Friday, September 29, 2006

Top 10 Gymnasts of All Time

Gymnastics is perhaps one of the most difficult games. Not every can perform in it. I mean every can play football, baseball or basketball but only gymnasts can perform even simplest actions of gymnastics. Here, I have made a list of 10 great gymnasts. Of course, this kind of list often creates controversy and my list may not satisfy many people as they will feel disappointed and even angry that their favorite player is not in this list. So, I apologize in advance for it. I have just made the list from my own research and you don’t have to agree with the list.

Sawao Kato

Sawao Kato is considered as one of the greatest Gymnasts in its history. Participating in three Olympics, he bagged twelve medals including eight gold medals. This Japanese first participated in 1968 Olympics Games. He is one of the best male gymnasts in the Olympic Games history with his 12 medals in Olympic Games. Undoubtedly, he is the best Olympian for Japan. This great Athlete is a member of World Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Image Link: Olympiaclub


Nikolai Andrianov

This man from Russia is a natural genius. He participated in 3 Olympics (1972, 76 and 80) and won 15 medals. No other male gymnast has been able to win more Olympic medals that Nikolai Andrianov. He was a natural gymnast and won in other major competitions too. World Cup, University Games, European Championships, World Championships, USSR Championships- you name it and he won all of them. He was trainded Nikolai Tolkachev, one of the greatest trainers of USSR.




Image Link: intgymnast


Dmitry Vladimirovich Bilozerchev

This Russian famous Gymnast got popularity being the youngest male world champion in the sports history. He made this prestigious record participating in the 1983 world championship while he was just 16. This laurel sportsman could prove his talent and skills in gymnastics in the 1988 Olympic Games where he won 4 medals including 3 gold. He could easily dominate in the late 80’s. He could return to the world championships again in 1987 in 1987 just after the two years of getting out of an auto accident which proves his determination and passion to Gymnastics. He could win 3 gold medals in that tournament. So, it was not unusual to include this great gymnast in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.


Image Link: intgymnast


Bart Conner

Bart Conner is perhaps the most successful male American gymnast. He is “the only American male gymnast to have won gold medals at every level of competition, and has won more events than any other American male gymnast.” This shows his caliber. He had impressive performance in 1984 Olympics (Los Angeles) and had good success. Well, personally, I am not too much impressed with this success as the then Soviet Union and other East European countries boycotted the 1984 Olympics. Perhaps to prove me wrong, he won the World Cup in 1979. So, I must admit that he was one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. He married the legendary Romanian gymnast, Nadia Comaneci.


Image Link: http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/bioc4/conn04a.jpg


Boris Anfiyanovich Shakhlin

Boris is another big name in the all time gymnastics history. This benevolent gymnast could win 10 individual medals in the world championships. He is one of the successful Olympian with his 13 medals in which 7 are gold. He could win gold medal in each of his three consecutive Olympics Games. In 1960 Rome Olympic Games was his best as he bagged 7 medals including 4 gold. This Russian devoted gymnast was included in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2002.


Image Link: Olympic


Larissa Latynina

This greatest female gymnast has already taken a place for her own in the history of Gymnastics and also in Olympics. This Russian still holds the record of winning highest number of Olympic medals with her 18 medals including 9 gold. She set another record for female gymnastics winning 9 Olympic gold for the first time. In her three consecutive Olympic appearances, she could prove her ability in Gymnastics dominating the Gymnastic world in her time. Before being inducted into the International World Gymnastics Hall of Fame, she was also honored the ‘Olympic Order’ by the International Olympic Committee in 1989 for her great and memorable contributions in the world gymnastics.

Image Link: Wikipedia


Olga Korbut

Before her appearance in gymnastics it was considered to be a sport of grown up people. Teenage girls were not allowed. She changed it all. She was also the one who made gymnastics very popular. Olga Korbut, also known as the Sparrow of Minsk, was a Belarusian gymnast. She competed in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. She won four gold medals and two silver medals. She started training at the age of 8. In her first competition in 1969 she acquired fifth position in USSR Championship. Her performance in 1972 captivated audience worldwide. She was the first person to do a backward somersault on the balance beam and standing backward somersault on bars.


Image Link: Olympic multimedia



Nadia Comaneci

Nadia is another greatest gymnast in the history of gymnastics. She is famous for her perfect score of 10 in an Olympic event in 1976 for the first time in the world when she was just 14. This Romanian gymnast won 9 Olympic medals in which 5 were gold participating in two Olympics Games. After taking retirement, she devoted her life to spread out gymnastics throughout the world especially in USA she tried to make this sports event popular participating in some Gymnastics exhibition tours. She is a member of International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.Image Link: Wikimedia



Mary Lou Retton

Many people think that America did not have any great gymnast. Well, until Mary Lou Retton came to the limelight, female gymnastics was totally dominated by East European gymnasts. Mary Lou Retton was ‘the first gymnast outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title.’ Her name is listed in International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. She had impressive performance in 1984 Log Angels Olympics and won five medals. Mary got the honor of Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportswoman of the Year" in 1984. She became very popular in US and used her popularity to support President Regan and the Republican Party.

