Phoebe Mills
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Women's Artistic Gymnastics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 1988 Seoul | Balance beam | |
Phoebe Mills (born November 2, 1972 in Northfield, Illinois, U.S.) is an American attorney and athlete who has been active in the sports of artistic gymnastics, diving, speed skating and snowboarding. She is a 2004 graduate of Vermont Law School with a degree in environmental law.
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[edit] Gymnastics
Mills was coached by Marta and Béla Károlyi in Houston, Texas. She attended her first U.S. Nationals in 1984, finishing eighth in the junior division. While Mills was sometimes overshadowed in the media by her teammate Kristie Phillips, she developed a reputation as a steady, consistent competitor in national and international meets, placing third at the 1985 City of Popes competition and second at the 1986 Olympic Festival and U.S. Nationals (junior division). In 1987 she attended her first and only World Gymnastics Championships as a member of the sixth-place American team.
1988 was Mills' breakout year. She won every meet she entered, including the U.S. Nationals, the American Cup, the Mardi Gras Invitational and the International Mixed Pairs, was named the United States Olympic Committee's Gymnast of the Year and was nominated for the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award. She also placed first at the U.S. Olympic Trials, easily earning a spot on the American squad for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
Mills emerged as the U.S. team's most successful gymnast at the Olympics. While she finished a modest fifteenth place in the all-around, she also qualified for three event finals, more than any other member of the team. She performed a solid, artistic routine to win a bronze medal on the balance beam, behind Daniela Silivaş and Elena Shushunova. With her third-place finish, Mills became the first American female gymnast to win a medal in a fully-attended Olympics, and the only American gymnast, male or female, to medal in Seoul.
Mills continued to compete in early 1989, but retired later that year. She has occasionally returned to the sport as a coach. In 2000, Mills was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
[edit] Diving
After retiring from gymnastics, Mills became involved with competitive diving, specializing in the 10-meter platform event. She excelled in the sport enough to join the diving team at the University of Miami in Florida, where she won the Big East Conference for three years. She also competed in national diving events, participating in the 1993 Olympic Festival and the U.S. Diving Championships. Mills retired from diving after graduation.
[edit] Snowboarding
Most recently, Mills has been involved with the sport of snowboarding. She has acted as a snowboarding coach and instructor, working with the U.S. junior national team. Mills currently serves as the Vice President of USASA, the United States of America Snowboarding Association.
[edit] Miscellanea
- Several of Mills' siblings have also found success in competitive sports: brother Nathaniel competed in speed skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics, the 1994 Winter Olympics, and the 1998 Winter Olympics, and sister Jessica Mills won the 1989 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
- Before becoming a gymnast, Mills was a record-holding competitive speed skater.
[edit] Sources
- Phoebe Mills at the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique profile page
- List of competitive results
- Whatever Happened to Phoebe Mills?
- "Catching up with Phoebe Mills." International Gymnast magazine, 2000
- USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame profile
