAM GYMNASTICS MEDALS
| COUNTRY | MEDALS | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Romania | 12 | 1984, 2000, 2004 | 1976, 1980, 1988, 1992 | 1956, 1960, 1996, 2008, 2012 |
| 2. | Soviet Union | 9 | 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1988 | – | – |
| 3. | United States | 8 | 1996, 2012 | 1984, 2004, 2008 | 1948, 1992, 2000 |
| 4. | Czechoslovakia | 6 | 1948 | 1936, 1960, 1964, 1968 | 1952 |
| 5. | East Germany | 5 | – | 1972 | 1968, 1976, 1980, 1988 |
| 5. | Hungary | 5 | – | 1948, 1952, 1956 | 1936, 1972 |
| 7. | Russia | 4 | – | 1996, 2000, 2012 | 2004 |
| 8. | China | 2 | 2008 | – | 1984 |
| 9. | Unified Team* | 1 | 1992 | – | – |
| 9. | Great Britain | 1 | – | – | 1928 |
| 9. | Germany | 1 | 1936 | – | – |
| 9. | Italy | 1 | – | 1928 | – |
| 9. | Japan | 1 | – | – | 1964 |
| 9. | Netherlands | 1 | 1928 | – | – |
MOST WOMEN’S TEAM GYMNASTICS GOLD MEDALS
| 1. | Soviet Union | 9 |
| 2. | Romania | 3 |
| 3. | United States | 2 |
| 4. | China | 1 |
| 4. | Unified Team* | 1 |
| 4. | Czechoslovakia | 1 |
| 4. | Germany | 1 |
| 4. | Netherlands | 1 |
OLYMPICS WOMEN’S TEAM GYMNASTICS MEDALS – CHRONOLOGICAL
| YEAR | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 2012 | United States | Russia | Romania |
| 2008 | China | United States | Romania |
| 2004 | Romania | United States | Russia |
| 2000 | Romania | Russia | United States |
| 1996 | United States | Russia | Romania |
| 1992 | Unified Team* | Romania | United States |
| 1988 | Soviet Union | Romania | East Germany |
| 1984 | Romania | United States | China |
| 1980 | Soviet Union | Romania | East Germany |
| 1976 | Soviet Union | Romania | East Germany |
| 1972 | Soviet Union | East Germany | Hungary |
| 1968 | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | East Germany |
| 1964 | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | Japan |
| 1960 | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | Romania |
| 1956 | Soviet Union | Hungary | Romania |
| 1952 | Soviet Union | Hungary | Czechoslovakia |
| 1948 | Czechoslovakia | Hungary | United States |
| 1936 | Germany | Czechoslovakia | Hungary |
| 1928 | Netherlands | Italy | Great Britain |
* Following the political collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia and 11 other former Communist block countries formed the Unified Team of 1992.
Photo: tmz.com
Summer Olympics: Top 10 Gymnasts with the Most Medals (Men, Women, Overall)
Larysa Latynina, Representing the Soviet Union in the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Stands Atop the Highest Step
Follow Sports List of the Day‘s tributes to the Olympics all summer long (along with all of your favorite sports)…
So far, we’ve rundown:
Top 20 Countries with the Most Summer Olympic Golds
Summer Olympics: Top 10 Athletes with the Most Medals All Time
Countries with the Most Summer Olympic Basketball Medals
Today, it’s time to look at one of the Summer Games most popular events: gymnastics.
The Soviet Union…and Japan…make their mark here more than any other nation. Only one American, Shannon Miller, made the cut.
The Soviet Union’s Larysa Latynina is the greatest Olympic gymnastics medalist of all. She’s got 18, and in fact, that happens to be the most medals in any sport period.
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MEN
| 1. | Nikolay Andrianov | 15 | Soviet Union |
| 2. | Takashi Ono | 13 | Japan |
| 2. | Borys Shakhlin | 13 | Soviet Union |
| 4. | Aleksey Nemov | 12 | Russia |
| 4. | Sawao Kato | 12 | Japan |
| 6. | Viktor Chukarin | 11 | Soviet Union |
| 7. | Vitaly Shcherbo | 10 | Unified, Belarus |
| 7. | Aleksandr Dityatin | 10 | Soviet Union |
| 7. | Akinori Nakayama | 10 | Japan |
| 10. | Eizo Kenmotsu | 9 | Japan |
| 10. | Mitsuo Tsukahara | 9 | Japan |
| 10. | Mikhail Voronin | 9 | Soviet Union |
| 10. | Yury Titov | 9 | Soviet Union |
| 10. | Heikki Savolainen | 9 | Finland |
WOMEN
| 1. | Larysa Latynina | 18 | Soviet Union |
| 2. | Vera Cáslavská | 11 | Czechoslovakia |
| 3. | Polina Astakhova | 10 | Soviet Union |
| 3. | Ágnes Keleti | 10 | Hungary |
| 5. | Nadia Comaneci | 9 | Romania |
| 5. | Lyudmila Turishcheva | 9 | Soviet Union |
| 7. | Sofiya Muratova | 8 | Soviet Union |
| 7. | Margit Korondi | 8 | Hungary |
| 9. | Svetlana Khorkina | 7 | Russia |
| 9. | Simona Amânar | 7 | Romania |
| 9. | Shannon Miller | 7 | United States |
| 9. | Karin Janz | 7 | East Germany |
| 9. | Mariya Horokhovska | 7 | Soviet Union |
COMBINED
| 1. | Larysa Latynina (F) | 18 | Soviet Union |
| 2. | Nikolay Andrianov (M) | 15 | Soviet Union |
| 3. | Takashi Ono (M) | 13 | Japan |
| 3. | Borys Shakhlin (M) | 13 | Soviet Union |
| 5. | Aleksey Nemov (M) | 12 | Russia |
| 5. | Sawao Kato (M) | 12 | Japan |
| 7. | Vera Cáslavská (F) | 11 | Czechoslovakia |
| 7. | Viktor Chukarin (M) | 11 | Soviet Union |
| 9. | Vitaly Shcherbo (M) | 10 | Unified, Belarus |
| 9. | Aleksandr Dityatin (M) | 10 | Soviet Union |
| 9. | Akinori Nakayama (M) | 10 | Japan |
| 9. | Polina Astakhova (F) | 10 | Soviet Union |
| 9. | Ágnes Keleti (F) | 10 | Hungary |
Photo: olympic.org
