Aug. 3, 1984 – Mary Lou Retton won gold at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics

Retton was .050 of a point behind Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo, meaning she needed a 9.95 to tie or a perfect score to win. After sticking her dismount, Retton smiled from ear to ear because she knew that she had done it. Receiving her score of 10, Retton won the all-around competition and became the first American female gymnast to win an individual Olympic medal, the first to win a gold medal and the first to win the all-around. Retton won the most medals (five) of any athlete in the 1984 Olympics.

“You get self-satisfaction from pushing yourself to the limit, knowing that all the effort is going to pay off.” – Mary Lou Retton

“A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever.” – Mary Lou Retton

“Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit.” – Mary Lou Retton