Gulack, George

Sport:
gymnastics

Country Represented:
United States

Years Competed:
1932

Medals Received:
gold

Olympic Info:
A member of the United States gymnastics team at the 1932 Los Angeles Games, Gulack was America's last Olympic gold medalist in any gymnastics event until 1984. He did not participate in the team all-around, which for the first time was scored separately from individual competitions, but he dominated the field in the individual Flying Rings event. After the first routine, George was leading the field with a score of 28.8 (the highest received at the Games), 0.6 points ahead of the gymnast in second place. The second, and final, routine, saw Gulack register a 28.1 for a total of 56.9 points and the gold medal (the silver medalist had a 55.8). One of Gulack's teammates was the silver medalist in the Club Swinging event, Phillip Erenberg.

Career Highlights:
Gulack, who began to study gymnastics at the age of 11, won the Latvian all-around championship in 1921 at the age of 16. After emigrating to the United States the following year, he became one of America's top gymnasts, winning four AAU titles between 1928-1935; he won two titles on the rings and one each on the parallel bars and the floor exercise. Following his retirement from competition, Gulack served as a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1934-1958. In 1948, he helped draft a new set of AAU rules designed to conform with international rules. That year, he was the manager of both the men's and women's Olympic gymnastics teams. He is a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. May 12, 1905 - d. July 28, 1987

Origin:
Riga, Latvia

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