“The USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame class of 2003 represents some of the most dynamic, successful, and supportive personalities in the sport of gymnastics,” said USA Gymnastics President Bob Colarossi. “USA Gymnastics is honored to be associated with these individuals, and to have benefited from their contributions to the sport.”
The USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame seeks to recognize the sport’s top athletes, coaches and contributors for their lifelong dedication to the development of the sport of gymnastics in the United States.
Double-Olympic gold medalist and 1987 Hall of Fame inductee Peter Vidmar will emcee the ceremony during a luncheon at 11:45 a.m. in the Anaheim Convention Center Ballroom. The ceremony takes place in conjunction with the World Gymnastics Championships, Aug. 16-24 at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.
Induction into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed upon an individual in the gymnastics community. Individuals may be nominated in any of three categories: athlete, coach, or contributor. All of the 2003 inductees fell into the athlete category, with the exception of Bonnie Davidson, who is being inducted as a Trampoline and Tumbling Lifetime Member.
2003 Hall of Fame Inductees:
Bonnie Davidson
Bonnie Davidson has been a personality in the sport of Trampoline and Tumbling for 34 years. She was the first woman to serve on the Technical Committee of the International Trampoline Federation and currently she serves on the boards of the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics. Davidson was the President of the Indo-Pacific Trampoline and Tumbling Federation and is an international judge for both FIT and the International Sports Acrobatics Federation. Davidson currently resides in Rockford, Ill.
Harold Holmes, Jr.
Harold Holmes, Jr. was a four-time National (AAU) tumbling champion (1959-1962) and also won gold in the 1959 Pan American Games in tumbling and silver on trampoline. Holmes also won the NCAA Championships tumbling title in 1963, the USGF National Championship, as well as three Big Ten Conference titles from 1961 to 1963. Holmes was the first gymnast to use a back full twist, flip-flop, double-back combination. Holmes is a native of Urbana, Ill., and currently resides in Richmond, Ky.
Scott Keswick
Scott Keswick won several national and international titles in his gymnastics career, including the 1994 National All-Around title and was the national champion on Still Rings 1989-1991 and in 1994. Keswick was also a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team and several World Championship teams, placing fourth on the horizontal bar at the 1991 World Championships, less than a tenth of a point from the title. Keswick is a native of Las Vegas, Nev., and currently resides in San Jose, Calif.
Charles Lakes
In 1988, Charles Lakes was the first black American gymnast to compete in the Olympics and was also the top American finisher in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Lakes was a member of the 1985 and 1987 World Championships teams as well. Competing for University of Illinois-Champaign, Lakes was the 1984 NCAA champion on high bar and he later went on to win gold on the floor exercise at the 1988 U.S. National Championships. Lakes is a native of Newhall, Calif., and currently resides in Granada Hills, Calif.
Shannon Miller
Shannon Miller, the most decorated gymnast in American history, has won an astounding 58 international and 49 national competition medals, including seven Olympic medals and nine World Championship medals. Miller helped lead the “Magnificent Seven” to Team gold in the 1996 Olympic Games and is a two-time World All-Around champion. Miller is a three-time Sullivan Award Nominee and also won the Dial Award in 1994, which is America’s most coveted award for high school seniors. Miller is a native of Edmond, Okla., and currently resides in Grafton, Mass. where she plans to study Law at Boston College beginning in September.
Jaycie Phelps
Jaycie Phelps, also a member of the famous “Magnificent Seven,” was named the 1996 Sportsperson of the Year by USA Gymnastics. She was a three-time World Championships team member, helping the U.S. team win a silver medal in 1994 and a bronze medal in 1995. Phelps currently coaches at Colorado Aerials in Colorado Springs and is engaged to 2003 World Championships team member Brett McClure, who helped the U.S. team win silver at the 2001 World Championships. Phelps is a native of Greenfield, Ind., and currently resides in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Chris Waller
Chris Waller won a USA Gymnastics or NCAA national title every year from 1989 to 1993. He was an All-Around finalist at the 1992 Olympic Games and took fifth on pommel horse, just one tenth of a point away from the gold medal. Waller, along with his wife Cindy, and former teammate, Jason Garman, founded and operated GymJam, a summer gymnastics camp, from 1997 to 2002. Chris and Cindy recently joined forces with Woodward Camp and are directors at Woodward West. Waller is also an assistant gymnastics coach at UCLA. Waller is a native of Mt. Prospect, Ill., and currently resides in Tehachapi, Calif.
In order to be considered for the Hall of Fame, athlete nominees must have been retired for a period of five years, have been an Olympic, Pan American, World University or World Championships team member, and a National Champion or a National Collegiate Champion.
For more information on the Hall of Fame or the 2003 World Gymnastics Championships, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.