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10 Greatest Female Gymnasts of All Time

Female gymnasts are known for their grace, power, and precision. They are able to use their training and skill to captivate audiences with their gravity-defying flips. Personally, I have found the addition of women to this Olympic sport has allowed stars such as Simone Biles and Natsia Liukin to shine. I enjoy watching other women push their strength while maintaining their smiling demeanor. 

With daring feats on the vault, uneven bars, and balance beam, I believe we should appreciate these athletes who push their own boundaries for the sport. Some of the gymnasts listed below have been featured in various films and television shows.

Through this article, I will spotlight some of the brightest stars in the sport who have captivated the audience with their gravity-defying skills and courage to attempt the most difficult routines. I will also explore the journey of the 10 Greatest Female Gymnasts of All Time.

1. Simone Biles – United States

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She is an American artistic gymnast who is widely considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. She has 19 World Championship gold medals and seven Olympic gold medals. This makes her the most decorated American gymnast in history. Simone was born on March 14, 1997, in Ohio.

Her love for gymnastics began when she was six years old and she began training at the same age. In 2013, Simone made her international debut at the World Championships where she won the all-around title. Simone has been featured in the films At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal and Athlete A.

In 2017, she took a break from competing to take care of her mental health before she made her long-awaited return in 2018. In the same year, she won six gold medals at the World Championships. Simone is noted for always prioritizing her mental health above her career. She has been praised for her ability to step back and take a much-needed break.

2. Shawn Johnson – United States

She is an American gymnast known for winning a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Shawn is known for being a five-time Pan American Games gold medalist. She was born on January 19, 1992, in Iowa. She began gymnastics at 3 years old and was trained under coach Liang Chow.

In 2007, Shawn was a member of the U.S. senior team. In the same year, she participated in the World Championships and was noted as the all-around champion. It should be noted that Shawn won every major competition she entered in 2007 including the American Classic, American Cup, Pan Am Games, World Championships, and U.S. Championships. 

Shawn is known for being the fourth American gymnast to win the World Championships all-around title. She also holds the record for the most individual medals won at a single Pan American Games. When she retired from gymnastics, Shawn became a successful entrepreneur and motivational speaker.

3. Svetlana Khorkina – Russia

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She is a Russian gymnast who is known for winning 20 World Championship medals and 7 Olympic medals. Svetlana was born on January 19, 1979. She is known for being “The Queen of Bars” because of her dominance on the uneven bars. Svetlana won two Olympic gold medals and five World Championship titles for being a specialist on the uneven bars. 

It should be noted that Svetlana was the first gymnast to win three all-around titles at the World Championships in 1997, 2001, and 2003. In 2004, she retired from gymnastics and became a member of the International Federation of Gymnastics Athletes‘ Commission.

She was also the vice-president of the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation, a Member of the political party United Russia, and the author of the autobiography “Somersaults in High Heels”

4. Nadia Comaneci – Romania

She is a Romanian gymnast known for winning three gold medals at her first international competition in 1972. She is also known for being the first gymnast to have a perfect score at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Nadia was born on November 12, 1961. When she was six years old, she was discovered by renowned coach Bela Karolyi. 

When she was 14 years old, Nadia won three gold medals for individual all-around, uneven bars, and balance beam. She later won two gold medals in 1980 for floor exercise and balance beam. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, Nadia dominated the gymnastics scene.

5. Gabby Douglas – United States

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She is an African American gymnast who is known for being the first American to win both the individual all-around and team gold medals in the same Olympics. She is also known for being the first African-American woman to win the Olympic all-around gold medal. Gabby was born on December 31, 1995, in Virginia. She began gymnastics at six years old. She won her first National championship title at the junior level in 2010. 

From 2011 to 2016, she earned several notable achievements. Some of the achievements she won include World Championship silver medalist in the all-round and AT&T American Cup all-around champion. Gabby is noted for her 2014 film, The Gabby Douglas Story. 

6. Gina Gogean – Romania

She is a Romanian gymnast known as The Quiet Romanian due to her achievements and her reserved personality. She was born on September 9, 1977, in Romania. She began gymnastics at the age of 6 and won her first international competition at the age of 12. Gina has an impressive collection of 30 medals throughout her career. She has 9 Olympic medals, 15 World Championship medals, and 6 European Championship medals. 

In the world of gymnastics, Gina is known for her excellence in floor exercise and for being a strong competitor on the balance beam, uneven bars, and vault. in 1998, she retired and became a coach in Romania and Scotland.

7. Aliya Mustafina – Russia

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She is a Russian gymnast known for her signature skill, the Mustafina salto. She was born on September 30, 1994, to Farhat Mustafin, a bronze medalist wrestler at the 1976 Olympics. Aliya won 7 Olympic medals, 11 World Championship medals, and 13 European Championship medals making it 31 Olympic, World, and European Championship medals throughout her career.

Aliya was in the films Life in the Day of Alya Mustafina, Rio 2016: Games of the XXXI Olympiad, and London 2012: Games of the XXX Olympiad.

8. Oksana Chusovitina – Uzbekistan

She is a Uzbekistani gymnast known for holding the record for the most appearances at the Olympic Games. Oksana was born on June 19, 1975. She competed for three different national teams including the Unified Team in 1992, Uzbekistan from 1996 to 2000, and Germany in 2008 and 2012. Oksana won a gold medal in the team competition at the 1992 Olympics and earned a silver medal at the 2002 World Championships.

9. Natasia Liukin – United States

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She is an American gymnast known for holding the record for the most individual medals won at a single Pan American Games. She was born on October 30, 1989, to Baleri Liukin and Anna Kotchneva, two former Soviet champion gymnasts. Natasia was the first American gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title in 2008.

In the same year, she won a gold, silver, and two bronze Olympic medals. She was also awarded the AAU Sullivan Award which is usually given to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.

Natasia retired in 2012 and went on to become a commentator for NBC Sports. She also launched her own clothing line and jewelry collection. In 2015, Natasia published an autobiography titled “Finding My Shine”  

10. Dominique Dawes – United States

She is an African American gymnast known for being the first African American gymnast to earn a spot in the U.S. national team at age 12. Dominique was born on November 20, 1976, in Maryland. She began gymnastics at the age of 6 and trained under coach Kelli Hill. She competed in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympic Games. Dominique was a member of the gold medal-winning “Magnificent Seven” team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

She won a total of four Olympic medals including one gold, two bronzes, and a team silver. She has also won medals at the Pan American Games, national competitions, and World Championships.

These athletes have inspired millions of little girls who see themselves in the world-famous female gymnasts. Aside from inspiring young athletes, these gymnasts are part of the pinnacle of worldwide female sports.