Julianne McNamara
Encyclopedia
Julianne Lyn McNamara was an American
artistic gymnast
, who was born to Australian parents. She was the winner of the U.S. women's first individual event gold medal in Olympic
history.
She won the 1980 US all-around title and earned a spot on the Olympic team that boycotted the Moscow Games. A year later, at the world championships
that were coincidentally also held in Moscow, McNamara notched the top U.S. women's world all-around finish (seventh place) at that point in history. She also earned a bronze medal on bars, seventh on floor and finished fifth on beam- she had entered the beam final in first place but went overtime in the final.
At the 1982 World Cup, Julianne fell off the bars to place eighth all-around. In finals, though, she earned a bronze on vault and a seventh place on beam. At the 1983 world championships, she finished 16th all-around, sixth on vault, and seventh on uneven bars.
In 1982, The Flower Council of Holland, headed by namesake Dutch
Queen Juliana, christened the Julianne McNamara rose. At the time, the only other American woman to be so honored was the then U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan
.
The climax of her career was at the 1984 Olympic Games
in Los Angeles
. There, she tied Ma Yanhong
from China
for first on the uneven bars (both gymnasts scored 10.00), won the silver on floor, and placed fourth all-around.
Julianne didn't retire officially until 1987 - though the 1984 Olympics was her last competition. She accomplished a lot in her international career. She really helped put the U.S. women's team on the map in the early 1980s, and even though she was national All-Around champion only in 1980, she was internationally recognized as the top American gymnast from 1981 to 1984.
Upon her retirement from gymnastics, Julianne embarked on an acting career, appearing in television shows such as Charles in Charge
and Knight Rider. She also did color commentary for some television gymnastics coverage. In 1989, she married baseball
player Todd Zeile
, whom she met while attending UCLA. They have four children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artistic gymnast
Artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
, who was born to Australian parents. She was the winner of the U.S. women's first individual event gold medal in Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
history.
She won the 1980 US all-around title and earned a spot on the Olympic team that boycotted the Moscow Games. A year later, at the world championships
1981 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 21st Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Moscow, the capital of the USSR, in 1981.-Medals:-All-around:- Floor exercise :-Pommel horse:-Rings:-Vault:-Parallel bars:-Horizontal bar:-Team final:-All-around:...
that were coincidentally also held in Moscow, McNamara notched the top U.S. women's world all-around finish (seventh place) at that point in history. She also earned a bronze medal on bars, seventh on floor and finished fifth on beam- she had entered the beam final in first place but went overtime in the final.
At the 1982 World Cup, Julianne fell off the bars to place eighth all-around. In finals, though, she earned a bronze on vault and a seventh place on beam. At the 1983 world championships, she finished 16th all-around, sixth on vault, and seventh on uneven bars.
In 1982, The Flower Council of Holland, headed by namesake Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Queen Juliana, christened the Julianne McNamara rose. At the time, the only other American woman to be so honored was the then U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
.
The climax of her career was at the 1984 Olympic Games
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. There, she tied Ma Yanhong
Ma Yanhong
Ma Yanhong is a retired Chinese Olympic athlete. She was the first Chinese gymnast, male or female, to win a gold medal at the World Gymnastics Championships and the Olympic Games....
from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
for first on the uneven bars (both gymnasts scored 10.00), won the silver on floor, and placed fourth all-around.
Julianne didn't retire officially until 1987 - though the 1984 Olympics was her last competition. She accomplished a lot in her international career. She really helped put the U.S. women's team on the map in the early 1980s, and even though she was national All-Around champion only in 1980, she was internationally recognized as the top American gymnast from 1981 to 1984.
Upon her retirement from gymnastics, Julianne embarked on an acting career, appearing in television shows such as Charles in Charge
Charles in Charge
Charles in Charge is an American sitcom series which starred Scott Baio as Charles, a 19-year-old student at the fictional Copeland College in New Jersey, who worked as a live-in babysitter in exchange for room and board...
and Knight Rider. She also did color commentary for some television gymnastics coverage. In 1989, she married baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player Todd Zeile
Todd Zeile
Todd Edward Zeile is a former catcher, third baseman, and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1989 to . After graduating from UCLA, where he played as a catcher, Zeile played for 11 Major League teams during his career: the St...
, whom she met while attending UCLA. They have four children.
"I hope people think I brought integrity to gymnastics. My impact was a feeling that I loved the sport and that it was from my heart."