Barthold Wayne Conner
(born March 28, 1958) is a retired American Olympic
gymnast
Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...
. He was a member of the
United States men's national artistic gymnastics team
The United States men's artistic gymnastics team represents the United States in Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, FIG international competitions.
History
The first national team roster was established in 1998. The team has competed at ...
and won two gold medals at the
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...
. He owns and operates the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy in
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman () is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, 3rd most populous city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,026 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the most populous city and the county seat of Clevel ...
, along with his wife,
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n Olympic gold medalist
Nadia Comăneci
Nadia Elena Comăneci Conner (; born November 12, 1961) is a Romanian retired gymnast. She is a five-time Olympic gold medalist, all in individual events. In 1976, at the age of 14, Comăneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score ...
. In addition, Conner is a long-time gymnastics commentator, and both Comăneci and Conner are highly involved with the
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries. Special Ol ...
.
Early life and education
Conner was born on March 28, 1958, the son of Harold Conner (1931-2024) and Jacqueline May ( Hulsey, later Wolthausen; 1931-2000), and grew up in
Morton Grove, Illinois
Morton Grove is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,297. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.
The village is named after former United States Vice Presi ...
.
He has two siblings, Michael and Bruce. He first became involved in gymnastics at school and at his local YMCA. He was later on the gymnastics team at
Niles West High School
Niles West High School (NWHS), officially Niles Township High School West, is a public four-year high school located in Skokie, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago, in the United States. NWHS is part of the Niles Township Community High School ...
, where he graduated in 1976.
He later attended the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
to work with coach
Paul Ziert on the gymnastics team.
He eventually graduated from OU in 1984, where he was an All-American and won the 1981 Nissen Award as America's best gymnast.
[
]
Gymnastics career
He won the 1972 U.S. Junior National Championships when he was 14 and the U.S. Gymnastics Federation All-Around championship when he was 17, and was the youngest member of the Olympic team during the 1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...
.[ He also won a team all-around gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games.]
Although he qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics, he was unable to participate due to the boycott
A boycott is an act of nonviolent resistance, nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organisation, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for Morality, moral, society, social, politics, political, or Environmenta ...
. Four years later, in the 1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...
, he won two gold medals for the team all-around and for the men's parallel bars.[ His win on the parallel bars helped the U.S. win its first men's Olympic gymnastic gold medal in 80 years.] He demonstrated an original move called the "Conner spin" during the 1984 Olympics.[
]
Gymnastics commentator
Conner has been a play-by-play commentator for gymnastics since he was a competitor, when he began working as a network TV analyst on gymnastics meets where he was not a participant. In 2015, after over 30 years as a gymnastics commentator, Conner joined the SEC Network
SEC Network (SECN) is an American multinational sports network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which operates the network, through its 80% controlling ownership interest) and Hearst Communications (which hold ...
in its inaugural year of gymnastics coverage. He announces meets across ESPN platforms, including ABC, ESPN, SEC Network, and ACC Network.
Awards and honors
Conner is a highly decorated gymnast who has won "medals at every level of national and international competition." Some of his honors include "induction into the USOC Olympic Hall of Fame (1991), the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame (1996), Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (1997), and the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame (1997)."[ While Conner did not compete in the 1980 games, he was one of 461 athletes to receive a ]Congressional Gold Medal
The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...
many years later.
Personal life
On November 27, 1989, Nadia Comăneci
Nadia Elena Comăneci Conner (; born November 12, 1961) is a Romanian retired gymnast. She is a five-time Olympic gold medalist, all in individual events. In 1976, at the age of 14, Comăneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score ...
, the famous Romanian gymnast Conner had met at the 1976 Montreal games, defected from Romania with a group of other Romanians. In January 1990, when Conner read in the newspaper that she was scheduled to be interviewed on ''The Pat Sajak Show
''The Pat Sajak Show'' is an American late-night television talk show that aired on CBS from January 9, 1989, to April 13, 1990.
Cast
The show was hosted by Pat Sajak, best known as host of the game show '' Wheel of Fortune''. To do the talk ...
'', he contacted the producer and arranged to make a guest appearance on the show. Conner liked the idea of surprising Comăneci: "I'm thinking if she's going to be on Sajak, I might as well go out there and say, 'Hey, Nads,' " Actually, Comăneci was in an abusive relationship with the person who had led the escape group and who was acting as her current manager and promoter. Conner sensed her fear of this person and reached out to help. According to a 1996 ''New York Times'' article, "He helped make the connections that eventually led to her escape from that abusive relationship, and a new life in Montreal with a Romanian rugby coach and his family. For a year, they were phone pals."
Later in 1990, Conner interviewed her for ABC. A few months later, Conner was invited to her 29th birthday party, after which they developed a long-distance friendship. When a mutual friend died in an accident in 1991, Conner invited Comăneci to come to Oklahoma to help him run a gymnastics school. They were together for four years before they became engaged. On April 27, 1996, Conner and Comăneci were married in a ceremony in Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
that was televised live throughout Romania. Their wedding reception was held in the former presidential palace. Conner and Comăneci have one child, a son named Dylan Paul Conner who was born on June 3, 2006, in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, Oklahoma.
Eponymous skills
Conner had one named element on the parallel bars, originally named in 1993, but removed from the code of points in 2000.
Acting
He appeared as Bart Taylor in the 1986 film '' Rad'' and in 1984 as Richie Halberstrom in Season 1 Episode 7 (“One Fresh Batch of Lemonade: Part 2”) on the TV show “Highway to Heaven.”
Books
*Conner, Bart with Paul Ziert. ''Winning the Gold''. Warner Books, 1985.
References
Cited sources
*
External links
*
*
Bart Conner
at USA Gymnastics
United States of America Gymnastics (USA Gymnastics or USAG) is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. It sets the domestic rules and policies that govern the sport, promotes and develops gymnastics on the grassroots ...
*
*
Voices of Oklahoma interview with Bart Conner.
First person interview conducted on February 28, 2013, with Bart Conner.
Video clips:
The Adorable Way This Olympic Couple First Met , Where Are They Now , Oprah Winfrey Network
- Oprah Winfrey Network (U.S. TV channel), 2016
Nadia Comaneci & Bart Conner Commentate on Their Perfect Olympic Routines , Take the Mic
– The Olympic Channel, 2016
Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner, 11 Olympic Medals in this Olympic Family
– The Olympic Channel, 2016
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conner, Bart
1958 births
Living people
American male artistic gymnasts
Gymnastics broadcasters
Gymnasts at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Gymnasts at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Gymnasts from Chicago
Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
Oklahoma Sooners men's gymnasts
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in gymnastics
Special Olympics
World champion gymnasts
Congressional Gold Medal recipients
Gymnasts at the 1975 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 1975 Pan American Games
Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in gymnastics
Originators of elements in artistic gymnastics
20th-century American sportsmen