ADDING THE KAROLYI’S and RETTON to US Gymnantics really blew the lid off Gymnastics in the USA! Old favs like Olga and Nadia got MANY girls in USA interested! RETTON was our 1st all around winner ever!
Love how the audience members behind the commentators are making spectacles of themselves and/or trying to ignore the cameras but so obviously aware the cameras are on them. 😂
Agree they made a huge mistake not holding a spot for her because BILEK was totally useless on the team and Dussere could have been easily replaced by Durham. I also thought of yanking Talavera, but she at least had a medal chance in vault. I would have fielded Retton McNamara Durham Johnson Talavera and Dussere. Pam Bilek was so pushed by Don Peters, but I always thought she was awful. And She proved it in LA, she was the only gymnast to score a 9.0
guy, I will never get tired of saying how much Mary Lou is lucky and the entire American Gymnastics because Mary Lou just won All Around because none of the great Soviet gymnasts were there and only after Mary Lou the gymnastics in the United States began to receive more investment and attention if she had not won perhaps the gymnastics in the USA would not have become a phenomenon as it is today.
Never understood as Pam had a stress fracture in her foot and was seemingly bothersome. I felt bad for Lucy as she was injured in a pre Olympic meet and couldn’t compete in LA. Diane would have helped carry the team to the gold, I’ve always thought that.
Felipe Majo Which was very unfortunate for the US team. She counted I believe four routines for the US team. She was a disaster in bar compulsories, scored the lowest floor and bar optionals and was a disappointment on beam after being so hyped up beforehand that Sports Illustrated even predicted she would win the bronze on beam in EF. I still would have given the option for Durham to compete if she was healthy. Even Garrison would have done better than Pam.
Yes, I know the entire story behind this. Diane was injured at Olympic trials and was in sixth place after falling on the vault and injuring her ankle. So, Bela didnt want her to risk the spot and scratched her with just bars left. He told her she could petition onto the team thinking that since she was national champion the year before that they would allow her to petition right onto the team. However, Bela was told not to do that by Don Peters but he did it anyway. The petition was denied because she did not compete on the 83 World Championship team, which would have allowed a World championship member from the previous year to do so. So, the petition was denied. The top 8 were taken to a selection camp and from there it was whittled down to 6. Lucy Wener hurt her knee in the selection camp and lost her spot. Kathy Johnson outperformed Marie Roetlisberger and was given the 6th spot on the team. I do not know if Diane would have been well enough to compete with that ankle injury. Its a shame because had she rested the ankle for a month she probably would have been able to compete and would have probably given the US the team gold as well as another AA medal and probably a event final medal of some sort.
Tks for the information. I'm super fan of Gymnastics and I love all this stories.I didn't know at that time that kind of extra selection steps were done.Thanks again!
So what was the story with Lucy Weiner here?? She was on the team or she get injured just before?? So did Kathy Johnson and Marie Roesthelsberger get bumped up????
So what was the story about why Lucy Weiner was on the time but no longer?? I forgotten was she injured or she an alternete?? Julianne, Kathy, Tracee it was special cause they missed out on 1980 Olympics.
+S Bagci It is the nature of having the bars too close. The arch at the top could be avoided with different techniques/smaller bodies, but this was fairly typical of the time.
maseratic boychik That wasn’t a racist comment !! What just because Simone has dark skin we can’t talk about her gymnastics ? What if she had light skin ? Would it be okay then ? That is beyond ridiculous to label that comment as racist. That being said, Simone is the GOAT!!! I love her !
ADDING THE KAROLYI’S and RETTON to US Gymnantics really blew the lid off Gymnastics in the USA! Old favs like Olga and Nadia got MANY girls in USA interested! RETTON was our 1st all around winner ever!
Kathy Johnson is still beautiful ad ever!
Wow, this broadcast is all over the place!
Love how the audience members behind the commentators are making spectacles of themselves and/or trying to ignore the cameras but so obviously aware the cameras are on them. 😂
Dianne Durham was on the same level, skill wise, as Mary Lou, it was a real tragedy about what happened to Durham in getting injured.
