Gymnastics Legends honored by the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2014
OKLAHOMA CITY – Five gymnastics legends were honored at the 18th annual International Gymnastics Hall of Fame (IGHOF) induction ceremony on Saturday, May 17, 2014, at the Petroleum Club in Oklahoma City.
The IGHOF Class of 2014 Inductees are:
- Natalia Yurchenko (Russia): 1983 World All-Around Champion, inventor of the Yurchenko vault
- Jackie Fie (USA): 1956 Olympian, former President of FIG Women's Technical Committee
- Li Yuejiu (China): China's first mens World Champion, 1984 Olympic silver medalist
- Klaus Köste (GER, deceased): 3-time Olympian, 1972 Olympic vault champion
The Frank Bare Award was presented to renowned TV commentator for ABC Wide World of Sports Gordon Maddux for his important contributions, and promotion of gymnastics.
Also, although they were not being formally inducted into the IGHOF, the 1984 USA Olympic men's gymnastics team, comprised of Bart Conner, Tim Daggett, Mitch Gaylord, James Hartung, Scott Johnson and Peter Vidmar, were on hand to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their historic team gold medal.
"It was an emotional night to have so many of our sport's true 'game-changers' all in one room," Bart Conner, Chairman of the IGHOF board, said.
Over the past 17 years, 81 of gymnastics greatest stars and contributors, representing 21 countries, have been formally inducted into the Hall of Fame. The IGHOF is home to gymnastics greats such as Vera Caslavska, Nadia Comaneci, Olga Korbut, Mary Lou Retton, Nikolai Andrianov, Bart Conner Sawao Kato, and Vitaly Scherbo.
Founded in 1987, the IGHOF was originally located in Oceanside, California. In 1996, it was relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where it has developed a solid foundation of private support.
"People are often surprised to know that this is the only International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in existence, and it is endorsed by the International Gymnastics Federation which is based in Switzerland," Conner said.
The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame continues to preserve, promote and share the achievements of the sport's greatest legends, with the IGHOF exhibit at the Science Museum Oklahoma in the Adventure District in Oklahoma City. Visitors can try out gymnastics equipment, view portraits of all inductees, see sculptures, paintings and memorabilia, and use the video kiosk to study the videos and careers of the international gymnastics stars.
"Our goal is to preserve the legacies of these international gymnastics legends, and use their stories of achievement to inspire future generations," Conner said.
For more information about the IGHOF and how you can be a member or donor, visit our membership page.
For media requests, contact Allison Keiffer at Allison@intlgymnast.com or call 405-364-5344.