1991 Worlds
Shannon Miller first made major headlines at the 1991 worlds in Indianapolis. At just 14, she qualified to all four event finals and the all-around, and helped the US team win an historic silver medal. Individually, she tied for the silver on bars, and placed fourth on floor and sixth in the all-around, vault, and balance beam. She left her rookie worlds with two silver medals -- and gave the gymnastics world a preview of what was to come at the Barcelona Olympics.
1992 Olympics
In 1992, Miller hit her foot on the bar on a flyaway dismount, and the training accident led to emergency surgery for an elbow dislocation. She was forced to miss half of the competition at US nationals (she sat out the optionals, citing a lack of preparation time), but was back in time for the Olympic Trials. She won the competition, and qualified onto the Olympic team.
At the Barcelona Games Miller won five Olympic medals -- more than any other American at the Olympics that year.
She earned the all-around silver medal (a controversial result -- many thought she should have won gold), and a silver on beam. She also took bronze on bars and floor, and led the US team to a bronze medal as well.
1993 Worlds
Instead of retiring, as many athletes did after the 1992 Games, Miller showed she was just starting to reach her full potential. She won the world all-around titles in 1993 and in 1994, and picked up gold medals on bars and floor in 1993, and on beam in 1994. During her career she would win a total of nine world medals.
1996 Olympic Trials
Shannon Miller also earned the national all-around title in 1993, before placing second in 1994 and 1995 to Dominique Dawes and Dominique Moceanu, respectively. She regained her crown in 1996, as she was making a run at her second Olympic team.
A wrist injury forced Miller to withdraw from the Olympic Trials. Both she and Dominique Moceanu, pictured above at the Trials, sat out the competition, but were petitioned onto the team based on their scores from the 1996 US nationals.
Moceanu, who had a stress fracture in her shin at the time, and Miller were both healthy enough to compete at the Olympics.
1996 Olympics
Miller, at 19, was America's most decorated gymnast ever heading into the 1996 Olympics, and she didn't disappoint there. In Atlanta, she helped the US women's team (called the Magnificent Seven) win its first ever Olympic gold. This feat went unmatched for 16 years, until the Fierce Five won Olympic gold in 2012.
In the preliminary round, Miller had placed second all-around behind Ukraine's Lilia Podkopayeva, so another major all-around medal seemed likely. But scores were wiped clean in the all-around finals, and Miller had an off day, with errors on floor that dropped her to an eventual eighth place finish.
In the event finals, however, Miller came back and won the balance beam gold. In Atlanta she added two more medals to her collection from Barcelona, for a total of seven Olympic medals.
Miller retired after the 1996 Games, but came back in time to make a run at the 2000 Olympics. She competed solidly at the Olympic Trials, but injured her knee on vault and was unable to continue with the second day of competition. She wasn't selected to the US team, but her legacy as the best American gymnast ever still lives on.
Shannon Miller first made major headlines at the 1991 worlds in Indianapolis. At just 14, she qualified to all four event finals and the all-around, and helped the US team win an historic silver medal. Individually, she tied for the silver on bars, and placed fourth on floor and sixth in the all-around, vault, and balance beam. She left her rookie worlds with two silver medals -- and gave the gymnastics world a preview of what was to come at the Barcelona Olympics.
1992 Olympics
In 1992, Miller hit her foot on the bar on a flyaway dismount, and the training accident led to emergency surgery for an elbow dislocation. She was forced to miss half of the competition at US nationals (she sat out the optionals, citing a lack of preparation time), but was back in time for the Olympic Trials. She won the competition, and qualified onto the Olympic team.
At the Barcelona Games Miller won five Olympic medals -- more than any other American at the Olympics that year.
She earned the all-around silver medal (a controversial result -- many thought she should have won gold), and a silver on beam. She also took bronze on bars and floor, and led the US team to a bronze medal as well.
1993 Worlds
Instead of retiring, as many athletes did after the 1992 Games, Miller showed she was just starting to reach her full potential. She won the world all-around titles in 1993 and in 1994, and picked up gold medals on bars and floor in 1993, and on beam in 1994. During her career she would win a total of nine world medals.
1996 Olympic Trials
Shannon Miller also earned the national all-around title in 1993, before placing second in 1994 and 1995 to Dominique Dawes and Dominique Moceanu, respectively. She regained her crown in 1996, as she was making a run at her second Olympic team.
A wrist injury forced Miller to withdraw from the Olympic Trials. Both she and Dominique Moceanu, pictured above at the Trials, sat out the competition, but were petitioned onto the team based on their scores from the 1996 US nationals.
Moceanu, who had a stress fracture in her shin at the time, and Miller were both healthy enough to compete at the Olympics.
1996 Olympics
Miller, at 19, was America's most decorated gymnast ever heading into the 1996 Olympics, and she didn't disappoint there. In Atlanta, she helped the US women's team (called the Magnificent Seven) win its first ever Olympic gold. This feat went unmatched for 16 years, until the Fierce Five won Olympic gold in 2012.
In the preliminary round, Miller had placed second all-around behind Ukraine's Lilia Podkopayeva, so another major all-around medal seemed likely. But scores were wiped clean in the all-around finals, and Miller had an off day, with errors on floor that dropped her to an eventual eighth place finish.
In the event finals, however, Miller came back and won the balance beam gold. In Atlanta she added two more medals to her collection from Barcelona, for a total of seven Olympic medals.
Miller retired after the 1996 Games, but came back in time to make a run at the 2000 Olympics. She competed solidly at the Olympic Trials, but injured her knee on vault and was unable to continue with the second day of competition. She wasn't selected to the US team, but her legacy as the best American gymnast ever still lives on.