Conner, Bart
Gymnastics
b. March 28, 1958, Chicago, IL
An active, mischievous child, Conner was introduced to gymnastics when he was ten because his parents felt he needed a vent for his energy. He began competing in YMCA meets after just a year.
The U. S. Gymnastics Federation all-around champion in 1974, Conner entered the University of Oklahoma in 1976 and helped make the school a power in intercollegiate gymnastics. He won the NCAA all-around title in 1978, when Oklahoma won the team championship, and he tied for the floor exercise championship in 1979.
Conner won the world parallel bars championship in 1979. He was the high scorer in the 1980 Olympic trials, but the U. S. boycotted the Moscow Olympics that year, so he didn't get to compete.
A torn right biceps muscle in 1983 threatened his career. Because of the injury, he had to drop out of the 1984 national championships. Forty percent of the scores from the meet were to be used to choose the Olympic team. However, the U. S. Olympic Committee granted him a special waiver, and his performance at the Olympic trials won him a place on the team.
Conner got two perfect scores of 10.0 in winning the gold medal in the parallel bars and he finished fifth in the floor exercise, the highest placing ever for an American in that event. He also won a gold medal as a member of the champion team.
He retired from competition after the Olympics to become a television commentator.