One of the most prominent names in American gymnastics, Abie Grossfeld touched most aspects of the sport— from competition to judging and everything in between— and did it all at Hall of Fame caliber. A multi-sport athlete from a young age, Grossfeld exploded into international competition with two Olympic and two World Championships appearances. He won 15 combined Pan American Games medals in his three appearances in that competition.
Following competition, Grossfeld spent 28 years coaching on the international stage. Most notably, he led the 1984 Men’s Olympic team to the country’s first-ever team medal.
Forty-one years of Grossfeld’s career was spent coaching at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) where he coached three NCAA Division II Championship teams, four Nissen Award winners, and coached the only NCAA Division II school to qualify for the NCAA Division I Championships. There, his teams had two third-place finishes and two fifth-place finishes. All of Grossfeld’s Div. II coaching success came without athletics scholarships.
Grossfeld, a judge of more than 55 years, is FIG Brevet certified since 1969. He served on dozens of committees and served in administration positions that ranged from the World Acrobatic Society to the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Committee. In 2009 he became the third all-sports coach and the first in gymnastics to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
NCAA Championships totals: Four gold-AA, FX, two HB titles, and three silver and three bronze medals. He finished in the top three in 10 of 16 events (1957-’59).
Big Ten Championships: Seven gold medals total-3 AA, FX, R, PB, & HB (1957-1959).
