Elfi Schlegel

Elfi Schlegel
Country represented	Canada
Born	(1964-05-17)17 May 1964 Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Discipline	Artistic gymnastics
College team	University of Florida
Medal record RepresentingCanada World Cup Final 1980 Toronto Vault Commonwealth Games 1978 Edmonton All-Around 1978 Edmonton Team Pan American Games 1979 San Jaun Team 1979 San Juan Uneven Bars 1979 San Juan Vault 1979 San Juan All-Around

Elfi Schlegel(born 17 May 1964) is asportscasterforNBC Sportsand a former college and national championgymnastfrom Canada.She is generally regarded as a top 50 Canadian gymnast of all time, and one of the best of the late 1970s alongsideMonica Goermannand the lateSherry Hawco.

Early years

Schlegel was born inToronto,Ontario,to parents Peter and Vlasta Schlegel, immigrants fromSwitzerland.Growing up in the Toronto suburb ofEtobicoke,she started gymnastics at the age of 7.She attendedSilverthorn Collegiate Institutein Toronto, and graduated with her diploma after her grade twelve year—a year early in the (then) thirteen-year Ontario education system.

International career

Schlegel established herself as one of the best gymnasts in Canadian history (at that point) when she won a gold medal in the all-around and team competitions in gymnastics at the 1978Commonwealth GamesinEdmonton,Alberta. At the1979 Pan American GamesinSan Juan, Puerto Rico,she won a bronze medal in the individual all around, two silver medals for the uneven bars and vault, and a gold medal as a member of the first-place Canadian team. She also won a bronze medal in the vault at the 1980World Cupin Toronto, the first-ever World Cup medal for a Canadian.

She was selected as a member of the Canadian national team for the1980 Summer OlympicsinMoscow, Russia,but was unable to participate when Canada joined the United States–led boycott of the Moscow Games in protest of the invasion of Afghanistan by theSoviet Union.She attempted to make the Canadian Olympic teams in 1984 and 1988, but replaced by younger and more talented gymnasts with the increasing depth of Canadian gymnastics was unable to make it either time.

College career

After graduation from high school, Schlegel wanted to continue to compete, but Canadian universities did not offer intercollegiate gymnastics competition or athletic scholarships.She sought and received an athletic scholarship to attend theUniversity of Floridain Gainesville, Florida, where she was a member of coachErnestine Weaver'sFlorida Gators women's gymnasticsteam inNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) competition from 1982 to 1986.As a Gator gymnast, she was a four-time individualSoutheastern Conference(SEC) champion–all-around (1983), twice in the balance beam (1983, 1986), and vault (1984).The Gators qualified for the NCAA national championship tournament all four of Schlegel's years on the team, and finished third at the 1983 NCAA tournament.She received sixAll-Americanhonours.

Schlegel graduated from Florida with abachelor's degreein telecommunications production in 1986,and was inducted into theUniversity of Florida Athletic Hall of Fameas a "Gator Great" in 1997.

Broadcasting career

She began her broadcasting career as a part-timegymnasticscommentator forCTV,moved toCBCfor the1988 Summer OlympicsinSeoul, Korea,and has been withNBC Sportsas anOlympic broadcastersince 1992. The2012 Summer Olympicswas her tenth Olympics as a broadcaster. In2000and2004,she served, as analyst for bothartisticandrhythmic gymnasticsandtrampolinereporter inSydneyandAthens.She has served as a reporter forcurlingevents in the2002,2006,and2010 Winter Olympics.She has also coveredskiingand majorHorse Racing events,including theBreeders Cup,for NBC Sports from 1993 to 1999.

Elfi was an NBC's gymnastics commentator along withTim DaggettandAl Trautwigfrom 1992 to 2012. NBC made the decision to replace Elfi after the 2012 Olympics with 2008 Olympic All Around Gold Medalist,Nastia Liukin.This decision was based on the fresh popularity of Liukin and the fact NBC was feeling pressure to have an All-American commentary panel. Elfi now sometimes covers gymnastics commentary for Canadian television with Kyle Shewfelt. She also frequently covered gymnastics forCBC Sportsfrom 1989 to 1994.

Personal

Schlegel is married to Marc Dunn, a former Olympian who represented Canada in beach volleyball at the1996 Summer Olympics.They have three children and live in Toronto.

See also

• Florida Gators
• List of University of Florida alumni
• List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members

Bibliography

• Caraccioli, Jerry, & Tom Caraccioli,Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games,New Chapter Press, Washington, D.C. (2009).ISBN978-0-942257-54-0.
• Schlegel, Elfi, & Claire Ross Dunn,The Gymnastics Book: The Young Performer's Guide to Gymnastics,Firefly Books Ltd., Richmond Hill, Ontario (2001).ISBN978-1-55209-414-3.

External links

• Elfi Schlegelat theInternational Gymnastics Federation
• Elfi Schlegelat theCommonwealth Games Federation(archived)