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Julianne McNamara

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Julianne McNamara
Personal information
Full nameJulianne Lyn McNamara
Country represented United States
Born (1965-10-11) October 11, 1965 (age 59)
Flushing, Queens, New York, United States
SpouseTodd Zeile (1989–2015)
Height4 ft 10 in (147 cm)
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior International Elite
Eponymous skillsUneven Bars: Jump to clear support on high bar - clear hip circle to handstand on high bar also with ½ turn (180°) in handstand phase on high bar
Retired1987
Medal record
Women's gymnastics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles Uneven Bars
Silver medal – second place 1984 Los Angeles Team
Silver medal – second place 1984 Los Angeles Floor
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1981 Moscow Uneven Bars
World Cup Final
Bronze medal – third place 1982 Zagreb Vault

Julianne Lyn McNamara (born October 11, 1965) is an American former artistic gymnast, who was born to Australians Jean and Kevin McNamara. She was the winner of the U.S. women's first individual event gold medal in Olympic history.[citation needed]

Career

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McNamara won the 1980 US all-around title and qualified for the 1980 Olympic team but did not compete due to the United States Olympic Committee's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Russia.[1][2] As consolation, she was one of 461 athletes to receive a Congressional Gold Medal many years later.[3] 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.[4] She also earned a bronze medal on bars, a seventh on floor and finished fifth on beam.[5] She had entered the beam final in first place but went overtime in the final.[citation needed]

At the 1982 World Cup, McNamara fell off the bars to place eighth all-around. In finals, however, 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.[citation needed]

In 1982, The Flower Council of Holland, headed by namesake Dutch Queen Juliana, christened the Julianne McNamara rose.[4] At the time, the only other American woman to be so honored was the then U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan.

The climax of McNamara's athletic 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.[6][7] As of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, she is the only American to win gold in the uneven bars event.

Eponymous skill

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McNamara has one eponymous skill listed in the Code of Points, an uneven bars mount.[8]

Apparatus Name Description Difficulty[a]
Uneven bars McNamara Jump to clear support on high bar - clear hip circle to handstand on high bar also with ½ turn (180°) in handstand phase on high bar D
  1. ^ Valid for the 2022-2024 Code of Points

Retirement

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Although the 1984 Olympics was her last formal competition, McNamara did not retire officially until 1987. Her international accomplishments are considered to have played a major role in spotlighting the U.S. women's team in the early 1980s. Even though she only had the opportunity to be named the national All-Around champion in 1980, she was internationally recognized as the top American gymnast from 1980 to 1982.[citation needed]

Upon her retirement from gymnastics, McNamara 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.[9]

In 1989, McNamara married baseball player Todd Zeile, whom she met while attending UCLA.[10] She retired from her acting career and the couple had four children together: sons Garrett, Ian, and Aaron; and daughter Hannah, who appeared as teenage Kate Pearson on This Is Us.[11] McNamara and Zeile divorced in January 2015.[12]

She was inducted to the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2024.[13] She reflected on her career in her induction speech which she gave on May 18 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma:

It's probably one of the greatest honors of my life because I'm old now and you think people forget about you.. after my gymnastics career, my life turned in a different direction... I kind of ran away from the sport in a sense...I loved it with all my heart and I still miss doing it but as the years have gone by I'm just extremely grateful to be a part of this community.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Artistic National Championships History • USA Gymnastics". USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  2. ^ Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs (2008-05-08). "The Olympic Boycott, 1980". 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  3. ^ Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry (2008). Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253. ISBN 978-0942257403.
  4. ^ a b "Julianne Lyn McNamara | Biography". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  5. ^ "1981 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships • USA Gymnastics". USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  6. ^ "LOS ANGELES 1984 GYMNASTICS ARTISTIC UNEVEN BARS WOMEN RESULTS". olympics.com. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  7. ^ "Olympic Games History - Women • USA Gymnastics". USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  8. ^ "2022-2024 Code of Points Women's Artistic Gymnastics" (PDF). International Gymnastics Federation. pp. 78, 207. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  9. ^ Harris, John (March 6, 1992). "McNamara in Orlando to tune up for Olympics". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 26, 2024. Now a spectator, she is preparing for the Barcelona Olympics, where she will serve as venue commentator for the network's Olympics TripleCast (pay-per-view) coverage.
  10. ^ "TODD ZEILE AND JULIANNE McNAMARA HAPPILY CHEER EACH OTHER ON -- AS HUSBAND AND WIFE! - February 1, 1991". money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  11. ^ Pham, Jason (March 13, 2018). "How 'This Is Us' Helped Hannah Zeile Overcome Her Body Insecurities". StyleCaster. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  12. ^ "Todd Zeile went from MLB to Hollywood, with Charlie Sheen's help". Sports Illustrated. July 1, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  13. ^ Ivanov, Christian (May 19, 2024). "Four gymnastics legends inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame". intlgymnast.com. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  14. ^ International Gymnastics Hall of Fame (2024-06-04). Julianne McNamara, Induction Speech, IGHOF Class of 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-02 – via YouTube.
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