14-year-old Nadia Comaneci performs to perfection at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, becoming a gold medalist and household name along the way
On July 18th, 1976, 14-year-old Romanian Nadia Comăneci became the first gymnast in Olympic history to score a perfect 10 score (doing so 7 times) at the Montreal Summer Games. She achieved this unprecedented feat on the uneven bars… and then went on to record six additional perfect 10s during the competition.
Comaneci is credited with the rise in popularity of female gymnastics worldwide, setting a new standard and paving the way for future gold medalists like Mary Lou Retton (1984 Olympics in Los Angeles), the famed 1996 USA gold medal-winning team, and modern-day mega star Simone Biles.
The Sidearmer 