Image Link: collectr


Věra Čáslavská

This Czechoslovakian is also very popular in the gymnastic world. She could win 11 Olympic medals including 7 gold. In her career she won 22 International titles. With such prestigious record she has already been a great gymnast in Gymnastic. Among her three Olympic tournaments, 1968 Olympic Games was a special one as she bagged four Gold medals in that tournament. She is the second female gymnast to win two consecutive all-round gold medals in Olympic Games. She was assigned in the IOC committee in 1995 and she is a member of International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.


Image Link: Olympic

82 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:30 PM

    this is really intresting and as a 12 year old gymnast myself i have won 1 gold, a 3rd over all a 5th over all, a 8th over all,two 4ths, two 5 ths two state pennants an eighth and a participation medal i compete state level 6 and even though im working hard at it im not a fantastic born to be gymnast but my coach helps me to do eveything properly im practising now - im even doing backflip on beam which is really exciting.

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    1. Megan9:51 AM

      thats pretty great! I'm a 13 year gymnast (I'm 14 now) I'm on level 9 and hope to make it to nationals! wish me luck!

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    2. Anonymous8:24 PM

      you suck i won the olympics at age 10 hahahah your all pathetic btw afl is awsum

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    3. Anonymous11:59 PM

      Dear Anonymous, just because you won at a younger age doesn't necessarily mean that you are better. Bragging doesn't benefit anyone either. Megan congratulated Emy and you just offended them. Honestly I think you're a coward hiding behind your screen as anonymous. I may be anonymous as well but I can tell you that my name is Ellen. Would you like someone to tell you that they won a competition at a younger age than you and that you sucked? It doesn't make you a winner if you brag about yourself or offend others. YOU are the pathetic one, not encouraging your fellow gymnasts. Your attitude is very bitchy. What would your parents say? Well I hope you have a nice day carrying all that guilt. Btw Megan and Emy, I think you guys did great. much better than what I can do XD -Ellen

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  2. Anonymous10:32 PM

    :)i do gymnastics too.

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  3. Anonymous10:40 PM

    !wow! i love gymnastics 2 sosososo muchly

    ^--^
    =(*.* )=
    / \
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    1. Anonymous10:25 AM

      yur retarded i culd probale beat u in any gymnastics im a pro

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    2. Anonymous9:03 AM

      I could beat you in any competition...name the time/place

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    3. Anonymous2:05 PM

      ok. you name the place

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  4. Anonymous10:42 PM

    ^--^
    =(*.* )=
    / \
    --(_)-(_)--
    |***********|
    | cat |
    |___________|

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  5. Anonymous6:42 PM

    That is sweet man YOU GO GURLS!!!!! I sure wish that i could do that!!

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  6. Anonymous6:44 PM

    i cant do that but i sure do love to watch it!!!

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  7. Anonymous10:06 AM

    OMG! I Love Gymnastics So Much.My Idol Is Nadia. She is my most fav gymnast out of them all

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    Replies
    1. Megan9:52 AM

      dude i train with her

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    2. Anonymous7:59 PM

      I train with olga Korbut. All you bitches are pansies. I bet most of you can't even do a backflip lol.

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    3. Anonymous5:08 PM

      It's called a flick you Pratt, ur no gymnast haha

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    4. Anonymous7:24 AM

      Excuse me. That isn't very nice. Would you like to be called a "Bitch"? Or A "Pansies" I can do a back flip. I rarely do it, and i am not a gymnastic. But I am a professional Dodge-Ball, and a fast runner. I also am the lead singer in my church, a Sunday school teacher, the lead volunteer at the biggest conferences, and plus the 1st of the first sopranos. I have a friend that is named Claire. She does gymnastics too. And I can clearly state, that she agrees if your attitude stinks, you stink and you shouldn't even be competition.

      Please apologize.

      Thanks

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  8. Anonymous10:36 AM

    gymnastics is the best sport ever! i am 8 years old and in level 4. my coach thinks i should go to level 5 soon.i have won alot of medals and 3 first place,2 second place and 2 fifths.i am learning how to do a backtuck on floor and nadia comaneci is my fav gymnast.

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  9. Eagles Wings Athletics Gymnast7:34 AM

    I Love Gymnastics it's so much fun! I love Nadia Comaneci, Dominique Mocueanu,and Dominique Daws. Some of my Dreams are to Train with Bela and Marta Karolyi, Go to the Olympics,and Go to international gymnastics camp!

