Mitch Gaylord
Encyclopedia
Mitchell Jay Gaylord (born March 10, 1961), is an American
gymnast
and Olympic gold medalist.
Gaylord was born in Van Nuys, California, son of Fred and Linda Gaylord. While attending UCLA, he won the All-Around in the 1983 and 1984 U.S. National Championships, and the 1984 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championship
.
In the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, Gaylord led the gold-medal-winning U.S. men's gymnastics team, becoming the first American gymnast to score a perfect 10.00 in the Olympics. He also won the silver medal in vault
, the bronze in parallel bars
and the bronze in the rings
.
Gaylord invented 2 skills that are performed on the horizontal bar
: the "Gaylord" and the "Gaylord II" which are still performed by gymnasts today.
Gaylord appeared in several movies and TV shows. Most notably, he performed as a stunt double for Chris O'Donnell
(as Robin) in the 1995 movie Batman Forever
and starred in American Anthem
opposite actress Janet Jones
. He was also a frequent guest star on Hollywood Squares
.
Most recently, Gaylord has appeared on the Home Shopping Network
endorsing Suzanne Somers' fitness machine The Body Row, and the Melt It Off workout program.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gymnast
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and Olympic gold medalist.
Gaylord was born in Van Nuys, California, son of Fred and Linda Gaylord. While attending UCLA, he won the All-Around in the 1983 and 1984 U.S. National Championships, and the 1984 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championship
NCAA Men's Gymnastics championship
This is a list of National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Gymnastics champions, by division and year. All schools currently compete in one division, because only 17 schools sponsor men's gymnastics teams...
.
In the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, Gaylord led the gold-medal-winning U.S. men's gymnastics team, becoming the first American gymnast to score a perfect 10.00 in the Olympics. He also won the silver medal in vault
Vault (gymnastics)
The vault is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the skill performed using that apparatus. Vaulting is also the action of performing a vault. Both male and female gymnasts perform the vault...
, the bronze in parallel bars
Parallel bars (gymnastics)
Parallel bars is an apparatus used by male gymnasts in artistic gymnastics. Gymnasts may optionally wear grips when performing a routine on the parallel bars, although this is uncommon.- The apparatus :...
and the bronze in the rings
Rings (gymnastics)
The rings, also known as still rings , is an artistic gymnastics apparatus and the event that uses it. It is traditionally used only by male gymnasts, due to its extreme upper-body strength requirements...
.
Gaylord invented 2 skills that are performed on the horizontal bar
Horizontal bar
The high bar, also known as the horizontal bar, is an apparatus used by male gymnasts in Artistic Gymnastics. It traditionally consists of a cylindrical metal bar that is rigidly held above and parallel to the floor by a system of cables and stiff vertical supports. Gymnasts typically wear leather...
: the "Gaylord" and the "Gaylord II" which are still performed by gymnasts today.
Gaylord appeared in several movies and TV shows. Most notably, he performed as a stunt double for Chris O'Donnell
Chris O'Donnell
Christopher Eugene "Chris" O'Donnell is an American actor. He has played Robin in two Batman films, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, Charlie Simms in Scent of a Woman, Finn Dandridge in Grey's Anatomy, Peter Garrett in Vertical Limit, and more recently, Jack McAuliffe in The Company. O'Donnell...
(as Robin) in the 1995 movie Batman Forever
Batman Forever
Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns , with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman...
and starred in American Anthem
American Anthem
American Anthem is a 1986 American film produced by Lorimar Motion Pictures and released in North America by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Albert Magnoli, and starred Mitch Gaylord and Janet Jones. The subject of the film was a football player turned gymnast that was seeking to join the...
opposite actress Janet Jones
Janet Jones
Janet-Marie Gretzky is an American actress. She is married to ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky.-Entertainment career:Jones performed in Annie , Staying Alive and Snow White Live , and had a bit part in The Beastmaster...
. He was also a frequent guest star on Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
.
Most recently, Gaylord has appeared on the Home Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network or HSN began in 1977 as a 24-hour/7 day a week home shopping television network televised via cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the Philippines. HSN can also be shopped online at hsn.com...
endorsing Suzanne Somers' fitness machine The Body Row, and the Melt It Off workout program.
Personal
Mitch Gaylord is married to Valentina Agius and has two children. He was previously married and had three children. Gaylord is Jewish.See also
- List of Olympic medalists in gymnastics (men)
- List of select Jewish gymnasts