Golden Olympic Moments – Gymnastics – Floor Exercise (Women)

Olga Korbut (USSR) – 1972 Munich

The darling of the 1972 Games, Olga Korbut performed one of the history’s most memorable floor routines that did not only captured the gold medal but also won the hearts of audiences around the world.

Nellie Kim (USSR) – 1976 Montreal

Nellie Kim, the bronze all-around medallist, executed the first ever double salto on floor exercise in Olympic women’s events en route to a gold medal and the first ever perfect 10 score to be given on the event.

Nadia Comăneci (Romania) and Nellie Kim (USSR) – 1980 Moscow

Nellie Kim, who was known for her grace and intense style of gymnastics, successfully defended her Olympic floor title with a near perfect routine.  Tying her for the gold medal was Nadia Comăneci, the silver all-around medallist.

Ecaterina Szabo (Romania) – 1984 Los Angeles

Most well-known for her disappointing silver all-around finish following her epic battle with Mary Lou Retton (United States), Ecaterina Szabo returned to the event finals sweeping golds on vault, balance beam and the floor exercise.

Daniela Silivaş (Romania) – 1988 Seoul

After her controversial loss to Yelena Shushunova (USSR), Daniela Silivaş made a strong comeback capturing gold medals in the uneven bars, balance beam and the floor exercise, and a bronze on vault.  She effectively tied Nadia Comăneci’s record of seven perfect 10.0 scores at a single Olympic competition.

Lavinia Miloşovici (Romania) – 1992 Barcelona

Lavinia Miloşovici, the bronze all-around medallist, won the floor title, earning the last perfect 10.0 score ever rewarded in an Olympic competition.

Lilia Podkopayeva (Ukraine) – 1996 Atlanta

Lilia Podkopayeva executed an exquisite and flawless but difficult floor routine to become the only female gymnast so far since Nadia Comenaci to win an individual event gold after winning the all-round title in the same Olympics.

Elena Zamolodchikova (Russia) – 2000 Sydney

Following her disastrous performances in the all-around and team competition (falls on beam and floor), Elena Zamolodchikova came back strong to win the Olympic title on vault.  On the floor event finals, Zamolodchikova’s superior tumbling edged out Svetlana Khorkina’s artistry for the gold medal, thus becoming a two-time Olympic champion.

Cătălina Ponor (Romania) – 2004 Athens

Cătălina Ponor won every event she entered at the 2004 Athens Games: the team competition, balance beam and floor exercise.  Ponor became the first female gymnast since her compartriot Daniela Silivaş in 1988 to win three gold medals in the same Olympics.

Sandra Izbaşa (Romania) – 2008 Beijing

After helping her team won the team bronze, Sandra Izbaşa placed eighth in the all-around; and snatched the Olympic floor title ahead of Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson, the gold and silver all-around medallist respectively.

More articles on Greatest Athletes series:

• (Almost) Greatest Female Gymnasts in History
• 10 Greatest Male Gymnasts in History
• 10 Greatest Female Gymnasts in History
• Greatest American Female Gymnasts
• Greatest American Male Gymnasts
• 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time
• 10 Greatest Male Figure Skaters of All Time

Articles on the Olympics:

• Unforgettable Summer Olympic Stories
• More Unforgettable Summer Olympic Stories
• Unforgettable Winter Olympic Stories
• More Unforgettable Winter Olympic Stories
• Unforgettable Moments of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
• Unforgettable Moments of The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics
• Michael Phelps: The Greatest Olympian of All Time

Golden Olympic Performances:

• Men Singles Figure Skating
• Ladies Singles Figure Skating
• Men’s Gymnastics – Floor Exercise
• Men’s Gymnastics – Pommel Horse
• Men’s Gymnastics – Still Rings
• Men’s Gymnastics – Horizontal Bar
• Men’s Gymnastics – Parallel Bars
• Women’s Gymnastics – Uneven Bars
• Women’s Gymnastics – Balance Beam
• Women’s Gymnastics – Floor Exercise

Olympic Greats:

• Women’s Diving
• Men’s Diving