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Mary Lou Retton: L.A. Dynamo
Mary Lou Retton, who became one of the most famous American athletes to compete at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, almost didn’t get the chance to take part in the competition. Suffering from torn cartilage in her knee, she underwent arthroscopic surgery just six weeks prior to the Games. The knee injury and the intimidating experience of competing in her first major international contest failed to hamper Retton’s performance, however. The 16-year-old, standing 4 feet 9 inches (1.14 metres) tall and weighing 92 pounds (42 kilograms), won five medals, including gold in the premier gymnastics event of the ...(100 of 368 words)