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Mary Lou Retton had wanted to be a gymnast since 1976, when she was 8 years old. She was born on January 24, 1968 in West Virginia. When she was 14, Mary Lou had competed in meets throughout the world. Her coach was Bela Karolyi, who was impressed with her "hard to replace personality." | ||
| Mary Lou had finished first at the 1984 Olympic trials. In the 1984 Olympics, Mary Lou was the first American woman to win gold in any event, and the first American, male or female, to win the all-around. |
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Mary Lou was the 1983 American Cup Champion, and the 1983 Chunichi Cup Champion. Mary Lou was the 1984 American Classics champion, and at the 1984 U.S. Championships, she was the gold medalist. In 1985, Mary Lou was inducted into the USOC Olympic Hall of Fame. Mary Lou was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. |
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