Agree they made a huge mistake not holding a spot for her because BILEK was totally useless on the team and Dussere could have been easily replaced by Durham. I also thought of yanking Talavera, but she at least had a medal chance in vault. I would have fielded Retton McNamara Durham Johnson Talavera and Dussere. Pam Bilek was so pushed by Don Peters, but I always thought she was awful. And She proved it in LA, she was the only gymnast to score a 9.0
Don Peter's shorts had me rolling! lmaooo I was like, "Wtf?!" lol I had to remind myself it was from 84. :oP
guy, I will never get tired of saying how much Mary Lou is lucky and the entire American Gymnastics because Mary Lou just won All Around because none of the great Soviet gymnasts were there and only after
Mary Lou the gymnastics in the United States began to receive more investment and attention if she had not won perhaps the gymnastics in the USA would not have become a phenomenon as it is today.
She could have beaten the soviets. If they had fallen down.
There’s no disputing that
a healthy Durham would have yielded the US a team gold and probably 2 other medals
Absolutely.
Michelle Goodwin does what looks like a gainer front layout stepout. I haven't seen anybody do it like her. It's cool.
Boy Bella and Mary Lou were such a good pair. Competitive like crazy and a good chunk of show-offness and camera charm. 🙂
This was probably my first experience with how they chose people.
yes Diana story was very sad
*Dianne
Never understood as Pam had a stress fracture in her foot and was seemingly bothersome. I felt bad for Lucy as she was injured in a pre Olympic meet and couldn’t compete in LA. Diane would have helped carry the team to the gold, I’ve always thought that.
taking Pam Bileck was a mistake. Dianne Durham should have been named to the squad as an alternate with the option of going had she been healthy
metsdudenj Pam Bileck was in 4 place. She qualified directly.
Felipe Majo Which was very unfortunate for the US team. She counted I believe four routines for the US team. She was a disaster in bar compulsories, scored the lowest floor and bar optionals and was a disappointment on beam after being so hyped up beforehand that Sports Illustrated even predicted she would win the bronze on beam in EF. I still would have given the option for Durham to compete if she was healthy. Even Garrison would have done better than Pam.
I was reviewing trials last night and I saw Diane fall. And also the presenters said she did a petition. What happened with that? Do you know?
Yes, I know the entire story behind this. Diane was injured at Olympic trials and was in sixth place after falling on the vault and injuring her ankle. So, Bela didnt want her to risk the spot and scratched her with just bars left. He told her she could petition onto the team thinking that since she was national champion the year before that they would allow her to petition right onto the team. However, Bela was told not to do that by Don Peters but he did it anyway. The petition was denied because she did not compete on the 83 World Championship team, which would have allowed a World championship member from the previous year to do so. So, the petition was denied. The top 8 were taken to a selection camp and from there it was whittled down to 6. Lucy Wener hurt her knee in the selection camp and lost her spot. Kathy Johnson outperformed Marie Roetlisberger and was given the 6th spot on the team. I do not know if Diane would have been well enough to compete with that ankle injury. Its a shame because had she rested the ankle for a month she probably would have been able to compete and would have probably given the US the team gold as well as another AA medal and probably a event final medal of some sort.
Tks for the information. I'm super fan of Gymnastics and I love all this stories.I didn't know at that time that kind of extra selection steps were done.Thanks again!
So what was the story with Lucy Weiner here?? She was on the team or she get injured just before?? So did Kathy Johnson and Marie Roesthelsberger get bumped up????
Wow Peter Pan was commentating :)
Who was the gymnast Bela was coaching in the warm up????
So what was the story about why Lucy Weiner was on the time but no longer?? I forgotten was she injured or she an alternete?? Julianne, Kathy, Tracee it was special cause they missed out on 1980 Olympics.
who is the female commentator?
Cathy Rigby, A US gymnast from the early 70's.
Seriously???
@@kathleenirish yes
Pam Alford she looka like a Peter Pan.
Never going to read comments in these look back videos again. So many ignorant know-it-alls
This guy drives me up the wall saying bay-luh instead of bela. 😒
It seems like gymnastics was so easy back then. Like you could practice like 2 hours a day and be fine.
I hate their giants to handstands on bars!
+S Bagci It is the nature of having the bars too close. The arch at the top could be avoided with different techniques/smaller bodies, but this was fairly typical of the time.
I know they were always bending their arms.
Well, all these years later and I still want to smack Retton’s toothy grin off her face. So over-rated, the Biles of the 80s.
That is extremely rude.
maseratic boychik That wasn’t a racist comment !! What just because Simone has dark skin we can’t talk about her gymnastics ? What if she had light skin ? Would it be okay then ? That is beyond ridiculous to label that comment as racist. That being said, Simone is the GOAT!!! I love her !