Those uniforms! Those scrunchies! Those gold medals!
Boston Globe via Getty Images
It’s been two decades since the Magnificent Seven made history and won the team gold medal in women’s gymnastics at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug, Amy Chow, Jaycie Phelps and Amanda Borden have all gone on to have careers and lives outside of competitive gymnastics, but for any American girl growing up in the ‘90s, their faces are likely etched into memory.
Here are eight reasons they were ― and still are ― pretty damn awesome:
1. They were the first U.S. women’s gymnastics team to win the gold medal.
The first. Ever. Breaking that Olympic threshold meant nationwide fame: posters, endorsements, talk show appearances and many, many, many photo ops. Only one U.S. women’s gymnastics team has won the team gold since ― the Fierce Five in 2012.
Advertisement
The United States Women's Gymnastics Team of Dominique Moceanu, Kerri Strug, Shannon Miller, Jaycie Phelps, Dominique Dawes and Amanda Borden stands on the floor during the Womens Team Gymnastics competition at the 1996 Olympic Games.
Tony Duffy via Getty Images
2. Team USA clinched the gold medal in the most impressive (and nail-biting) way ― Kerri Strug landed a vault on one foot.
Kerri Strug was at the center of perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the ‘96 games. Strug fell during her first vault attempt and injured her left ankle. Despite limping back to the vault runway for her second vault, she executed it near-perfectly, winning the gold. (It was seriously impressive.) Watch Strug reflect on the “gold medal moment” below.
Advertisement
3. Dominique Dawes became the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic medal in gymnastics.
In addition to winning a gold medal with her teammates, Dawes won the bronze medal for her stunning floor routine. Watch her history-making performance below. As the 1996 NBC commentator says, “That was awesome!... She doesn’t just do the skills, she does it with her heart and her soul and it’s beautiful.”
4. Amy Chow became the first Asian-American woman to win an Olympic medal for gymnastics.
Amy Chow on the uneven bars during her routine at the Georgia Dome in the 1996 Olympic Games.
Pascal Rondeau via Getty Images
5. They had their own Wheaties box!
Just look at those freakin’ champions.
Advertisement
6. They could do this...
7. And this...
8. And this.
Seeing young women celebrated for their athletic prowess and accomplishments is always inspiring. Here’s hoping Team USA 2016 does their 1996 counterparts proud. We suspect they will.
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
