Most emotional gymnastics moments

In no particular order, here are some of my favorite "moments" that yes, can bring a tear to my eye. (Uber dork, I know).

1. Lavinia Milosovi: 1995 World Championships, All-Around
Lavinia Milosovici ends her competition on the balance beam. She does a good, solid routine. When she's finished, she leaps off the podium and squats down and puts her head in her hands and begins to cry. Why, she has done ane xcellent routine? Rather, it is the pressure of finishing the competition, her fourth world all-around competition, and just knowing that it's over. This really spoke to me, because you think of gymnasts being nervous before the routine. it's amazing to see her let this emotion out after the routine was over, and after a hit routine.

2. Dominique Dawes: 1993 Worlds, All-Around; 1994 Worlds, All-Around; 1996 Olympics, All-Around
In each competition, Dom was leading until silly mistakes, in 93 and 94 on her final rotation on one of her best events. Why does this happen? and 2 years in a row. I think 1996 might have been the worst though. I think it devastated her. In a 1997 interview almost a year later, she relived the moment and began crying even then, a year later, saying "You go to the Olympics to medal individually, at least for your second one you do....I guess it's just me being hard on myself, but why shouldn't I be?"

3. Shannon Miller: 1996 Olympics, All-Around
After her floor exercise with three potential areas for deduction, she could not stop hysterically crying. And this is a sport where most athletes suck it up and don't cry, even when it comes to big dissapointments. and even though Shannon is known t be a cyer, she just didn't stop. At one point we here Steve say in a low voice, "STOP CRYING...there's people EVERYWHERE...stop crying." Geez,steve. This is a life-long dream that was just crushed. At the opening of the ceremony, they show a picture of 4-year-old Shannon, saying that it had been a lifetime dedication...that always makes me tear up.

3. Vanessa Atler: 1999 U.S. Nationals, All-Around
This was where Vanessa had a disaster for the third year ina row on the bars, and her coach, who had a microphone on, basically blasted her on network tv. She was humiliated, not to mention personally devastated at missing this event yet again. This was the final straw that led her to leave the Rybackis. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when that went down.

4. Shannon Miller, 1992 Olympics, All-Around
I still can't help but cry when I watch this. I know we've had all-around gold medelists since then (Carly, Nastia) and I know Shannon "only" got teh silver, but dude, back then the silver might as well have been the gold. To me, the competition back then was so much more steep. Look at all the potential gymnasts who could have medaled: Milosovici, Bontas, Okino, Zmeskal, Lysenko, Boginskaya...Shannon outperformed anyone's expectations. She LOOKED like a Soviet. America had never dreamt of doing so well. I know, I know, Zmeskal won the worlds the prior year, but she had an "American" style that was neat, but not as artistic or desireable as Miller's. Yes, I think Gutsu was ultimately the best, but what a victory for Shannon.

5. Amy Chow: 1996 Olympic Trials, Optionals
I'll tell you what, she sure as hell eraned her trip right then and there. That was one of the nastiest falls I've ever seen. She had been suffering from back spasms that week and had limited training time. She completed her FULL routine with nothing taken out, to make the team. Damn, girl.


And on a side note, I'm also a figure skating fan.

1. 1998 Nagano Games: Michelle Kwan was so perfect but just missed, and Lu Chen only won the bronze but could not have been happier. Likewise, 2002 Salt Lake Games, Sarah Hughes, the underdog, came from no where with the skate of her life to win. Ahh, touching.