Elfi Schlegel

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Elfi Schlegel
Country represented Canada
Born (1964-05-17) 17 May 1964 (age 59)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DisciplineArtistic gymnastics
College teamUniversity of Florida
Medal record
Representing  Canada
World Cup Final
Bronze medal – third place 1980 Toronto Vault
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton All-Around
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton Team
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1979 San Jaun Team
Silver medal – second place 1979 San Juan Uneven Bars
Silver medal – second place 1979 San Juan Vault
Bronze medal – third place 1979 San Juan All-Around

Elfi Schlegel (born 17 May 1964) is a

sportscaster for NBC Sports and a former college and national champion gymnast from Canada.[1] She is generally regarded as a top 50 Canadian gymnast of all time, and one of the best of the late 1970s alongside Monica Goermann and the late Sherry Hawco
.

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

Moscow, Russia, but was unable to participate when Canada joined the United States–led boycott of the Moscow Games in protest of the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union.[4] She attempted to make the Canadian Olympic teams in 1984 and 1988, but replaced by younger and more talented gymnasts with the increasing depth of Canadian gymnastics was unable to make it either time.[citation needed
]

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

Breeders Cup
, for NBC Sports from 1993 to 1999.

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

References

  1. ^ "Alumni Around the World - communigator - Spring 2002". Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  2. ^ a b c Gymn.ca, Athletes, Retired Women, Elfi Schelegel. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Scott Russell, "The Big, Bad 'B' Word," CBC Sports (March 31, 2008). Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  7. ^ "Eight Join UF Hall of Fame," The Gainesville Sun, p. 2C (April 4, 1997). Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  8. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Marc Dunn Archived 2012-11-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 August 2011.

Bibliography

External links