Elfi Schlegel
Elfi Schlegel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Country represented | Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 17 May 1964|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Discipline | Artistic gymnastics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College team | University of Florida | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Elfi Schlegel (born 17 May 1964) is a
Early years
Schlegel was born in Toronto, Ontario, to parents Peter and Vlasta Schlegel, immigrants from Switzerland.[2] Growing up in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, she started gymnastics at the age of 7.[2] She attended Silverthorn Collegiate Institute in Toronto, and graduated with her diploma after her grade twelve year—a year early in the (then) thirteen-year Ontario education system.[3]
International career
Schlegel established herself as one of the best gymnasts in Canadian history (at that point) when she won a gold medal in the all-around and team competitions in gymnastics at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta. At the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she won a bronze medal as the third-best gymnast in the games, two silver medals for the uneven bars and vault, and a gold medal as a member of the first-place Canadian team. She also won a bronze medal in the vault at the 1980 World Cup in Toronto, the first-ever World Cup medal for a Canadian.[3]
She was selected as a member of the Canadian national team for the
College career
After graduation from high school, Schlegel wanted to continue to compete, but Canadian universities did not offer intercollegiate gymnastics competition or athletic scholarships.
Schlegel graduated from Florida with a
Broadcasting career
She began her broadcasting career as a part-time
Elfi was an NBC's gymnastics commentator along with Tim Daggett and Al Trautwig from 1992 to 2012. NBC made the decision to replace Elfi after the 2012 Olympics with 2008 Olympic All Around Gold Medalist, Nastia Liukin. This decision was based on the fresh popularity of Liukin and the fact NBC was feeling pressure to have an All-American commentary panel. Elfi now sometimes covers gymnastics commentary for Canadian television with Kyle Shewfelt. She also frequently covered gymnastics for CBC Sports from 1989-1994.
Personal
Schlegel is married to Marc Dunn, a former Olympian who represented Canada in beach volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics.[8] They have three children and live in Toronto.[2]
See also
- Florida Gators
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
References
- ^ "Alumni Around the World - communigator - Spring 2002". Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ a b c Gymn.ca, Athletes, Retired Women, Elfi Schelegel. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Julian Pleasants, "Elfi Schlegel," University of Florida Oral History Project, George A. Smathers Libraries, Gainesville, Florida (September 26, 1996). Retrieved 1 August 2011.
- ^ Scott Russell, "The Big, Bad 'B' Word," CBC Sports (March 31, 2008). Retrieved 1 August 2011.
- ^ a b c d Florida Gymnastics 2011 Media Supplement Archived 2012-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 52, 55, 62–63, 67–71, 73 (2011). Retrieved 1 August 2011.
- ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
- ^ "Eight Join UF Hall of Fame," The Gainesville Sun, p. 2C (April 4, 1997). Retrieved 1 August 2011.
- ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Marc Dunn Archived 2012-11-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
Bibliography
- Caraccioli, Jerry, & Tom Caraccioli, Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, New Chapter Press, Washington, D.C. (2009). ISBN 978-0-942257-54-0.
- Schlegel, Elfi, & Claire Ross Dunn, The Gymnastics Book: The Young Performer's Guide to Gymnastics, Firefly Books Ltd., Richmond Hill, Ontario (2001). ISBN 978-1-55209-414-3.
External links
- Elfi Schlegel at the International Gymnastics Federation
- Elfi Schlegel at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)