Kathy Johnson

Last updated
Kathy Johnson
Full nameKatherine Johnson Clarke
Alternative name(s)Katherine Ann "Kathy" Johnson (-Clarke)
BornSeptember 13, 1959 (1959-09-13) (age 65)
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.
Spouse Brian Patrick Clarke
Gymnastics career
Medal record
Women's artistic gymnastics
Representing Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1984 Los Angeles Team all-around
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1984 Los Angeles Balance beam
World Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1978 Strasbourg Floor exercise

Katherine "Kathy" Johnson Clarke [1] [2] (born Katherine Ann Johnson; September 13, 1959 [3] ) is an American sports commentator and former artistic gymnast. Johnson was one of the first American gymnasts to win a major international medal, known for her longevity and tenacity in the sport.

Contents

Early life

On September 13, 1959, Johnson was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. [2]

Career

At a young age, she lived in Indialantic, Florida. [4] She began gymnastics at the age of twelve; a relatively late start for an elite gymnast. Within four years, however, she had progressed to competition at the elite level, placing 42nd at the 1975 AAU National Championships. In 1976, she finished in 23rd place at the US National Championships and twelfth at the Olympic Trials. [5] [6]

In 1977, however, Johnson began to achieve great success in the sport. She won the 1977 American Cup, took a silver medal in the all-around at the NHK Cup in Japan, and won the floor exercise gold and the all-around silver at the 1977 US Nationals. She continued to improve in 1978, becoming the US National all-around champion and winning the silver medal at the American Cup. [7]

At the 1978 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Strasbourg, Johnson placed eighth in the all-around—an excellent finish for an American gymnast at the time—and won a bronze medal on the floor exercise, tying with Romania's Emilia Eberle. [6] [8]

In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Johnson's name and picture. [9]

After her win, Johnson remained a vital member of the US team, helping the squad achieve a sixth-place finish at the 1979 Worlds. However, problems with her verbally abusive coach, who pressured her to lose weight and train even when she was seriously injured, took their toll, both physically and emotionally. Struggling to complete her University studies and stay competitive in a sport that was increasingly embracing younger, lighter girls, she developed bulimia. [8] [10]

Johnson was further disheartened when the United States decided to join the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. She had placed second at the Olympic Trials, had been named the team captain of the American squad [11] and had been considered a legitimate contender for success at the Games. [5] [8] After relocating to Southern California to train at SCATS with Don Peters, Johnson's fortunes and spirit improved. By 1983 she was representing the US at the World Championships again; placing eleventh in the all-around and qualifying to the floor exercise event final. [12]

In 1984, at the age of twenty-four, Johnson earned a spot on the US team for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She was elected the team captain. [1]

In addition to winning a silver medal with the squad, she won an individual bronze on the balance beam. In doing so, she became the second American female gymnast to medal in both a Worlds and an Olympics. Her teammate, Julianne Mcnamara, became the first American gymnast to hold that distinction, having won a bronze medal on the uneven bars at the 1981 World Championships and winning the gold medal (tied with Ma Yanhong of China) on the uneven bars one day before Johnson won her medal on beam. [8]

After Johnson retired from gymnastics, her career focus turned to television; less than a year after her Olympic win she appeared as a guest star on the children's show Kids Incorporated.

Johnson was a sports commentator for ABC-TV Sports and ESPN, covering multiple gymnastics events. In 2015, Johnson joined SEC Network in 2015 as a gymnastic analyst. [13] In film, Johnson also served as the technical advisor for Lifetime Television's film Little Girls in Pretty Boxes. [14]

Johnson has been involved in several initiatives to improve conditions for gymnasts and other world-class athletes, and has spoken publicly and lectured about her struggle with bulimia and her experiences in gymnastics. [10]

Johnson is a member of the Advisory Committee for Justice for Athletes, an organization supporting the emotional health of young people in sports, [15] and is an Olympic Athlete Ambassador for the Foundation for Global Sports Development's Culture, Education, Sports and Ethics Program. [11] She is also on the National Athletic Advisory Board for Athletes for a Better World. [16]

Filmography

Personal life

Johnson's husband is Brian Patrick Clarke, an actor. They have one son, Sean (born March 1998). Johnson also has a stepson, Cary (born August 1980), from Brian's previous marriage. [1]

Johnson is a vegetarian and used to suffer from bulimia. [17]

Eponymous skill

Johnson has one eponymous skill listed in the Code of Points. [18] [19]

ApparatusNameDescription Difficulty [a]
Balance beamJohnsonLeap forward with leg change and 1/4 turn (90°) to side split leap (180°) or straddle pike positionC (0.3)
  1. ↑ Valid for the 2025–2028 Code of Points

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References

  1. 1 2 3 ""IG Online Interview: 1984 U.S. Women's Team"". Archived from the original on August 4, 2004. Retrieved 2007-09-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)International Gymnast, July 18, 2004.
  2. 1 2 "Kathy Johnson profile". Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  3. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Kathy Johnson profile". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  4. ↑ Lader, Martin. "The 'Graceful Old Lady' of American gymnastics said goodbye...", United Press International website, August 6, 1984. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Gerard Eskenazi,"Johnson Makes her Choice", New York Times, March 13, 1978.
  6. 1 2 List of competition results, gymn-forum.net; accessed December 31, 2017.
  7. ↑ USA Gymnastics (January 16, 2009). "USA Gymnastics Online: Results: 1978 Dial American Cup" (PDF). USA Gymnastics . Archived (PDF) from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Little Girls in Pretty Boxes, Joan Ryan, 1995, Doubleday, New York; ISBN   0-385-47790-2
  9. ↑ Wulf, Steve (2015-03-23). "Supersisters: Original Roster". Espn.go.com. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
  10. 1 2 "When the 'perfect' body isn't good enough" Archived 2006-06-16 at the Wayback Machine , The Washington Psychiatric Society, July 2003.
  11. 1 2 "Kathy Johnson Clarke" Archived 2012-04-13 at the Wayback Machine Culture, Education, Sport and Ethics, 2008
  12. ↑ "1983 World Gymnastics Championships Budapest, Hungary October 23-30, 1983" (PDF). USA Gymnastics . p. 2. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Kathy Johnson Clarke - Gymnastics Analyst". espnpressroom.com. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes (1997 TV Movie)". IMDb. 1997. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  15. ↑ List of Advisory Board members, Justice for Athletes Archived 2007-11-13 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ List of Advisory Board members Archived 2008-07-26 at the Wayback Machine , Athletes for a Better World website; accessed December 31, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Growing Pains". tampabay.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  18. ↑ "2022-2024 Code of Points Women's Artistic Gymnastics" (PDF). International Gymnastics Federation . p. 209. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  19. ↑ "Women's Artistic Gymnastics – 2025-2028 Code of Points" (PDF). International Gymnastics Federation . 22 April 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
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