Did Mary Lou Retton Ever Get a Perfect 10?
By Jayson Panganiban July 20, 2024 09:05
Retton was born in Fairmont, West Virginia, and got into gymnastics at an early age after idolizing Romanian phenom Nadia Comaneci. She made history at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles when she became the first American woman ever to win a gold medal in an individual all-around event.
It was her dynamic finish to the vaulton the grandest stage of all, that she achieved what many athletes dream of but few ever realize: the perfect score of 10.0 in gymnastics.
How to be Perfect: Gymnastics Version
Retton was no stranger to the perfect ten during her career. In 1984, Kathy became a national champion in both the vault and floor exercise, with perfect scores demonstrating her uncanny skills in these events. That part of her career was a tribute to both the coaching she received and the single-focus and flat-out unrelenting ability God gave this remarkable athlete.
What a 10 in Gymnastics Means
This score is the Holy Grail of gymnastics, symbolic of a perfect routine. When Retton competed through the 1980s, women's and men's gymnastics were scored on a scale of up to 10.0.
To receive a 10 was an extremely rare event. In essence, gymnasts had to execute their routines perfectly without deductions to be taken by the judges. A perfect 10.0score was difficult to attain, requiring technical perfection, high-level artistry, and difficulty in execution.
Retton being able to do it as many times as she did, and with the level of competition at the top, in addition to doing this on The Olympic Stage, was an amazing feat.
The Retton impact
Those perfect 10s cemented Retton's importance to the sport of gymnastics and her place in history. In the 1984 Olympic all-around final, she won her vault-clinching victory dramatically before a national audience. Millions of Americans watching at home felt to know how Mary Lou Retton was.
She influence expanded beyond the gymnastics circles, turning her into a household name and a legitimate pop culture phenomenon. She was the first female athlete to appear on cereal boxes, Wheaties, and was declared Sportswoman of the Year by Sports Illustrated. People could so heavily relate to her, and she had this energy that you just wanted more of. This made her quickly become a beloved figure in American sports.
On the Whole
Mary Lou Retton's gymnastics career was distinguished by her ability to shine when the lights brightest. Her influence on the sport and her place as one of America's true sporting icons will never be forgotten. Her inspiration lives on in the young athletes she influenced, encouraging them to chase that perfect routine with so much joy and passion.
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