Nadia Elena Comaneci

The year was 1976 and she became an instant celebrity after she scored the first ever perfect 10 on the asymmetrical bar at the Montreal Olympic Games. She went on to achieve another perfect 10 and became the youngest Olympic overall gold medalist, at only 14 years old. The awe-inspiring Nadia Comaneci did more than draw media attention, but also contributed to Romania gain a global presence. In achieving a result which was impossible to achieve and a sporting legend, she brought gymnastics to the forefront of global public attention. It also changed people's perception about female gymnasts. It was an event that had such a profound impact that she became known as the Olympic toe-on and release moves. These are still rated difficult. Besides Olympics her performance was impressive. She also showed outstanding results at the World Championships and European Championships too, and thus became an icon and one of the top gymnasts that the world can ever be privileged to. In addition, she modeled and promoted athletic gear following her move to the US.