Betty Okino
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Anne Okino (born June 4, 1975 in Entebbe
, Uganda
) is an American actress, and former gymnast
and Olympic medalist.
Born in Africa, Okino moved to the United States with her family and began gymnastics at the relatively late age of 9. By 1988, only four years later, she had progressed to the elite level, placing 17th at that year's junior U.S. National Championships. In 1990 Okino moved to Houston to train with Marta
and Béla Károlyi
. She placed second in the all-around and won the balance beam title at the 1990 U.S. Nationals; and represented the United States at several major international meets, including the Goodwill Games
, where she won a silver medal with the American team and finished fourth in the all-around and uneven bars finals. Okino was part of the U.S. team for the 1991 World Gymnastics Championships
, winning a silver medal in team finals and a bronze on the balance beam. She also won the 1991 American Cup
.
Okino continued to succeed in 1992, winning a silver medal on the bars at the 1992 Worlds. However, serious injuries to her spine forced her to miss both the 1992 U.S. Nationals and Olympic Trials. In spite of this, she was added to the U.S. team for the 1992 Olympics
based on her performance at a second, private trial for U.S. Gymnastics Federation officials and coaches. She helped the American team win their first Olympic team medal, a bronze, in a fully attended Games, qualified for the balance beam event final and placed 12th in the all-around.
Her mother, Aurelia Matei, is a native of Romania
and her father, Francis Okino, is Uganda
n. Her father met her Romanian mother while studying veterinary medicine in Bucharest
. Betty is fluent in Romanian
. This skill came in handy in the gym and international competitions, where she could tell her teammates what was being said about them by their coaches and the Romanian gymnasts. When the Karolyis discovered Okino understood Romanian, they switched to speaking Hungarian in the gym.
Known for her long lines and balletic style, Okino introduced an original move on beam; a triple pirouette. The element is called "The Okino" in the Code of Points and is rated at a high difficulty level. Okino also has an uneven bars dismount named for her in the Code, a clear hip underswing with a half twist to a layout salto.
Following her retirement from gymnastics, Okino became involved in show business. She has performed with Seaworld
and has appeared in many television shows and films, including Moesha
, Æon Flux
and Undressed
.
Entebbe
Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was at one time, the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
) is an American actress, and former gymnast
Artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
and Olympic medalist.
Born in Africa, Okino moved to the United States with her family and began gymnastics at the relatively late age of 9. By 1988, only four years later, she had progressed to the elite level, placing 17th at that year's junior U.S. National Championships. In 1990 Okino moved to Houston to train with Marta
Marta Károlyi
Márta Károlyi , is an American gymnastics coach and the National Team Coordinator for USA Gymnastics. Károlyi is originally from Romania, she and her husband, Béla, are ethnic Hungarians, and trained athletes there as well, but defected to the United States in 1981...
and Béla Károlyi
Béla Károlyi
Béla Károlyi is a Romanian gymnastics coach. He was born in what was then Kolozsvár, Hungary, a region restored to Romanian administration after 1944. Károlyi and his wife, Márta, also of Hungarian origin, emigrated to the United States in 1981 and both have dual citizenships for Romania and the...
. She placed second in the all-around and won the balance beam title at the 1990 U.S. Nationals; and represented the United States at several major international meets, including the Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
, where she won a silver medal with the American team and finished fourth in the all-around and uneven bars finals. Okino was part of the U.S. team for the 1991 World Gymnastics Championships
1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 26th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Indianapolis, USA, in the Hoosier Dome, September 6 to 15, 1991.-Medals:-All-round:-Apparatus:-All-round:-Apparatus:-References:**...
, winning a silver medal in team finals and a bronze on the balance beam. She also won the 1991 American Cup
American Cup (gymnastics)
The American Cup, is an elite senior level international gymnastics competition held in the United States, and is generally considered to be one of the first major competitions of the Gymnastics season, as it is held in March or February of each year. In 1978-79 the event was sponsored by Dial and...
.
Okino continued to succeed in 1992, winning a silver medal on the bars at the 1992 Worlds. However, serious injuries to her spine forced her to miss both the 1992 U.S. Nationals and Olympic Trials. In spite of this, she was added to the U.S. team for the 1992 Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
based on her performance at a second, private trial for U.S. Gymnastics Federation officials and coaches. She helped the American team win their first Olympic team medal, a bronze, in a fully attended Games, qualified for the balance beam event final and placed 12th in the all-around.
Her mother, Aurelia Matei, is a native of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and her father, Francis Okino, is Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n. Her father met her Romanian mother while studying veterinary medicine in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. Betty is fluent in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
. This skill came in handy in the gym and international competitions, where she could tell her teammates what was being said about them by their coaches and the Romanian gymnasts. When the Karolyis discovered Okino understood Romanian, they switched to speaking Hungarian in the gym.
Known for her long lines and balletic style, Okino introduced an original move on beam; a triple pirouette. The element is called "The Okino" in the Code of Points and is rated at a high difficulty level. Okino also has an uneven bars dismount named for her in the Code, a clear hip underswing with a half twist to a layout salto.
Following her retirement from gymnastics, Okino became involved in show business. She has performed with Seaworld
SeaWorld
SeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
and has appeared in many television shows and films, including Moesha
Moesha
Moesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
, Æon Flux
Æon Flux (film)
New Zealander Graeme Revell composed the score for Æon Flux; the soundtrack is available via Varèse Sarabande as advertised on the film's official website -Comic book prequel:...
and Undressed
Undressed
Undressed is an American anthology series that aired on MTV from July 26, 1999 to September 5, 2002. The series was created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé.-Synopsis:...
.