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}} Dominique Helena Moceanu (born September 30, 1981) is a retired American gymnast. She was a member of the Olympic Gold medal winning 1996 U.S. Women's Gymnastics team in Atlanta (the "Magnificent Seven"). The hallmarks of Moceanu's gymnastics, in the early stage of her elite career, were daring tricks on balance beam and spunky, inspired presentations on the floor exercise. Later, under the direction of new coaches, she developed a more elegant, mature style. Moceanu displayed a high level of difficulty and personality in her beam and floor exercises. Moceanu trained under coaches Marta and Béla Károlyi, and later, Luminița Miscencu and Mary Lee Tracy. She earned her first National Team berth at age 10 and represented the United States in various major international competitions at the junior level. She was the all-around silver medalist at the 1992 Junior Pan Am Games and the 1994 junior U.S. National Champion. In 1995, at the age of 13½, she became the youngest gymnast to win the senior all-around title at the U.S. National Championships. She was the youngest member of both the 1995 World Championships team and the gold medal-winning 1996 Olympic squad, the Magnificent Seven, and was popular with both the public and gymnastics fans. She is the last gymnast to compete at an Olympic Games legally at the age of 14. Moceanu's last major success in gymnastics was the 1998 Goodwill Games, where she became the only American to win the all-around gold medal. Family issues, coaching changes, and injuries derailed her efforts to participate in the Sydney Olympics, and she retired in 2000. Since then, she has continued to participate in gymnastics exhibitions, work as a coach, and pursue her post-secondary studies. She is currently married and a mother of two. ==Early career and the Magnificent Seven== Moceanu was born in Hollywood, California to Romanian parents Dumitru (1954–2008), and Camelia (née: Staicu) (b. 1961).〔("Dominique Moceanu's Smile Is Real. She Loves To Perform" ) Diane Pucin, ''Philadelphia Media Network,'' August 17, 1995〕 She has two younger sisters, Jennifer Bricker, born October 1, 1987, and Christina, born on August 24, 1989.〔(Moceanu's profile at USA Gymnastics )〕 Her parents, who had both been gymnasts in their native Romania, had early aspirations for her gymnastics career: while she was still a toddler, they tested her strength by allowing her to hang from a clothesline.〔("Even at Age 13, a Storybook Career Is Emerging" ) ''New York Times,'' August 17, 1995〕 Moceanu was raised Romanian Orthodox by her devout mother. Her faith figured prominently in her career as a gymnast. She said, "...it definitely helped me as an athlete to have (and prayer booklets ) in my bag and feel safe."〔("Magnificent" Faith, an interview with Dominique Moceanu on Patheos )〕 Moceanu began gymnastics classes in Illinois at age 3½〔 and later trained at LaFleur's club in Florida. In 1991 at age 10, she moved to Houston, Texas, where she became one of the last gymnasts to be trained by legendary Romanian coaches Marta and Béla Károlyi.〔("IG Online interview: Dominique Moceanu" ) ''International Gymnast,'' 2005〕 She began competing internationally at a young age, earning her first U.S. National Team berth in 1992.〔 At the age of 10½, in spring 1992, she earned five medals—gold in the team event, uneven bars, vault and floor exercise; silver in the all-around—at that year's Junior Pan Am Games.〔〔("Chatting with Jennie and Dominique" ) Nancy Raymond, ''International Gymnast,'' March 1993〕 Under Károlyi's tutelage, Moceanu became the U.S. Junior National Champion in 1994. In 1995 she repeated her success as a senior, becoming the youngest gymnast ever to win the USA Gymnastics National Championships. She was also the youngest member of the American team at the 1995 World Championships in Sabae, Japan. She did not disappoint, earning the highest American placement in the all-around competition and becoming the only American gymnast to win an individual medal, a silver on the balance beam.〔 Moceanu's national and international successes, combined with her plucky, bubbly attitude, earned her attention and a wide fan base both in and out of the gymnastics community.〔 In the months leading up to the Atlanta Olympics, she was one of the most recognizable faces of USA Gymnastics, eclipsing more decorated teammates such as Shannon Miller and Dominique Dawes. Before the Olympics, she was featured in ''Vanity Fair''〔("Gymnast Mocenanu is down but ready to bounce back" ) ''Chicago Sun-Times, December 19, 1999〕 and wrote an autobiography, ''Dominique Moceanu: An American Champion''. The book was highly successful and ranked number seven on the ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list.〔''Dominique Moceanu : An American Champion.'' Dominique Moceanu, as told to Steve Woodward. BT/Yearing, 1995, ISBN 0-613-07635-4〕 Moceanu was expected to be a major medal threat at the 1996 Olympics.〔〔("The Next Nadia?" ) Jamie Aaron, Associated Press, 1996〕 However, following the 1996 U.S. Nationals, where she placed third in the all-around, she was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her right tibia.〔("Magnificent" Faith, an interview with Dominique Moceanu on Patheos )〕 Her injury forced her to sit out the Olympic Trials, and she was petitioned onto the team on the strength of her Nationals scores.〔〔("Star-studded Women's team heads for Atlanta" ) USA Gymnastics press release, June 30, 1996〕 At the Olympics, still struggling with her injury and sporting a heavily bandaged leg, Moceanu contributed to the team gold medal by turning in strong performances, good enough to qualify her for the event finals on balance beam and floor exercise. However, she faltered in the last rotation of team optionals, falling on both vaults and forcing the U.S. chances of a gold medal to rest solely on teammate Kerri Strug's final vault.〔("Kerri Strug fights off pain, helps U.S. win gold" ) Rick Weinberg, ESPN〕 With Strug injuring herself in the successful attempt, Moceanu took her place in the all-around finals. Unfortunately, mistakes cost Moceanu a medal there, and she placed ninth. In the balance beam event final, Moceanu fell when she missed a foot on a layout and crashed into the balance beam on her head. She finished the exercise and went on to a strong performance in the floor finals later that day, finishing fourth and just missing a medal.〔(Event finals notes ) USA Gymnastics, 1996〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dominique Moceanu」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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