Gymnast of the Week
Gymnast of the Week
Gymnast of the Week
Gymnast of the Week returns to the United States this week and is proud to honor a gymnast great from the 1980s, Julianne McNamara. Julianne was born to Australian parents in New York City, but grew up in San Francisco and later Eugene, Oregon where she trained with coaches Dick and Linda Mulvihill.
At the young age of 15, Julianne won the 1980 US vault national championship title and the all-around. She then went on to earn a spot on the 1980 Olympic team that later boycotted the Moscow games. While she did not get the chance to compete in the 1980 Olympics, she did tie for the all-around title at the US versus China Friendship Invitational that December. After her win at the Friendship Invitational, she went on the win the all-around at the New Zealand All-Around Championship, the Elite Team Nationals, and the American Cup.
Julianne’s few years in between the 1980’s Olympics and the 1984 Olympics hit a rough spot, where she had major falls at international competitions and as a result placed low in the competitions. But Julianne, all 4’10 of her, was not a quitter and bounced back for the 1984 Olympic games stronger than ever.
At the 1984 Olympic games Julianne tied for the gold medal on uneven bars scoring a 10.0, becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal on an individual event. She also won the silver medal on floor, fourth in the all-around and helped the U.S. women’s team place second overall.
After the 1984 Olympics and her huge success, Julianne retired from gymnastics and pursed a career in acting and starred in television shows Charles in Charge and Knight Rider. She attended UCLA and in 1989 Julianne married baseball player Todd Zeile, whom she has four children with.
Julianne, who was best known for her difficulty, was named gymnast of the year in 1981, 1982, and 1984. She was also honored by The Flower Council of Holland, headed by namesake Dutch Queen Juliana who christened the Julianne McNamara rose. The only other American female at the time to hold such an honor was the first lady, Nancy Reagan.
As quoted in People’s magazine in 1981 Julianne said, “The ultimate thing for me is to be the best. I always like doing things perfect.” Julianne’s hard-work, dedication, and perfection made her a groundbreaking gymnast for America and helped put women’s gymnastics on the map.