Mary Lou Retton’s Perfect 10 Floor Routine Is Timeless: See Her Iconic Performance
In recent years there's been no shortage of iconic gymnastics routines, especially when the Olympics are involved, but it's impossible to talk about the Olympics and not talk about Mary Lou Retton. She may be retired, but her floor routine from the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles is timeless. Keep reading to learn more about the former gymnast and see the video of her flawless number.
Mary Lou Retton's Olympics performance
It’s not surprising that Retton has become a household name and it’s all thanks to her 1984 Olympics performance in Los Angeles. She’s a five-time Olympic medalist, but her floor routine is what got her the gold.
With perfect 10s on floor exercise and vault, Retton beat her Romanian opponent, Ecaterina Szabo, by 0.05 points and became the first American woman to be named an Olympic all-around champion. During those Games, she also picked up a silver medal on the vault and the team event with bronze medals on uneven bars and floor. She was only 16 years old when she broke out into the gymnastics world.
At the time, five medals were the most won by an American athlete, and she was one of the country’s most popular sports figures. She was named Sports Illustrated’s “Sportswoman of the Year” and was also featured on the Wheaties cereal box.
Check out her iconic performance below:
Mary Lou Retton had knee surgery before the Olympics
Retton almost didn’t make it to the Olympics. She had a stellar run during the U.S. Olympic artistic gymnastics trials but injured her knee during a floor routine rehearsal.
In a 1994 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Retton recalled not being able to stand up. “My knee was actually locked crooked. I hobbled up to Bela (Retton’s coach) and tapped him on the hip and I said, ‘Bela, I can’t straighten my knee.’ His eyes kind of crossed and he said, ‘You’re crazy.’”
She ended up needing urgent arthroscopic knee surgery and only had five weeks to recover before the Games. Retton kept her surgery a secret until 10 years after her Olympics routine.
The gymnast – who is the covergirl of Women’s World – went into more detail about the difficulties she’s faced as an athlete.
“I’ve had over 30 orthopedic operations, five hip replacements, metal in my back, two neck replacements, shoulders and knees, but I’ve got to say my ankles are pretty good,” Retton revealed.
When did Mary Lou Retton retire?
The gymnast wasn’t looking to compete for the long haul. After her wins in 1984, she went on to win the American Cup all-around in 1985 which was her third and final time winning it after she’d previously won twice – once in 1983 and 1984.
She hung up her leotard in 1986, two years before the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Her days in the spotlight didn’t end there though. Retton was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Committee's Hall of Fame in 1985 and the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.
What is Mary Lou Retton up to now?
Retton has opened up about the health difficulties she has faced in recent years. In 2023, she was in the hospital with a rare form of pneumonia that left her intubated in the ICU. She was so sick that the doctors and her four daughters didn’t think she was going to make it through.
But Retton is celebrating and living life to the fullest. This year also marks 40 years since her Olympic run and she enjoys reminiscing on those days and watching videos of her routines.
“For 40 years, people have come up to me saying, ‘God, you inspired me,’” Retton revealed to Woman’s World. “But it’s my daughters who inspire me — what they did for me, how they’ve stood by me, how strong they were. They saved my life. They are extraordinary young women.”
Retton went as far as saying that all her Olympic medals could be taken from her – at the end of the day, all she desires in this life are her children.
“They are incredible. I was literally on my death bed — not an exaggeration. They’ve shown me pictures. I don’t even remember, and I don’t recognize myself. It’s so surreal.”
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