Gymnastics events have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1896, [1] but women's events first appeared in 1928. American female gymnasts have participated in every Olympic Games since 1936, except for 1980. [2] A total of 90 female gymnasts have represented the United States. American women have won 62 medals at the Olympics – 11 in team all-around, 11 in individual all-around, 7 in vault, 10 in uneven bars, 11 in balance beam, and 12 in floor exercise. The medals include 19 golds. The U.S. has medaled in the team all-around in every Summer Olympics since 1992, winning golds in 1996, 2012, 2016, and 2024.
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Eight American female gymnasts have won at least four medals at the Olympic Games the most of which was Simone Biles's tally of eleven total medal (including seven gold medals). Other top medalists include: Shannon Miller (seven), Sunisa Lee (six), Aly Raisman (six), Nastia Liukin (five), Mary Lou Retton (five), Dominique Dawes (four), and Shawn Johnson (four). [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
In 1984, Mary Lou Retton became the first American female gymnast to win the individual all-around gold medal at the Olympics. [8] She won five total medals that year in the only Olympic Games she participated in. [5]
Shannon Miller, who competed at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, won seven total Olympic medals, which was the most of any American female gymnast before the 2021 Olympics in which Simone Biles tied for the number of Olympic medals won. Miller won five medals in 1992 and added two more in 1996. [9] [3] Dominique Dawes competed at the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympics, winning four medals. [6] Miller and Dawes were both members of the "Magnificent Seven", the 1996 team that became the first American squad to win the team all-around gold medal at the Olympics. The competition was highlighted by Kerri Strug sticking a vault while injured to ensure the U.S. victory. [10]
Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson won five and four medals, respectively, in 2008, the only Olympics that either one participated in. Liukin won the individual all-around gold medal, and Johnson won the balance beam gold medal. [4] [7]
In 2012, the U.S. won the team all-around for the second time. This team, which was nicknamed the "Fierce Five", featured five gymnasts who were all making their first appearance at the Olympics. [11] That year, Gabby Douglas won the gold medal in individual all-around, and Aly Raisman won the gold medal in floor exercise. [12] [13]
In 2016, the U.S. won the team all-around gold medal for the second consecutive Olympics, and the third title overall. The team was nicknamed "The Final Five" (as the team members were the last 5 who competed under Marta Karolyi) and featured the return of 2012 Olympic gold medalists Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman. It also featured newcomers Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, and three-time reigning world all-around champion Simone Biles. Biles won the individual all-around, vault, and floor exercise gold medals, and also took bronze in the balance beam final. Raisman won silver medals in the all-around and floor exercise. Hernandez took the silver on the balance beam while Kocian, the reigning uneven bars world co-champion would win silver in that event. The 2016 Olympics were the most successful games to date for the United States in women's gymnastics, with four golds, four silvers, and one bronze medal overall.
For the 2020 Olympics (held in 2021 due to COVID-19), the U.S. women's team earned the team all-around silver medal. Simone Biles was the only gymnast from the previous Olympics to return to the team, but withdrew during team finals due to the twisties. Sunisa Lee became the individual all-around champion, the sixth women in the U.S. to do so and the fifth in a row. Lee also won the bronze on uneven bars, Biles a bronze on balance beam, MyKayla Skinner a silver on Vault, and Jade Carey the gold on floor.
Four U.S. Olympic gymnasts returned to the 2024 Olympics - Simone Biles, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee. In addition, 16 year old Hezly Rivera was chosen for the team. The five won the team all-around gold medal, while Biles and Lee won the gold and bronze individual all-around medals, respectively. Biles went on to win the gold in vault and the silver in floor, while Lee won the bronze in bars, Carey the bronze on vault, and Chiles the bronze on floor finals.