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  10. Anonymous2:52 AM

    Hi everyone...
    Doing gymnastics myself, i am elite now, in an age of only 10 !

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  11. kaylee7:19 PM

    Hi, I'm kaylee I'm 4 I'm currently a level 7 artistic gymnast, level 5 tumbler and level 6 rhythmic gymnast, I train 4 hours every day and work very hard I also do Russian ballet to help with my rhythmic, my favorite gymnast is Nastia Lukin as I got to meet her when I went to karoyli summer camp, my favorite part of gymnastics is beam I can do back handspring, back tuck and aireal on it! 'Stay tuned because my coach said yall be seeing me in the Olympics when I get grown' (that paragraph was all my words but my mommy wrote this for me)

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  12. Anonymous1:33 PM

    I love gymnastics im level 8 in everything and im only 11.I do all the kinds of dance from ballet and modern to tap jazz and hip hop to make me stronger. Im doing a projest on gymnastics for what i love and it is about dance and gymnastics. I dance and do at new england dance gynastics and it is great there. I hope i will be as good as my favorite gymnast Nastia Lukin
    :) Vicky

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  13. Anonymous2:20 PM

    i love gymnastics it is very hard but when i want to get something i will get it. my favorite gymnast is nastia likin

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  14. Anonymous4:30 PM

    i love gymnastics im not very good though im 10 and its my first year of a level4 i practice 3 days a week for 3 and a half hours i try my best everyday my dream is to one day go to the olympics

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  15. Anonymous6:28 PM

    DOMINIQUE MOCEANU!!!!!! SHE NEEDS TO BE ON THIS LIST NOWW!

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  16. Anonymous4:16 PM

    loook were is nastia liukin if she is not on this list then it horrible im sorry im just saying the truth thnxs

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  17. Anonymous4:17 PM

    im sorry but i think nastia luikin needs to be on this list

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  18. Anonymous6:17 AM

    Yuri Chechi needs to be on

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  19. Mike Ellis4:25 PM

    How can you leave Ludmilla Turischeva out of the list?

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  20. Anonymous7:11 PM

    i love gymnastics my mom always said the goal is the sky which means you shoud always follow your dreams and never give up i am a gymnast 2 i love gymnastics scine well ever i LOVE gymnastics i have over 100 medals i have been competeing since i was 4 or 3

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  21. Anonymous12:09 PM

    What about Svetlana khorkina?

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  22. Anonymous10:24 AM

    dis is homo

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  23. Anonymous3:39 PM

    good help for report

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  24. Anonymous2:40 PM

    I love Gymnastics! I've been doing it since I was 3 and I am know 16, it is the best sport out there!

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  25. Anonymous1:33 AM

    hi i i'm 11 and i started gymnastics to help with my dance. My total obsession is Contemporary adance, jazz and ballet but i totally luv gym 2. The funny thing iz dat my coach sez i am talented at gym lol!

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  26. Anonymous5:21 PM

    I'm going to try to join the Olympics too!!!

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  27. Anonymous5:23 PM

    Hey I'm 11 years old and I am going to try to join the Olympics too!!!

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  28. Anonymous1:42 PM

    I have always wanted to win a gold medel

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  29. Anonymous6:44 PM

    I love gymnastics!
    I am on level 5 and 9 years old (not on a major team)

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  30. Anonymous2:26 PM

    I LOVE GYMNASTICS!
    It is so fun and the person who wrote top ten gymnasts well here are some other great gymnasts...
    Shawn Johnson
    Nastia Liukan
    Kurt Thomas
    Blaine Wilsom
    Shannon Miller
    Kerry Strug
    Svetlana Boginski

    Just some ideas

    P.S. Go to the camp International Gymnastics Camp
    Best camp ever for you gymnasts and it is for any levels!
    Go on their website to find out more and I should know I went there and I am going there this summer!

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  31. Anonymous3:38 PM

    i love them all i do gymnastics im a level 9 and 14 years old. i train 5 and a half hours a day and go 6 days a week. these people are the ones i look up too everyday.

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  32. Betty Luu7:29 PM

    Omg Omg omg i love gymnastics gymnastics is my life i have done it even since i was 2 and i am 13 and im in level 10!!!! GYMNASTICS RULES
    these are three that should be on there
    NASTIA LIUKIN
    SHAWN JOHNSON
    JORDAN WIEBER


    I LOVE YOU ALL
    GYMNASTICS IS BEAST

    OOYYYAAA

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  33. Anonymous6:33 PM

    Hi. im 11 and im a gymnast. i train in prep team 6 days a week for 7 hours... lets just say i get home really late at night. me and 4 of my bbfwefladeiwdy's r in prep team the same hours.my coach says when im older i could be in the olympics!!!! cant wait

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  34. Anonymous5:53 AM

    You all suck I am the best gymnast I have won over 32 compeitions and I have represented my country many of times, beat that b*****

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  35. Anonymous8:13 PM

    Seriously how could you forget Yelena Mukhina.! She beat out Nadia Comaneci and Nellie Kim right down the line before.

