The USA hosts the World Championships in Ft. Worth, Texas, marking the first time the event is held outside of Europe. The U.S. men win the country’s first team medal when it finishes third. The team includes: Kurt Thomas, Bart Conner, Jim Hartung, Larry Gerard, Tim LaFleur, Peter Vidmar, and Mike Wilson. The USA wins […]

U.S. Gymnastics Federation office moves to Ft. Worth, Texas, following the 1979 World Championships, and Roger Counsil becomes executive director. Frank Bare announced his retirement, which was effective on Jan. 1, 1980, when the Board voted to move offices earlier in the year.

U.S. Amateur Sports Act, authored by Ted Stevens, is passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Jimmy Carter, officially recognizing the U.S. Olympic Committee as overseeing Olympic sports and the establishment of national governing bodies (effectively eliminating the power of the Amateur Athletic Union). The USGF is recognized by the USOC […]

USA wins its first World gold medals at the World Championships in Strasbourg, France. Marcia Frederick wins the uneven bars title, and Kurt Thomas claims the men’s floor exercise gold. Kathy Johnson also earns the floor bronze.

Jackie Fie is elected to the International Gymnastics Federation’s Women’s Technical Committee (through 2004) at the FIG Congress in Montreal, Quebec. Frank Bare is elected to the Executive Committee (through 1980).

Peter Kormann wins the floor exercise bronze at the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, for the USA’s first Olympic individual event medal since 1932.

The first American Cup is staged at Madison Square Garden in New York City; Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci win the titles.

The USA sends its first entry into the World Modern Gymnastics Championships, which were held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Kathy Brym and Sarah Brumgart are on the team.

The U.S. Gymnastics Federation stages the first National Modern Gymnastics Championships and sends its first delegation to the World Modern Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Modern gymnastics was eventually renamed rhythmic gymnastics.)

The U.S. Gymnastics Federation and several partners stage the “Big Tour,” which features members of the men’s and women’s Soviet National Team, local collegiate teams and trampoline demonstrations. The USSR’s Olga Korbut is the star of the tour. The eight-city tour grosses more than $1 million in gate receipts and more than 150,000 spectators attend. […]

Frank Bare becomes a member of the International Gymnastics Federation’s Executive Committee (through 1976) at the FIG Congress in Munich.

The U.S. Gymnastics Federation Championships in April at Georgia Southern were a qualifying event for the Olympic Trials. In May, the USGF holds the semifinals to select the top 12 men for the 1972 Olympic Team at the University of California – Berkeley. The men’s final trials are held at Maine West High School in […]

Leaders in Tucson (Conquistadores) fund the construction of a new sports federation building that houses both the U.S. Gymnastics Federation and U.S. Track and Field.

U.S. Gymnastics Federation is recognized by the International Gymnastics Federation as the national governing body for the sport, taking the reins from the Amateur Athletic Union. The decision is made at the FIG Congress in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, which was held after the World Championships. Both the AAU and the USGF made presentations about handling gymnastics […]

Cathy Rigby wins the balance beam silver medal, the USA’s first World medal, at the World Championships in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia.