Dominique Moceanu Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Dominique Moceanu

Moceanu at SXSW 2024

Personal information

Full name

Dominique Helena Moceanu

Country represented

United States

Born

September 30, 1981 (age 43)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Discipline

Women's artistic gymnastics

Years on national team

1992–2000, 2004–2006

Club

LaFleur's
Károlyi's
Moceanu Gymnastics
Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy

Former coach(es)

Jeff LaFleur
Béla and Márta Károlyi
Luminița Miscenco
Mary Lee Tracy
Alexander Alexandrov

Choreographer

Geza Pozar
Dominic Zito

Music

1996: "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"

Retired

2000; 2006

Medal record

Women's artistic gymnastics

Representing United States
Olympic Games
Gold	1996 Atlanta	Team
World Championships
Silver	1995 Sabae	Balance beam
Bronze	1995 Sabae	Team
Goodwill Games
Gold	1998 New York City	All-around

Dominique Moceanu (born September 30, 1981) is a famous American former artistic gymnast. She was a key part of the United States women's gymnastics team, known as the "Magnificent Seven". This team won the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Dominique also won two medals at the 1995 World Championships. She earned the all-around title at the 1998 Goodwill Games. She started training at a very young age and quickly became one of the top gymnasts in the country.

Early Life and Training
Gymnastics Achievements
Personal Life and Family
- Memoir and Sister
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Training

Dominique Moceanu was born in Los Angeles, California, on September 30, 1981. Her parents, Dumitru and Camelia Moceanu, were gymnasts in Romania. They moved to the United States in 1980. Dominique started gymnastics training when she was just three years old.

When she was ten, her family moved to Houston, Texas. This move allowed her to train with famous coaches Béla Károlyi and Márta Károlyi.

Gymnastics Achievements

Junior Career Highlights

Dominique quickly showed her talent. Less than a year after joining the Károlyis, she placed fifth in the all-around at the 1992 U.S. Championships. She was chosen for the junior national team at only 10 years old.

At the 1992 Junior Pan American Games, she was the youngest competitor. She won five medals, including four gold and one silver. In 1994, she became the junior national all-around champion.

Senior Debut and World Medals

In 1995, Dominique made history. At 13, she became the youngest gymnast ever to win the senior all-around title at the U.S. Championships. She was also the youngest member of the U.S. team at the 1995 World Championships.

At the World Championships, her team won the bronze medal. Dominique finished fifth in the all-around, being the highest-placing American. She also won a silver medal on the balance beam.

Road to the 1996 Olympics

Dominique's success and cheerful personality made her very popular. Many people expected her to win medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Before the Olympics, she was featured in Vanity Fair magazine. She also wrote a book about her life called Dominique Moceanu: An American Champion.

The 1996 Atlanta Olympics

Before the 1996 Olympics, Dominique faced a challenge. She had a stress fracture in her right leg. This injury kept her from competing in the Olympic Trials. However, because of her strong scores at the U.S. Championships, she was still chosen for the Olympic team.

At the Olympic Games, Dominique helped the U.S. team win the gold medal. This was a historic moment for American gymnastics. She competed even with her injured leg, which was heavily bandaged. She qualified for the balance beam and floor exercise finals.

During the team competition, she had a fall on her vaults. Her teammate Kerri Strug then performed a brave vault to secure the gold medal for the U.S. team. Dominique took Kerri's place in the all-around finals, finishing ninth. In the balance beam final, she fell but bravely finished her routine. She then performed well in the floor exercise finals, placing fourth.

After the Olympics

Moceanu in 2006

After the 1996 Olympics, Dominique took part in professional gymnastics shows. She later returned to competitive gymnastics. She trained with new coaches at a gym built by her family.

In 1998, Dominique started working with a new coach, Luminiţa Miscenco. She also grew taller, which can be a big adjustment for gymnasts. At the 1998 Goodwill Games, she made history again. She became the first American to win the all-around gold medal at this event. She beat some of the world's best gymnasts. Later that year, she won a bronze medal in the all-around at the U.S. Championships.

Dominique continued to compete, placing eighth in the all-around at the 2000 U.S. Championships. She had to withdraw from the Olympic Trials that year due to a knee injury. She officially retired from the sport in 2000.

In 2005, Dominique announced she was returning to elite gymnastics after a five-year break. She trained for the floor exercise and vault. In 2006, she competed at the U.S. Classic. However, she did not qualify for the 2006 U.S. Championships.

Personal Life and Family

On October 27, 1998, a court in Houston allowed Dominique to become independent before her 18th birthday. This meant she gained control over her future earnings and could live on her own. She later made up with her father, who walked her down the aisle at her wedding.

Dominique is married to Dr. Michael Canales, who was also a collegiate gymnast. They got married on November 4, 2006. Many famous gymnasts attended their wedding. They first met in 1994 when Dominique was 12.

Dominique and Michael have three children, born in 2007, 2009, and 2022. Their son, Vincent, is interested in gymnastics and has appeared on American Ninja Warrior Junior.

Dominique studied business management and graduated from John Carroll University in 2009. She now runs the Dominique Moceanu Gymnastics Center in Medina, Ohio, where her son Vincent also trains.

Memoir and Sister

In her book Off Balance, Dominique shared a surprising discovery. She found out she has a younger sister, Jennifer Bricker. Jennifer was born without legs and was adopted as a baby. Jennifer is an amazing acrobat and aerialist. She had admired Dominique as a gymnast before they knew they were sisters.

The story of Dominique and Jennifer discovering their connection is told in documentaries like Eva Longoria's Versus: Romanian Roots and She Looks Like Me.