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  36. Anonymous8:17 PM

    Who ever wrote about winning 32 competitions, those 32 competitions are worth 0 to an Olympics gold medal. Olympics>32 medals

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  37. Anonymous8:18 PM

    Yelena Mukhina is my fave. Then Comaneci.

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  38. Anonymous5:14 PM

    Kurt Thomas should be in the top 10. There's no doubt about it.

    Conner had more sustainability, but Kurt Thomas was the best male gymnast the USA ever produced.

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  39. What a Svetlana Boginskaya?

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  40. What about Svetlana Bogunskaya?

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  41. I think Kohei Uchimura should be added.

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  42. Anonymous11:54 AM

    All of these gymnasts are so amazing!

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  43. Anonymous11:38 AM

    What on earth happend to shawn johnson??? :(

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  44. Anonymous8:13 AM

    How come there aren't any Chinese on this top 10??? U must have missed something! Go google it lol

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  45. Anonymous1:23 AM

    Any aussies?

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  46. Anonymous5:45 PM

    My favorite of all time is Shawn Jonson then Nadia I love gymnastics so much I love,live, and breathe it<3

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  47. Anonymous12:58 AM

    You all are the wort gymnast ever I'm 10 and I'm in level 9 so don't try to beat me you won't I'm best

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    Replies
    1. you're a stuck up little snob aren't ya? seriously you have way to much air in your head your not the best because if you can beat them then why are they in the hall of fame and your not

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    2. Anonymous2:05 PM

      if your the best how come you are not at an olympic level and not in the olympics

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    3. it does not matter how good u are, its about having fun not bitching at other people and saying u are the best.
      u have no right to judge other people so don't.
      only god can judge u !

      Delete
  48. Anonymous1:00 AM

    I'm the best gymnast ever I'm in the olympics and I won this years gold medal

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    1. Anonymous2:07 PM

      what olympics were you in and whats your name

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  49. Anonymous3:11 PM

    I ve one 500 competions

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  50. Anonymous10:38 PM

    I like to do IT with gymnasts

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  51. Anonymous3:38 PM

    I Do gymnasts i am level 9 and i am the youngest on my team
    i have my back tuck,front aerial,back handspring,and side aerial on beam and on bars is have everything and i can do a front tuck onto the high bar and i can do my twist and EVERYTHING on floor on vault i have everything too (im 10 years old) :)

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    1. Anonymous2:06 PM

      man your just like that other girl

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    2. Anonymous7:27 AM

      Just because she tells us what she did, doesn't mean that's what she means to do. She doesn't mean to brag. She wants to tell everyone how she does, and maybe get a friend in the process.

      Delete
  52. Anonymous8:17 PM

    If ur reading this u can read

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  53. Anonymous2:01 PM

    i cant believe that kerri strug did not make the top 10 list

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  54. Anonymous3:55 PM


    I am a gymnast to its my life and i don't know what i would do without it i am level 6 my coach says soon i will be going to level 7 i can't wait !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  55. Anonymous3:54 PM

    Keep to your selves people!

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  56. Anonymous8:20 AM

    you seem to be forgetting someone meaning Svetlana Korkhina. Any list can be completed without her. She was the best. There has been anyone like her

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  57. Anonymous1:15 AM

    waeyo??

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  58. Anonymous8:02 AM

    Hy iym hppy tu b culd nedia lyke u pwowwfeshenl

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  59. Hello these achievements are great I am 10 and can already do a standing back tuck I love gymnastics and I hope to be a professional gymnast in the Olympics when I grow up and I also have won every gymnastic/dancing competition I have been two except for two I got silver I know I am saying this again but I possibly adore gymnastic and hope I can learn more

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  60. WOW! you guy's take what you do pretty seriously. (I can't even do a fly-trap or was it flick, mph I don't really care)

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  61. Anonymous2:26 AM

    My daughter is 4 and can do backflips, front flips, somersaults, all the floor work like full twists etc, all beam work, proper vaulting, also the bars which is her speciality. She's won 13 gold medals, 9 silvers and 5 bronze and she's only 4. You all should be ashamed of yourselves, I was 3 when I won my 18th medal. My daughter trains with Nadia Comaneci who is on this list of gymnasts and also a judge on Tumble. As I said, feel ashamed all of you, even Tamara who is ten, my daughter could do that as soon as she started, so...:) have a good day.

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