In artistic gymnastics, Alternate Olympics refers to two separate competitions held in 1980 and 1984. Because of the American-led 1980 Summer Olympics boycott and the Soviet-led 1984 Summer Olympics boycott, the alliances of countries that participated in each boycott organized their own alternative competitions. In 1980, these competitions were divided by sport, and included such events as the Olympic Boycott Games in Philadelphia. In 1984, while competitions for different sports still occurred in different countries and cities, they were all tied together under the aegis of the Friendship Games.
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In 1980, the gymnastics segment of the 'Alternate Olympics', entitled the 1980 USGF International Invitational, was held in Hartford, Connecticut. Nations who sent athletes to this competition included Japan, China, the USA, Switzerland, West Germany, Italy, Norway, Korea, Canada, New Zealand and Israel.
All-Around
| 1st | Nobuyuki Kajitani (JPN) | 58.300 |
| 2nd | Li Yuejiu (CHN) | 58.200 |
| 2nd | Tong Fei (CHN) | 58.200 |
Floor
| 1st | Li Yuejiu (CHN) | 19.800 |
| 2nd | Tong Fei (CHN) | 19.550 |
| 3rd | Ron Galimore (USA) | 19.500 |
Pommel Horse
| 1st | Tong Fei (CHN) | 19.450 |
| 2nd | Huang Yubin (CHN) | 19.350 |
| 3rd | Kyoji Yamawaki (JPN) | 19.300 |
Vault
| 1st | Ron Galimore (USA) | 19.800 |
| 2nd | Kyoji Yamawaki (JPN) | 19.550 |
| 3rd | Tong Fei (CHN) | 19.475 |
Still Rings
| 1st | Nobuyuki Kajitani (JPN) | 19.600 |
| 2nd | Kyoji Yamawaki (JPN) | 19.550 |
| 3rd | Ron Galimore (USA) | 19.500 |
Parallel Bars
| 1st | Cai Huanzong (CHN) | 19.750 |
| 2nd | Nobuyuki Kajitani (JPN) | 19.650 |
| 3rd | Li Yuejiu (CHN) | 19.450 |
High Bar
| 1st | Junichi Kitagawa (JPN) | 19.600 |
| 3rd | Tong Fei (CHN) | 19.550 |
| 3rd | Mitch Gaylord (USA) | 19.500 |
All-Around
| 1st | Li Cuiling (CHN) | 38.800 |
| 2nd | Marcia Frederick (USA) | 38.600 |
| 3rd | Chen Yongyan (CHN) | 38.350 |
Vault
| 1st | Marcia Frederick (USA) | 19.175 |
| 2nd | Li Cuiling (CHN) | 19.025 |
| 3rd | Lisa Zeiz (USA) | 19.000 |
Uneven Bars
| 1st | Zu Zheng (CHN) | 19.600 |
| 2nd | Chen Youngyan (CHN) | 19.500 |
| 3rd | Marcia Frederick (USA) | 18.950 |
Beam
| 1st | Ma Yanhong (CHN) | 19.700 |
| 2nd | Li Cuiling (CHN) | 19.300 |
| 3rd | Marcia Frederick (USA) | 18.950 |
Floor
| 1st | Wen Jia (CHN) | 19.750 |
| 2nd | Lynn Lederer (USA) | 19.650 |
| 3rd | Kelly Garrison (USA) | 19.450 |
In 1984, the Soviet Bloc and most other Eastern European Communist nations held a Friendship Games, also called "Druzhba" , with separate host cities hosting separate sporting events. The gymnastics segment of the Friendship Games was held in the town of in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia (now in the Czech Republic). The competition was referred to as 'ČSSR Spartakiade' or, simply, 'Olomouc' after the host city.
Most Eastern Bloc and Communist countries, including the Soviet Union, East Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Cuba, North Korea and Poland, as well as Great Britain and Mongolia, sent athletes to these games instead of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Romania was the only country in the Eastern Bloc to defy the Olympic boycott and sent its athletes to Los Angeles, with some controversy. Great Britain sent gymnasts to both Olomouc and the Olympics.
Oloumouc was notable as the first, and to date, only, time that a gymnast had a 'perfect' competition, earning 10.00 scores on all events. Olga Mostepanova achieved this feat in the women's all-around, winning the gold medal with a 40.00. She also maintained a perfect score on balance beam throughout all of the rounds of competition at Olomouc, earning 10.00 marks every time she performed on the event in the team competition, all-around and event finals.
