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Quick Facts
- NAME: Mary Lou Retton
- OCCUPATION: Gymnast
- BIRTH DATE: January 24, 1968 (Age: 45)
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Fairmont, West Virginia
- ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius
Best Known For
Mary Lou Retton is a retired champion gymnast who won gold, silver and bronze medals at the 1984 Olympics. She was featured on the Wheaties cereal box.
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Play NowMary Lou Retton. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 01:29, May 20, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/mary-lou-retton-9455941.
Mary Lou Retton. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/mary-lou-retton-9455941 [Accessed 20 May 2013].
"Mary Lou Retton." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 20 2013, 01:29 http://www.biography.com/people/mary-lou-retton-9455941.
"Mary Lou Retton," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/mary-lou-retton-9455941 [accessed May 20, 2013].
"Mary Lou Retton," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/mary-lou-retton-9455941 (accessed May 20, 2013).
Mary Lou Retton [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 20] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/mary-lou-retton-9455941.
Mary Lou Retton, http://www.biography.com/people/mary-lou-retton-9455941 (last visited May 20, 2013).
Mary Lou Retton. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/mary-lou-retton-9455941. Accessed May 20, 2013.
Synopsis
Mary Lou Retton was born on January 24, 1968 in Fairmont, West Virginia. She trained in Gymnastics with Romanian coach Bela Karolyi and won the American Cup and the U.S. Nationals. At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Retton won a gold medal in the women's all-around. It was the first time a female gymnast outside Eastern Europe won that event. She retired from gymnastics in 1985.
Profile
Gymnast. Born January 24, 1968 in Fairmont, West Virginia. After developing a love of gymnastics as a girl, Mary Lou Retton moved to Houston, Texas, to train with acclaimed Romanian coach Bela Karolyi. Under his direction, she developed a style to suit her strong, compact frame, winning several prestigious competitions, including the American Cup and the U.S. Nationals.
At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Mary Lou Retton won a gold medal in the women's all-around by earning a perfect score of 10 in the vault, the final event of the competition. It was the first time a female gymnast outside Eastern Europe won the Olympic all-around title. Retton also won two silver and two bronze medals in individual and team competitions.
Mary Lou Retton’s wholesome exuberance won her many commercial endorsements, including an appearance on the front of a Wheaties cereal box. She retired from gymnastics in 1985 after winning her third American Cup title and was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.
Mary Lou Retton resides in Houston, Texas, with her husband and four daughters. She is an occasional commentator for televised gymnastics.
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