Dominique Moceanu

Dominique Moceanu
Moceanu at SXSW 2024
Personal information
Full nameDominique Helena Moceanu
Country represented United States
Born (1981-09-30) September 30, 1981 (age 43)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
HometownCleveland, Ohio, U.S.
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior international elite
Years on national team1992–2000, 2004–2006 (USA)
ClubLaFleur's; Károlyi's; Moceanu Gymnastics; Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy
Head coach(es)Béla and Márta Károlyi
Former coach(es)Jeff LaFleur; Béla and Márta Károlyi; Luminița Miscenco; Mary Lee Tracy; Alexander Alexandrov
ChoreographerGeza Pozar, Dominic Zito
Music"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
Retired2000; 2006
Medal record
Women's gymnastics
Representing the  United States
International gymnastics competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 0 0
World Championships 0 1 1
Goodwill Games 1 0 0
Total 2 1 1
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Team
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1995 Sabae Balance beam
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Sabae Team
Goodwill Games
Gold medal – first place 1998 New York City All-Around

Dominique Helena Moceanu (/moʊˈtʃiːɑːnuː/, moh-CHEE-ah-noo; Romanian: [moˈtʃe̯anu]; born September 30, 1981)[1] is a retired[2] American gymnast. She was a member of the gold medal-winning United States women's gymnastics team, the "Magnificent Seven", at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.[3][4]

Moceanu trained under Marta and Béla Károlyi,[5] and later Luminița Miscenco[6] and Mary Lee Tracy.[7] She earned her first national team berth at age 10[8] and represented the United States in various international competitions at the junior level. She was the all-around silver medalist at the 1992 Junior Pan American Games and the 1994 junior national champion.[9] In 1995, at the age of 13, she became the youngest gymnast to win the senior all-around title at the U.S. National Championships.[10] She was the youngest member of both the 1995 World Championships team and the gold medal-winning 1996 Olympics team, and was the last gymnast to compete legally in the Olympics at the age of 14.[11]

Moceanu's last major success in gymnastics was at the 1998 Goodwill Games, where she became the first American to win the all-around gold medal.[8] Family problems, coaching changes, and injuries derailed her efforts to make the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, and she retired from the sport in 2000.[12] Since then, she has worked as a coach,[1][13] studied business management,[13][14] and written a memoir, Off Balance.[15][16]

  1. ^ a b "Dominique Moceanu" (PDF). usagym.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 13, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  2. ^ DeSimone, Bonnie (June 26, 1996). "Gymnast Pursues 2nd Act". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  3. ^ "Olympic Games - U.S. Women's Team Rosters". usagym.org. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  4. ^ "Olympedia – Dominique Moceanu". Olympedia. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  5. ^ Lynn, Alison (June 11, 2012). "Champion Gymnast's Hidden Life: Dominique Moceanu on Secret Sister". ABC News. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  6. ^ "Moceanu Switches Coaches". The New York Times. Associated Press. January 16, 1999. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  7. ^ Pucin, Diane (August 18, 2000). "A Disappointed Moceanu Talks of Leaving Gymnastics". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Litsky, Frank (July 20, 1998). "Older, Wiser Moceanu Finds the Right Balance". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  9. ^ "Even at Age 13, a Storybook Career Is Emerging". The New York Times. August 17, 1995. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  10. ^ Pollack, Andrew (October 9, 1995). "Miller's Uneven Finish Opens Vault for Others". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  11. ^ Doster, Rob (June 19, 2014). "The Youngest Phenoms in Sports History". Athlonsports.com | Expert Predictions, Picks, and Previews. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  12. ^ Roberts, Selena (August 18, 2000). "Injured Moceanu Forced Out of Competition". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  13. ^ a b Galbincea, Pat (March 9, 2011). "Olympic gymnastics champ Dominique Moceanu now coaches in Broadview Heights". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  14. ^ "Moceanu, Dominique | Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame". Clevelandsportshall.com. July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  15. ^ "Book Excerpt: Dominique Moceanu's 'Off Balance'". ABC News. June 11, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  16. ^ Dyball, Rennie (June 20, 2012). "'Off Balance' sheds light on world of elite gymnastics". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 6, 2016.