All-Around
| 1st | Dmitri Bilozerchev (URS) | 119.300 |
| 2nd | Vladimir Artemov (URS) | 118.875 |
| 3rd | Yuri Balabanov (URS) | 117.525 |
Team Final
| Rank | Country | Team Members | Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Soviet Union | Vladimir Artemov, Yuri Balabanov, Dmitri Bilozerchev, Stepan Martsinkiv, Alexander Pogorelov, Alexander Tumilovich | 590.30 |
| 2nd | East Germany | Holger Behrendt, Roland Bruckner, Ulf Hoffmann, Jens Fischer, Sylvio Kroll, Thorsten Mettke | 584.40 |
| 3rd | Bulgaria | Stoichko Gotchev, Borislav Hutov, Marian Penev, Plamen Petkov, Rumen Petkov, Zdravko Stoyanov | 579.40 |
Floor
| 1st | Roland Bruckner (GDR) | 19.875 |
| 2nd | Plamen Petkov (BUL) | 19.775 |
| 3rd | Sylvio Kroll (GDR) | 19.750 |
Pommel Horse
| 1st | Dmitri Bilozerchev (URS) | 19.925 |
| 2nd | Gyorgy Guczoghy (HUN) | 19.800 |
| 2nd | Vladimir Artemov (URS) | 19.800 |
Vault
| 1st | Sylvio Kroll (GDR) | 19.950 |
| 2nd | Vladimir Artemov (URS) | 19.825 |
| 3rd | Marian Penev (BUL) | 19.800 |
| 3rd | Casimiro Suarez (CUB) | 19.800 |
| 3rd | Thorsten Mette (GDR) | 19.800 |
| 3rd | Dmitri Bilozerchev (URS) | 19.800 |
| 3rd | Zdzieszynski (POL) | 19.800 |
Still Rings
| 1st | Dmitri Bilozerchev (URS) | 19.975 |
| 2nd | Plamen Petkov (BUL) | 19.800 |
| 2nd | Vladimir Artemov (URS) | 19.800 |
| 2nd | Gyorgy Guczoghy (HUN) | 19.800 |
| 2nd | Holger Behrendt (GDR) | 19.800 |
Parallel Bars
| 1st | Vladimir Artemov (URS) | 19.800 |
| 2nd | Ricardo Richards (CUB) | 19.700 |
| 3rd | Zdravko Stoyanov (BUL) | 19.450 |
| 3rd | Li Gil Su (PRK) | 19.450 |
High Bar
| 1st | Dmitri Bilozerchev (URS) | 19.975 |
| 2nd | Jesus Rivera (CUB) | 19.800 |
| 3rd | Zsolt Borkai (HUN) | 19.700 |
| 3rd | Felix Aguilera (CUB) | 19.700 |
All-Around
| 1st | Olga Mostepanova (URS) | 79.825 |
| 2nd | Hana Ricna (TCH) | 79.425 |
| 3rd | Elena Shushunova (URS) | 79.125 |
Team Final
| Rank | Country | Team Members | Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Soviet Union | Irina Baraksanova, Tatiana Frolova, Natalia Ilienko, Olga Mostepanova, Elena Shushunova, Natalia Yurchenko | 395.25 |
| 2nd | East Germany | Gabriele Faehnrich, Maxi Gnauck, Astrid Heese, Birgit Senff, Bettina Schieferdecker, Franka Voigt | 392.50 |
| 3rd | Czechoslovakia | Iva Cervenkova, Alena Drevjana, Hana Ricna, Martina Koblizkova, Jana Labakova, Lenka Pitlovicova | 391.95 |
Vault
| 1st | Olga Mostepanova (URS) | 19.900 |
| 1st | Natalia Yurchenko (URS) | 19.900 |
| 3rd | Maxi Gnauck (GDR) | 19.875 |
Uneven Bars
| 1st | Maxi Gnauck (GDR) | 20.000 |
| 2nd | Natalia Yurchenko (URS) | 19.975 |
| 3rd | Gabriele Faehnrich (GDR) | 19.950 |
Beam
| 1st | Olga Mostepanova (URS) | 20.000 |
| 2nd | Hana Ricna (TCH) | 19.850 |
| 3rd | Alena Drevjana (TCH) | 19.750 |
Floor
| 1st | Olga Mostepanova (URS) | 19.950 |
| 1st | Maxi Gnauck (GDR) | 19.950 |
| 3rd | Bettina Schieferdecker (GDR) | 19.750 |