Avener, Marshall Inducted: 2012 Born: Brooklyn, NY During the 1972 Olympic Games, Marshall and his wife Judi took a trip to Austria after the gymnastics competition had ended. While they were gone, Palestinian terrorists took Israeli athletes and coaches hostage, massacring 11 of them. Avener later said, “When we left, it was just a nice … Read more
BROWN, Marshall Inducted: 1960 Marshall Brown was another founding Father of Gymnastics. It has been said that nothing is possible without desire, wherewithal, and encouragement. Brown is a USGHOF Inductee for providing the wherewithal in the form of an Athletic Club catering to gymnastics and encouragement, plus he attracted athletes who had plenty of desire. … Read more
ZWARG, Leopold F. Inducted: 1959 – Original class of USAG Honorees Born: Germany Leopold Zwarg was an athlete, coach, and an early contributor to the development of gymnastics in the U. S. While numerous generations of today’s elite gymnastic athletes were unable to profit from Zwarg’s direct influence, it is only right that his contributions … Read more
WELSER, Lyle Inducted: 1964 Born: Kane, Pennsylvania Lyle Welser has been named as one of the founding fathers of American gymnastics. In an editorial on his website*, Bruce Davis provides an explanation of why changing governing bodies for gymnastics in America takes so much time. In his article, he provides an interesting analogy between the … Read more
SASVARY, Laszlo “Les” Inducted: 1991 Born: Eger, Hungary Hungarian Translation Les Sasvary was a friend, and whenever he was in the gym during a training session in the Los Angeles area, he always was able to find a way to help me and other young gymnasts become a little better. He had a way … Read more
RINGNALD, Lance Inducted: 2001 Born: Des Moines, Iowa Lance was the son of 2 former college gymnasts, and that had to help him in 1988 to earn the distinction of being the youngest male member of a U.S. Olympic Team in twenty years. Two years prior to the 1988 Olympics Lance moved to Albuquerque, NM … Read more
PERRY, L. R. Inducted: 1968 L.R. Perry is recognized as the “Father of Gymnastics in the State of Kansas” where he taught classes as well as competitive gymnastics at Lawrence High School in the Lawrence, Kansas public school system for 33 years, (1945-1964). He is another one of a few U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame … Read more
METHENY-Mulvihill, Linda Jo Inducted: 1985 Born: Pensacola, Florida Linda Metheny considers that her most important contribution to women’s gymnastics was her 1968 BB performance that made her the first American to compete in the finals. She finished fourth. I suspect that she’s correct about the importance of her placing in the top four on BB … Read more
MANG, Louis Inducted: 1959 – Among Original class of Honorees Born: Not Available It’s possible to never really know just how important a role a coach has played in your life until you let a number of years pass and then begin to reminisce. The kind of coaches who almost always have winning teams must … Read more
JUDD, Leslie Inducted: 1959-Original class of Honorees Born: Brisbane, Australia Numerous factors have contributed to the origins and development of American gymnastics, and they have influenced gymnastics as we know it now; e.g., the U.S. Wars, the immigration of gymnastics people, and U.S. laws have all contributed to the waves and troughs that gymnastics has … Read more