Gaylord, Mitch

Mitchell Gaylord

Sport:
gymnastics

Country Represented:
United States

Years Competed:
1984

Medals Received:
gold, silver, bronze

Olympic Info:
A member of the United States men's gymnastics team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics,Gaylord won four medals. That year, the U.S. dominated the competition as the Soviet Union and other Eastern bloc nations boycotted the Games. Gaylord won a gold medal in the team event, the silver in the vault, and bronze medals in the rings and parallel bars. He also finished in fifth place in the men's all-around event. Mitch also became the first American gymnast in history to receive a perfect "10."

After competing in the Olympics, Gaylord was appointed to the President's Council for Physical Fitness by President Ronald Reagan. In 1986, he made his acting debut in the film American Anthem and then appeared in Batman Forever in 1995 as the stunt double for Robin.

Career Highlights:
After being named Los Angeles high school athlete of the year in 1979, Mitch won six gold medals at the 11th Maccabiah Games in 1981, and took the silver medal in the vault, which was won by his brother, Chuck. In 1982, Mitch won the all-around championship at the National Sports Festival. He was the No. 1 ranked U.S. gymnast in 1983 and 1984 (when he won both the NCAA and U.S. all-around championship) and developed two skills named internationally after him: the Gaylord Flip (a somersault on the high bar) and the Gaylord Two (a 1-1/2 somersault). In 1995, he was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame. Mitch is also a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. March 1, 1961

Origin:
Los Angeles, California

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