Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10 (1976)

Lore & Background

At the 1976 Olympics, Comăneci was awarded the first perfect 10 for her uneven bars routine. The scoreboard, not programmed for a 10, displayed it as 1.00. She earned six additional perfect 10s during the remainder of the Montreal Games, for a total of seven.

In Their Own Story

The arena was electric with anticipation as the tiny figure in the white leotard approached the uneven bars. The crowd barely breathed as she mounted the apparatus, her movements a blur of precision and grace. Each swing, each release, each catch was executed with a mechanical perfection that seemed almost inhuman. When she dismounted with a stick so solid it could have been carved from stone, the silence held for a heartbeat—then the roar began. The scoreboard flickered, and the number 1.00 appeared, causing confusion until the announcer clarified: it was a 10.0, a perfect score. Nadia Comaneci had just done the impossible.

Reader's Guide

Comăneci's seven perfect 10s at the 1976 Olympics were achieved across the team compulsory portion and subsequent events. She won gold in the individual all-around, balance beam, and uneven bars, plus a bronze on floor exercise and a silver in the team all-around.

Did You Know?

• Comăneci was 14 years old at the 1976 Olympics, making her the youngest ever Olympic gymnastics all-around champion.
• The scoreboard displayed her first perfect 10 as 1.00 because Omega had not programmed it to show 10.
• She earned a total of seven perfect 10s at the 1976 Montreal Games.