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Peter Vidmar

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Peter Vidmar
Personal information
NationalityUnited States
Born(1961-06-03)June 3, 1961(age 63)
Los Angeles,United States
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight60 kg (132 lb)
Sport
SportArtistic gymnastics
ClubUCLA Bruins, Los Angeles
Medal record
Men'sgymnastics
RepresentingtheUnited States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles Pommel horse
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles Team competition
Silver medal – second place 1984 Los Angeles All-around
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1979 Fort Worth Team

Peter Glen Vidmar(born June 3, 1961 in Los Angeles) is an Americangymnastand two time Olympic gold medalist. He won gold in the team final and pommel horse as well as silver in the individual all around.[1]

Olympics

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At age 18, Peter Vidmar was the youngest member of the bronze medal winning 1979 world championships team. Vidmar qualified for the 1980 Olympic team but did not compete due to the Olympic Committee'sboycott of the 1980 Summer Olympicsin Moscow, Russia. As consolation, he was one of 461 athletes to receive aCongressional Gold Medalmany years later.[2] At the1984 Summer Olympicgames in Los Angeles, Vidmar won gold medals in the men's all-around team competition and the pommel horse competition, as well as a silver medal in the men's all-around individual gymnastics competition. With a total of three Olympic medals, two golds and a silver,[3]he is one of only three athletes inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame twice: first as an individual, then as a member of the historic 1984 U.S. men's gymnastics team.[4]He also was the highest-scoring American gymnast in Olympic history.[5]

UCLA

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He is an alumnus ofUCLA.[6]In 1983, Vidmar won theNissen Award(the "Heisman"of men's gymnastics).[7]

Career

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Vidmar hosts the annual Peter Vidmar Men's Gymnastics Invitational atBrentwood SchoolinLos Angeles.He has been a gymnastics anchor for bothCBSandESPN.He is currently a motivational speaker as well as a co-chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee Summer Sports Summit. In 1998 Vidmar was inducted into theInternational Gymnastics Hall of Fame.[8]

Personal life

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Vidmar is a member ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[9]

2012 Olympics

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Vidmar was selected to be thechef de missionfor the 2012 Olympics, where he would have represented all U.S. athletes and marched in the opening ceremonies. His selection drew criticism from LGBT activists and athletes, including Olympic figure skaterJohnny Weir,because in 2008 Vidmar donated money to and publicly campaigned forProposition 8that banned same-sex couples from being married in California. Vidmar decided several days after his selection to resign from the appointment.[10]Vidmar said, “I simply cannot have my presence become a detriment to the U.S. Olympic family.”[11]

U.S. Gymnastics

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Vidmar was named chairman of the U.S. Gymnastics Board of Directors in December 2008.[12]He left his role at USA Gymnastics in December 2015 to serve as amission presidentfor the LDS Church in the Australia Melbourne Mission.[13]

References

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  1. ^Benson, Lee; Robinson, Doug (January 1, 1992).Trials & Triumphs/Mormons in the Olympic Games.Salt Lake City, UT:Deseret Book Company.p. Foreward.RetrievedOctober 13,2023.
  2. ^Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry (2008).Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253.ISBN978-0942257403.
  3. ^"Peter Vidmar".Sports Reference
  4. ^Peter Vidmar BiographySpeakersOffice Inc.
  5. ^Succop, Christie (May 13, 2009). "Amazing Moments in Olympic History: 1984 Men's Gymnastics Team".U.S. Olympic Committee.
  6. ^"July 28, 1984: The 23rd Olympiad Begins".UCLA History Project.RetrievedAugust 9,2020.
  7. ^"Nissen Emery Award".USA Gymnastics.Archived fromthe originalon August 23, 2012.RetrievedAugust 9,2020.
  8. ^"Peter Vidmar".International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.Archived fromthe originalon May 4, 2007.RetrievedMay 12,2007.
  9. ^Farmer, Molly (May 17, 2009)."15 minutes more earns success, Olympian Peter Vidmar tells LDS singles".Mormon Times.Archived fromthe originalon May 19, 2009 – viaDeseret News.
  10. ^Brennan, Christine (May 6, 2011)USOC official Peter Vidmar resigns after anti-gay marriage actions.USA Today.
  11. ^Peter Vidmar Resigns as U.S. Chef de Mission.Around the Rings(May 6, 2011).
  12. ^Peter VidmarArchivedOctober 2, 2009, at theWayback Machine.USA Gymnastics. Retrieved on August 4, 2014.
  13. ^"Vidmar leaves USA Gymnastics for missionary posting".Reuters.December 11, 2015.RetrievedAugust 9,2020.
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