A gold - medal gymnast tells one of this year's hopefuls, Dominique Moceanu, just what to expect in Atlanta

By: Mary Lou Retton

( Dominique saluting the judges on the floor )  Dominique Moceanu reaches for victory.
( Mary Lou Retton sitting on the ground at her home )  Mary Lou Retton relaxes at her Houston
home. (Bela talking to Dominique on the floor exercise )  Top coach: Romanian Karolyi, who
coached Retton to a gold medal, advises young Moceanu. ( Mary Lou Retton during the 1984 Olympics )  Taking a bow: Retton, after hitting a perfect 10 in 1984.

We shuffled through the dark tunnel beneath the Los Angeles Coliseum, part of a stream of
athletes pouring into the Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Games.

Suddenly we emerged into the floodlit bowl, an ocean of red, white, and blue.  The huge
crowd saw our flag and erupted in cheers that turned into a chant: U-S-A!  U-S-A!  U-S-A!

It was a scene I had dreamed of so many times.  The reality was even more intense, even
more beautiful, than I had imagined.  That was the beginning of my Olympic experience, a
time that changed my life completely.  Twelve years have passed, but they haven't dimmed the
memories.

For the 1996 women's gymnastic team, the dreams are about to begin.  Some of the young
women have been there before.  Others. like 14 - year - old Dominique Moceanu, will see it all
with fresh eyes.

In 1984, I was a naive 16 - year - old from West Virginia.  Today, I'm married and the mother of
a beautiful baby girl, Shayla Rae.  So allow me to offer Dominique some advice from an
Olympic old - timer.

You've already been through the hard part - making the U.S. Olympic team.  You're an
Olympian!  That's a great accomplishment, something many talented athletes strive for yet
never achieve.  You've beaten some of the best American gymnasts to make the team, and
you'll get to compete in your homeland.

As Bela Karolyi, my former coach and now yours, used to tell us: " I'd stand on my head and
spit quarters for the opportunity to represent my home country. "  It's funny to think of a big
bear of a man like Bela standing on his head, but he was serious about what an honor it is to
compete in the Olympics at home.

Whatever you do, don't miss the Opening Ceremonies.  You deserve the chance to march in
with the U.S. team, to hear the applause and feel that deep swell of pride.  As the smallest
member of the team, you'll walk in the same spot I did, behind the flagbearer.  Use the energy
from that moment to fire up for the competition to come.

In some ways, I had it easier than you will.  In 1984, I was mentioned as a favorite to win a
medal, but the expectations were not as high as those you face.  You have already been on
television shows and in commercials; you've been the subject of newspaper and magazine
articles.  Your life story has even been made into a book.  It's up to your coaches to shield you
from the media at this point.  You must trust in them and never deviate from what they tell you.

Obviously, everyone is talking about the stress fracture in your leg that kept you out of the
Olympic Trials, but I'm sure they're making a bigger deal of it than you are.  Like everything
else in your athletic life, it's something you'll have to work through.  Six weeks before the
Olympics I had knee surgery and doctors predicted I wouldn't be able to compete, but the fact
is I did three months' worth of rehabilitation in three weeks and was ready to go.  I'm betting
you will be ready, too.

One of the first things you should do when you arrive in Atlanta is get comfortable with the
high ceiling of the Geogia Dome.  Gymnasts pick spots on the ceiling to help them with their
orientation during performances.  That's hard to do when you're in a huge stadium, so make
sure you know where your spots are.  Also, at big events like the Olympics, the apparatus are
set up on an elevated podium.  You'll have to get comfortable with that, too.

The first four days of the Olympics are team competition.  In 1984, the U.S. won the team silver
medal just behind the Romanians.  I was proud of that silver medal, but when the Romanian
flag went up and their national anthem played at the awards ceremony, a strong desire for
gold burned inside me.

If you win team gold, build on that, stay hungry for more.  If you didn't reach your team dream,
use that disappointment to fuel your desire for the next day of competition.  Under the new
rules, your score during the team round won't carry over, so you will move on with a clean
slate.

Next on the schedule is the individual all - around, in which up to three of the top gymnasts
from each country compete head - to - head on the uneven bars, floor exercise, balance beam,
and the vault.  This is considered the true pinnacle of the sport.

For me that was like the Super Bowl magnified a thousand times.  As we entered the arena
and began warm - ups, I scanned the crowd, looking for my parents, but I took comfort
knowing that they were out there for me.

The 15 minutes before the competition begins are the toughest, as you nervously pin the
numbers on your teammates' leotards, adjust your hair one last time, and maybe add a dab of
blusher to your cheeks.

The butterflies in my stomach were doing a square dance.  And there was Bela, my anchor and
guide.  We had been through years of training.  Now was the time to do our jobs.  In 1984, Bela
was not allowed on the floor.  This year he'll be there, so it'll be easier to find him when you
need him most, in those critical moments before you begin.  You'll only have 30 seconds to
warm up, then the competition will begin quickly and move rapidly through the rounds.

One of the keys to your success will be out of your hands: the order of events.  My strongest
events were the floor exercise and the vault, so I was lucky when my rotation started with the
uneven bars and beam, my weakest events.  I could build to higher scores.

Your strengths are the beam and floor.  I hope your dazzling new floor routine goes last,
because the crowd will go wild when they hear the music you've selected, " The Devil Went
Down to Georgia. "  Judges are supposed to be objective, but when the place is rocking, they
may give you an edge.

I don't remember much from the first three rounds except the loud whirring and clicking from
the press cameras when I was on the balance beam.  Then it was time for the vault.  In all my
years with Bela he had never told me I needed a certain score to win.  But on that day, he
pulled me over, looking into my eyes, and told me I had two chances to be perfect.

I stood before the green light, waiting for my vault.  now was my opportunity to make history.  I ran down the track and made the vault.  As I soared upside down, I could see my landing spot. I smiled.  I knew I was going to stick it.  The crowd roared, then settled into an uneasy silence
while we waited for the score.

A 10!  A huge wave of emotion passed through me.  The crowd was chanting, " 10!  10!  10! "
Bela roared, " you did it, you really did it.  You are Olympic champion. "

From the moment my feet hit the landing mat on that winning vault, my life changed in ways I
never could have imagined.  If you find success in Atlanta, I hope it is as sweet and rewarding
as mine has been.  Surround yourself with the people who got you there: family, coaches,
teammates, and friends.  To this day, these are the people who keep me going.

If success doesn't come, there is always another day and another way.  You will always have
something few will share: You are an Olympian.

Taken From: TV Guide: July 20, 1996
Pages: 12 - 18

Thanks goes to Thomas Doyle for typing this article.