Betty Okino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Betty Okino |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Elizabeth Anna Okino | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Betty | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented |  United States |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 4, 1975 Entebbe, Uganda |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years on national team | 1990-1992 (USA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Karolyi Gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | Béla Károlyi | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eponymous skills | Okino (balance beam and uneven bars) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Betty Okino, whose full name is Elizabeth Anna Okino, was born on June 4, 1975, in Entebbe, Uganda. She is a retired American gymnast. Betty was part of a famous group of gymnasts called the "Károlyi Six-Pack." In 1992, she helped the United States win its first Olympic team medal in gymnastics at an Olympic Games where all countries participated. She also made history as the first Black woman from any country to win more than one individual medal at the World Championships in gymnastics.
Contents
Betty Okino's Gymnastics Journey
Betty Okino moved to the United States with her family. She started gymnastics when she was 9 years old. By 1988, just four years later, she was already competing at a high level. She placed 17th at the junior U.S. National Championships that year.
In 1990, Betty moved to Houston to train with famous coaches Marta and Béla Károlyi. That same year, she finished second in the "all-around" competition at the U.S. Nationals. The all-around means competing on all four gymnastics events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. She also won the balance beam title. Betty represented the United States in big international competitions, like the Goodwill Games. There, she helped the American team win a silver medal. She also placed fourth in the all-around and on the uneven bars.
Betty was a key part of the U.S. team for the 1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. At this event, she won a silver medal with her team. She also earned a bronze medal on the balance beam. In 1991, she also won the American Cup, which is a major gymnastics competition.
Olympic Dreams and Medals
Betty continued to do well in 1992. She won a silver medal on the uneven bars at the World Championships that year. However, she faced a big challenge when she got serious injuries to her spine. These injuries meant she had to miss both the 1992 U.S. Nationals and the Olympic Trials.
Even with her injuries, Betty was still chosen for the U.S. team for the 1992 Olympics. This was because she performed well at a special, private tryout for gymnastics officials and coaches. With Betty on the team, the U.S. won their first Olympic team medal, a bronze. This was special because it happened at an Olympics where all countries were able to compete. Betty also made it to the balance beam final and placed 12th in the all-around competition.
About Betty's Life
Betty's mother, Aurelia Matei, is from Romania, and her father, Francis Okino, is from Uganda. Her parents met when her father was studying to be a veterinarian in Bucharest. Betty can speak Romanian very well. This skill was helpful in the gym and at international competitions. She could understand what coaches and Romanian gymnasts were saying about her teammates. When the Károlyis found out Betty understood Romanian, they started speaking Hungarian in the gym instead!
After she stopped competing in gymnastics, Betty started working in show business. She performed with SeaWorld. She also appeared in many TV shows and movies. Some of these include Moesha, The District, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Æon Flux, and Everybody Hates Chris.
Today, Betty lives in southern California with her husband. She teaches dance, choreography, and artistry as part of the USAG National Staff. She is also a popular speaker who inspires people. Betty also owns and runs a company called Betty O Choreo. This company offers gymnastics camps, clinics, and choreography services all over the world.
Special Gymnastics Skills
Betty Okino has two special gymnastics moves named after her in the official gymnastics rulebook, called the Code of Points.
| Apparatus | Name | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uneven bars | Okino | A clear hip circle with a half turn into a laid-out backward salto (a flip where the body is straight) | D (This is a high difficulty level) |
| Balance beam | Okino | A triple turn (spinning three times) with one leg held below horizontal | E (This is a very high difficulty level) |
See also
In Spanish: Betty Okino para niños
