Maxi Gnauck

  • Germany

In three European Championships, 1981, ’83 and ’85, Gnacuk won nine medals—five gold, three silver and a bronze. At the 1981 Europeans, she won gold in every event but the vault, where she had to settle for a silver.

Induction Speech Video

At her only Olympic appearance, in Moscow in 1980, Gnauck placed second in the all-around, in a tie with Nadia Comaneci, third in the floor exercise and gold on her long-time best event, the uneven bars.

She was born in Berlin, Germany, on October 10, 1964.  Maxi Gnauck’s first international success in gymnastics came at just 13 years of age. 

In three European Championships, 1981, ’83 and ’85, she won nine medals—five gold, three silver and a bronze. At the 1981 Europeans, she won gold in every event but the vault, where she had to settle for a silver. 

At her only Olympic appearance, in Moscow in 1980, Gnauck won four medals. She led the East German team to the bronze medal, behind the Soviet Union and Romania. She placed second in the all-around, in a tie with Nadia Comaneci, third in the floor exercise and gold on her long-time best event, the uneven bars.  

At three World Championship competitions, Maxi had an amazing run, with nine total medals. In fact, in 1981 in Moscow, she won gold on vault, bars, and beam, while leading her team to the bronze medal. At the 1983 Worlds in Budapest, she won the gold on uneven bars with a perfect 10.0.

Although she retired from competition in April 1986, her records were firmly placed in the books. 

1979 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Gold Medalist & World Champion:
    • Uneven Bars (tie)
  • Silver Medalist:
    • All-Around

1980 OLYMPIC GAMES

  • Gold Medalist & Olympic Champion:
    • Uneven Bars
  • Silver Medalist:
    • All-Around (tie)
  • Bronze Medalist:
    • Floor Exercise (tie)

1981 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Gold Medalist & World Champion:
    • Uneven Bars
    • Vault
    • Balance Beam

1983 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Gold Medalist & World Champion:
    • Uneven Bars

2000 INTERNATIONAL GYMNASTICS HALL OF FAME

  • Inducted as a member of the Class of 2000