Highlights of Women's Artistic Gymnastics

                                                       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxksqLxGV0Y

                  "The combination of the beauty of dance and acrobatics"

The sport includes four events for Women which include Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, and the Floor Exercise. For women, floor routines are choreographed to music without words. Depending on the event routines range from thirty to ninety seconds with the exception of Vault, only being a couple seconds. Additionally it is one of the oldest Olympic sports.

Nadia Comaneci:                                                

At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal Nadia Comaneci from

Romania was the gymnast, male or female to earn a perfect score of a 10.0 at the age of fourteen. Her breathtaking performances additionally did not only earn her one perfect score but seven throughout the entire competition leading her to take home the Women's All-Around, Uneven Bars, and Floor Exercise title.

Mary Lou Retton:

At the 1984 Games in Los Angeles Retton was the first American woman to take the title in the All-Around at the Olympics. She became a sensation overnight and was the first women also in history to ever be featured on a Wheaties box. Sadly however, some argue Retton may have not truly been the best for the title because at this time the Soviet's boycotted the Olympics, which possessed some of the best gymnasts.

Magnificent Seven:

The Women's Olympic team of 1996 was the first to win the Gold in Atlanta. The team consisted of Kerri Strug, Dominique Dawes, Amanda Borden, Shannon Miller (brought home the gold for All-Around), Amy Chow, Jaycie Phelps, and Dominique Moceanu. After Moceanu took a fall on Vault, Strug bravely vaulted on a broken ankle and stuck it leading team USA to victory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFn47a_Ny0Y

Carly Patterson:

After not bringing home on medal in the 2000 Olympics at Sydney Patterson rejuvenates the success for USA by earning the gold not only on Balance Beam but the All-Around as well. Some say this was an extremely prominent even in gymnastics history because unlike Retton's win, Russia was involved in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Nastia Liukin:

As a member of the 2008 Olympic Team Liukin took home the gold on Uneven Bars and surprised many by pulling in front of her teammate, Shawn Johnson in the All-Around and taking that title as well. Along with Shannen Miller, a member of the 1996 Olympic team she is the most decorated gymnast in World Championship competition.