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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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