Meet Li Xiaopeng, a legendary figure in the world of gymnastics whose journey to Olympic greatness is nothing short of inspiring. His talent quickly caught the attention of coaches and selectors, propelling him onto the national stage as a promising young gymnast with boundless potential. With each competition, Li honed his skills and showcased his extraordinary abilities, setting the stage for a journey that would … Continue reading From The Vault: Li Xiaopeng
Born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1992, Shawn Johnson started gymnastics at a very young age, beginning formal training at around the age of three. Her natural talent and dedication quickly became apparent, leading her to competitive gymnastics and eventually to the elite level. Shawn rose to fame with her dazzling performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Her incredible Balance Beam performance captured hearts worldwide … Continue reading From The Vault: Shawn Johnson
The Gym Spot looks at retired artistic gymnast Mykayla Skinner, who took home the silver medal in vault at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Born in 1994, Skinner started in the sport of gymnastics in 2000. Her reason for starting was that she was heavily influenced by her sisters. She made her first debut in 2012, where she joined the US Senior National Team. … Continue reading From The Vault: MyKayla Skinner
Ever wondered why a particular gymnastics skill has the name it has? That would be because they are named after iconic gymnasts that have perfected these routines or are the first people to perform these moves. These are also usually performed at major competitions such as the World Championships or the Olympics. The Gym Spot looks at the manoeuvres and the female gymnasts that these happened to … Continue reading Gymnastics Moves Named After Female Gymnasts
We’ve looked at the past legends that have helped shape the way for gymnastics, now let’s have a look at one of our modern day gymnastics all-stars, Simone Biles! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gymnastics Direct (@gymnasticsdirect) Biles was first recognised for her efforts in 2013, when she won two championship gold medals at the tender age of 16. She … Continue reading From The Vault: Simone Biles
Meet Nellie Kim. She received multiple gold and silver medals in the 1970s and 1980s. This is an excerpt on her successes throughout her gymnastics career. Continue reading From the Vault: Nelli Kim
Kurt Thomas, the first American male gymnast to win a world championship gold medal has passed away last Friday at 64. Thomas won the floor exercise in the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg, France during the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. In 1979 Worlds Championships in Texas, he defended the floor exercise and also took home the gold for the horizontal bar and silver medals in … Continue reading From the Vault: Kurt Thomas, World Champion Gymnast
Four years before retiring from her gymnastics career, Nelli Kim wowed crowds at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kim won gold medals in vault, floor and team and a silver in the all-around behind Romania’s Nadia Comaneci. Dubbed by some “the Queen of the Floor”, Kim was constantly appraised for her ability to effortlessly land skills and her consistent grace. How does this iconic routine from … Continue reading From the Vault: Nelli Kim
Gymnastics is a timeless sport and as decades go by it’s popularity and interest only grows. But how do the routines idolised from the decades passed compare to those today? We’re starting off this segment with Nadia Comaneci’s perfect 10 routine from the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The New York Times published an article at time time referring to Nadia’s performance as “stunning display of artistry, … Continue reading From the Vault: Nadia Comaneci
