Lavinia Milosovici

  • Romania

Throughout her extensive career, Milosovici won a world or Olympic title on all four women's events – the first gymnast to do this since Vera Caslavska, of Czechoslovakia, accomplished this feat from 1964 to 1968.

Induction Speech Video

Two Olympics, seven World Championships and a total of 19 medals – seven of those Gold – Lavinia Milosovici earned the respect of the gymnastics world as a completely balanced expert on all four apparatus. In fact, throughout her extensive career, Milosovici won a world or Olympic title on all four women's events – the first gymnast to do this since Vera Caslavska, of Czechoslovakia, accomplished this feat from 1964 to 1968. The first women's gymnast to do this was the great Larissa Latynina, and both Caslavska and Latynina are members of the IGHOF Class of 1998 honorees.

She also was the first gymnast since Nadia Comaneci, her childhood idol, to win all-around medals in consecutive Olympics – 1992 and 1996.

Milosovici, who’s career may never be matched for its longevity and consistency, is the only other gymnast in the world since to achieve this remarkable accomplishment.

Born October 21, 1976, in Lugoj, Romania, Milosovici is remembered and revered most for her longevity and her 4-event mastery. She also was the first gymnast since Nadia Comaneci, her childhood idol, to win all-around medals in consecutive Olympics – 1992 and 1996.

And while Nadia is credited with the first perfect 10.0 in the Olympics, in 1976, Milosovici's gold-medal winning perfect 10.0 in floor exercise, at the Barcelona Olympics, was the last.

The daughter of an Olympic wrestler father and volleyball player mother, Milosovici definitely had athletic genes. She was considered the backbone of the Romanian team in the mid-1990s, when it won back-to-back world team titles. It is well known that she gave everything that she had to secure Romanian dominance during this prolific period.

During the end of her career in 1996, Milosovici adjusted ably to the more stringent rules, a testament to her deep resource of natural talent.

Although Lavinia Milosovici never won a world or Olympic all-around gold medal, she remains one of Romania's best all-around gymnasts ever. And her total of 19 world and Olympic medals earns her her rightful place in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

1976 Olympics

  • Bronze Medalist – Team

1980 Olympics

  • Silver Medalist – Vault
  • Bronze Medalist – Uneven Bars, Team

1978 World Championships

  • Bronze Medalist – Vault, Team

1979 World Championships

  • Bronze Medalist – Vault, Team

1981 World Championships

  • Bronze Medalist – Vault, Team