While the all-around competition is considered to be the highlight of any gymnastics competition, we are often treated to stellar competitions and performances in the event finals. Below, The List takes a look at some of our favorite EF comps!
1968 Olympics Beam and Floor Finals
The undisputed queen and fan favorite of 1968 Games was Vera Caslavska from Czechoslovakia. She defended her all-around title and was a contender for multiple event finals—maybe even a gold medal sweep! After winning vault and bars, Vera turned in a stellar beam routine, but she was bested by Soviet rival Natalia Kuchinskaya. Many felt Vera was purposefully underscored to allow for a Soviet to win, and since Vera’s homeland was enduring Soviet invasion, something that Vera was a vocal critic of, the political machine resounded loudly. After the beam finals, Vera once again showed top form on floor and seemed to win the title outright. However, after the scores were posted, the judges said that the Soviet Larisa Petrik’s score from the preliminary rounds was scored incorrectly. Since the preliminary score was combined with the event final score, raising Petrik’s prelim score put her into a tie with Caslavska, another moved that was perceived as a political play. During the playing of the national anthems, Vera slightly put her head down and looked away during the Soviet anthem—a subtle gesture that caused a great stir and established her a national hero by her people, but an outcast by the government.
Watch here for a succinct retelling of the story–
1978 Worlds Bars Finals
The Worlds in France was a pivotal moment on the journey from Montreal and to the Olympics in Moscow in 1980. New stars were emerging while the stars of 1976 were trying to maintain their dominance. This tension was felt strongly in bars finals, which consisted of Nadia Comaneci and her young teammate Emilia Eberle, the Soviet sweetie Maria Filatova and her teammate, the newly crowned all-around champion Elena Mukhina, and German star Steffi Kraker and Czech standout Vera Cerna. But it was a young American who made history with her country’s first world title—Marcia Frederick. Mukhina and Eberle followed, and the overall lineup for this finals holds up as a who’s who of bars superstars.
Check out her signature stalder-full pirouette, a standard in today’s routines–
1984 Olympics Beam Finals
A glorious display in these finals: two Romanians tying for gold—the supreme Ekaterina Szabo and her young teammate, Simona Pauca, an unexpected star of the games. In third place was American Kathy Johnson, who finally won an individual Olympic medal after enduring the boycott in 1980 and staying in the sport far longer than many felt was possible.
For Szabo, this was one of four golds she won at the Games, a great reward after finishing second in the all-around. Pauca, new to the top competitive scene, charmed the audiences and judges all competition long and was rewarded with an individual gold. Kathy Johnson dealt with the pressure and secured an individual medal after years of successes and misses. The field also consisted of all-around champ Mary Lou Retton, bars champ Ma Yanhong, and standouts Romi Kessler SUI and Anja Wilhelm FRG.
Pauca’s difficult beam set—especially love the dismount!
1988 Olympics Floor Finals
Floor is a great event to conclude a competition, and the 1988 Olympics ended with a bang. Daniela Silivas (like Szabo before her) claimed three gold medals that night, ending with a near perfect floor (9.987). Some solace, hopefully, after coming so close to the all-around gold. Her rival, Elena Shushunova, was also in the finals, but it was Elena’s young teammate, Svetlana Boginskaya, who won silver. Bulgarian Diana Dudeva won bronze for her country, their only Olympic gymnastics medal for women to date. Also featured in the final was Olympic medalist Phoebe Mills, German beauty Dorte Thummler, and Dudeva’s teammate Deliana Vodenicharova, who finished fourth.
Dudeva’s historical moment–
1992 Olympics Bar Finals
This event featured former world champion Kim Gwang-Suk, reigning world champion Lavinia Milosovici and her teammate Mirela Pasca, Chinese innovator Li Li, local favorite Cristina Fraguas, and all-around rivals Tatiana Gutsu and Shannon Miller. Gutsu and Miller turned in great routines, scoring 9.975 and 9.962 respectively. Others took small steps on their landings, but not Lu Li from China. Quietly and efficiently, she showed unique grips and combinations, high releases, and low bar work, followed by a supreme double layout dismount. Her perfect 10 was the first of the Barcelona Olympics and second to last in Olympic history.
The standing ovation and her emotion are also perfect–
1994 Europeans Floor Finals
This quad was full of top tier gymnasts and tons of experience, so this European champions saw plenty of legends, past, present, and future. This particular final featured a future Olympic champion, future three time World champion, reigning World champion, and reigning Olympic champion on floor. Oh, and Svetlana Khorkina. Not too shabby. After a close competition, Kochetkova and Gogean tied for bronze with a 9.850, Milosovici won silver with 9.887, and Podkopayeva with the biggest win of her career at that point won gold with a 9.937.
My Queen–
2004 Olympics Vault Finals
Featuring reigning Olympic Champion Elena Zamolodchikova, these finals were one of the most diverse of the Games, with only Russia qualifying two gymnasts. In the end, Monica Rosu brought the title back to Romania with a dynamic double twisting tsuk and the only Amanar of the field. Not only the only Amanar, but one of the best performed at that point. While Zamo also showed two good vaults, American Annia Hatch was stronger, showing her grit after finally qualifying to an Olympics after being denied a chance to compete in 1996 by her native Cuba. Now an American citizen, Hatch won silver in her ‘second life’ as a gymnast. Blessedly, fan (and personal) favorite Anna Pavlova of Russia finished ahead of her teammate for her only individual Olympic medal. While her vaults weren’t as difficult as Hatch or Rosu, Anna showed her classic lines and strong landings for the bronze.
Pavs, because–
2012 Olympics Bars Finals
So many stories in this final—reigning Olympic champion He Kexin back to prove she still had it, and young teammate Yao Jinnan looking for a good result after being plagued by injuries. The Russians, Aliya Mustafina and Viktoria Komova (reigning world champ), eager to get gold for Russia for the first time at these Games. Two time former world champion and crowd favorite Beth Tweddle seeking her first medal in three Olympics. All-around champion Gabby Douglas looking for a third gold of the Games. And Germany’s Elisabeth Seitz and Japan’s Koko Tsurumi looking to make a modern name for their countries after successful Worlds and European Championships. Simply put, this finals was stacked. Finally, Aliya won the gold for Russia; finally, He Kexin recovered from a tough 2011 and won silver; finally, Beth Tweddle won her Olympic medal for her country.
Aliya showing that bars is an event of finesse and grace–
Honorable mentions—
1980 Olympics Floor Finals—Comaneci, Kim, Gnauk, Shaposhnikova all medal. Enough said.
1984 Olympics Bars Finals—two 10s and two golds.
1992 Olympics Floor Finals—Milo’s 10! Onodi! Three way tie for bronze!
1995 Worlds Beam Finals—Mo Huilan finally hits that beam set; Miller out of the medals and Moceanu is in.
1997 Worlds Beam Finals—far from the best…….but definitely the most controversial!
2000 Olympics Bar Finals—Sveta does it again, followed by two stellar Chinese gymnasts.
2003 Worlds Bars Finals—Two golds for USA; history for Great Britain!
2003 Worlds Floor Finals—dos Santos wows the crowd!
2004 Europeans Bars Finals—More for Sveta! Another medal for Beth! Two Ukrainians! Two Spaniards!
2012 Olympics Beam Finals—Deng and Sui; Aly and Cata; duking it out.
2012 Olympics Floor Finals—Aly and Cata; Aliya and Vanessa; duking it out.
Your turn! Which Event Finals do you love?
Article by: Kristen Ras
Photo cover: Zimbio
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