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Simone Biles, Nadia Comaneci and Kerri Strug are three of the most popular gymnasts of all time. Each of the three have not just excelled in the sport but have also have inspirational moments one way or another.
The most famous female gymnasts of all-time are the ones who have consistently delivered iconic performances on the international stage, remaining calm and collected under immense pressure. Over the years, the sport has been graced by several astounding athletes, ranging from Shawn Johnson and her rapid rise to fame to Simone Biles and her incredible consistency over the course of a decade.
With that, here's a list of the most famous female gymnasts of all-time, and everything you need to know about their careers.
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#10. Shawn Johnson
Shawn Johnson made headlines across the globe in 2007, her first year competing in the senior elite category. That year itself, the American stormed to gold in the American Cup and U.S National Championships.
On the international level, she claimed four golds at the Pan American Games, before storming to the all-around title at the World Championships.
A year later, by when she was already one of the most famous female gymnasts in the world, Johnson clinched the Olympic gold on the balance beam, and silver on the team, all-around, and floor exercise events.
9. Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton rose to prominence in America in 1983, after her victorious outings at the American Cup and a second-place finish at the U.S Nationals. She was also crowned champion at the American Classic that year, a title she went on to defend in 1984.
Ahead of the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984, Lou Retton won the U.S Olympic Trials but was forced to undergo surgery in her knee just five weeks prior to the Games. However, this didn't deter the American who went on to win the all-around title, the team and vault silver, as well as a bronze on the uneven bars and floor to make her one of America's most famous female gymnasts.
8. Nastia Liukin
Nastia Liukin began her senior elite career in 2005, having missed out on the 2004 Olympic Games because she was too young. Immediately upon her arrival on the senior scene she proved herself as a major threat, winning the U.S National Championships.
However, despite strong performances on the American circuit, the all-around title eluded the youngster at the 2005, 2006, and 2007 World Championships. In each of them, she walked away with medals on other apparatuses. In 2008, Liukin finally ended her gold-medal drought, winning the all-around title at the Beijing Games, and becoming one of the world's most famous female gymnasts.
7. Shannon Miller
Shannon Miller joins the list of the most famous female gymnasts credit to her incredible performances at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. At the former, she won the all-around and balance beam silver, as well as the team, uneven bars, and floor exercise bronze.
Four years later, Miller scripted history alongside her ‘Magnificent Seven’ teammates when they stormed to the gold. She also claimed an individual gold in the balance beam that year. Her seven medals at the games tie her with Simone Biles as the most successful American gymnast at the Olympics.
6.Larisa Latynina
Larisa Latynina is the most successful gymnast of all-time at the Olympic Games, having won a whopping 18 medals between 1956 and 1964. Of these 18 medals, nine are gold, making her the only gymnast to have achieved this feat.
Outside of her Olympic heroics, she is also a nine-time World Champion, a four-time World Championships silver-medalist, and one of the most famous female gymnasts of all time.
5. Svetlana Khorkina
Svetlana Khorkina is one of the most famous female gymnasts of all-time credit to both her medal record and her creativity when it came to new skills. Over the course of a gloried career, the Russian claimed seven Olympic medals and 20 World Championships medals.
At one point in time, Khorkina held the most eponymous skills in the gymnastics rule book with nine.
#4. Olga Korbut
Olga Korbut became one of the most famous female gymnasts in the world after her amazing performances at the 1972 Games. While in Munich, she won gold in the team, balance beam and floor exercise events, as well as a silver on the uneven bars. Four years later, she won the team gold once again, alongside a silver on the balance beam.
Korbut is widely known for her explosive acrobatic move, one of the most popular of which is the now banned ‘Dead Loop’ a.k.a the ‘Korbut Flip.’
#3. Kerri Strug
Kerri Strug cemented her place in history as one of the most famous female gymnasts of all-time after her performances in the 1996 Olympics. At the Games, an injured Sturg helped the American team storm to their first-ever team gold, vaulting despite a badly damaged ankle and scoring a 9.712 to edge out the Russians.
Post her heroics in the team event, the American was forced to pull out of the individual all-around and event finals, but received overwhelming support on her return to the US.
#2. Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Comaneci was the gymnast behind one of the most historic moments in women's gymnastics. In 1976, aged just 14, the Romanian scored the sport’s first-ever perfect 10, a feat the scoreboards weren't prepared for. At the same Games she went on to score six more perfect 10s, before repeating the feat achievement twice four years later.
Over the course of her career, Comaneci won nine European Championships, five Olympic titles, and two World Championships golds becoming one of the most famous female gymnasts in the history of the sport.
#1. Simone Biles
Simone Biles is without a doubt the most successful and the most famous female gymnast of all-time. The American has won a total of 37 Olympic and World Championships medals, making her the most decorated athlete of the sport, male or female.
Widely known for her high difficulty levels that often go unmatched by other gymnasts, Simone Biles also drew attention to herself when she opted out of various finals at the Tokyo Olympics due to her mental health, a decision previously unheard of in gymnastics.
The American made the team for the Paris Olympics and will be among the top contenders to bag a gold or maybe, even two.
