Isabelle Severino
Country: France
Born: 9 April1980
Best Event: UB, FX
Best Results: 3rd UB 1996 Worlds; 13th AA 1996 Olympics; 10th AA 1997 Worlds; 1st FX 2005 Euros; 11th AA 2006 Worlds; 6th BB 2007 Worlds
Personal: Between her two careers in artistic gymnastics (the first through 1999, the second 2004 - 2008), Severino performedwith Cirque du Soleil,won a world medal in sports aerobics, started her own communications company, and tried pole vaulting.Her entertainment resumé also includes a recording and working as astunt double in Stick It.Her career sadly ended with a torn achilles during warm-ups of qualifications at the 2008 European Championships.
Video: Severino on FX

Neil Thomas
Country: Great Britain
Born: 6 April 1968
Best Event: FX
Best Results: 1^st FX 1990 Commonwealth Games; 1^st AA, FX 1994 Commonwealth Games; 2^nd FX 1993, 1994 Worlds; 3^rd V 1990 Euros; 20^th AA 1992 Olympics
Personal: Thomas' medal at the 1993 Worlds was the first Worlds medal for a British gymnast.

Alexander Shatilov
Country: Israel
Born: 22 March 1987
Best Event: FX
Best Results: 3^rd FX 2009 Euros, 2009 Worlds; 7^nd FX 2006 Worlds; 5^th FX 2007 Worlds; 8^th FX 2008 Olympics
Personal: Shatilov, born in Uzbekistan, immigrated to Israel in 2002. He is the first Israeli gymnast to medal - or even make an event final - at the World Championships. In 2009 he was named Israel's Athlete of the Year.
Video: Shatilov on FX

Lee Joo-Hyung
Country: South Korea
Born: 5 March 1973
Best Event: PB, HB
Best Results: 1^st PB, 2^nd V 1990 Asian Games; 8^th AA 1992 Olympics; 5^th AA ; 1^st PB, 7^th AA 1999 Worlds; 2^nd PB, 3^rd HB, 10^th AA 2000 Olympics
Video: Lee Joo-Hyung on PB

Mitja Petkovšek
Country: Slovenia
Born: 6 February 1977
Best Event: PB
Best Results: 1^st PB 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008 Euros, 2005, 2007 Worlds, 2004 World Cup Final
Personal: One of the most dominant gymnasts among specialists, Petkovšek has been in most major finals since the 1997 Worlds, but has never competed at the Olympics. He has studied economics at the University of Ljubljana.

Alojz Kolman
Country: Yugoslavia/Slovenia
Born: 5 February 1965
Best Event: HB
Best Results: 3^rd HB 1990 Euros; 1^st HB 1992 Cottbus; 15^th (SF) HB 1992 Worlds
Personal: Kolman lives on in gymnastics, being the first gymnast to perform the popular "Kolman" (full-twisting Kovacs) on high bar.

Kiyoko Ono
Country: Japan
Born: 4 February 1936
Best Event: UB
Best Results: 15^th AA 1960 Olympics; 3^rd T, 11^th AA 1962 Worlds; 3^rd T, 9^th AA 1964 Olympics 
Personal: Ono is married to Japan's five-time Olympic gold-medalist Takashi Ono. In 1986 she was elected to the House of Councillors, where she served until 2007.

Andreu Vivó
Country: Spain
Born: 3 February 1978
Best Event: PB
Best Results: 6^th PB 2002 Euros;  2nd PB 2002 Mediterranean Games; 7th PB 2003 Worlds; 3rd PB 2005 University Games 
Personal: Vivó was a member of Spain's 2000 Olympic team, the first Spanish men's team since qualifications began in 1976.

Elena Piskun
Country: Belarus
Born: 2 February 1978
Best Event: V, UB
Best Results: 1^st V, 7^th AA 1993 Worlds; 2^nd V 1994 Euros; 3^rd B 1996 Euros; 1^st UB 1996 Worlds; 12^th AA 1996 Olympics
Personal: Piskun moved to the United States in 1997 and has since become a U.S. citizen. She is the head coach at Northwind Gymnastics in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Luisa Parente
Country: Brazil
Born: 1 February 1973
Best Event: UB
Best Results: 4^th AA, 3^rd UB 1987 Pan Ams; 35^th AA 1988 Olympics; 4^th AA, 1^st V, UB 1991 Pan Ams
Personal: Parente is an attorney and has remained active in gymnastics since retiring in 1995, working as a judge, presenting workshops, and as a commentator. She is married to former basketball player Alexey Carvalho and they have two children, Manuela and Jose.

Anita Jokiel
Country: Poland
Born: 2 December 1966
Best Event: BB
Best Results: 4^th BB 1978 Druzhba, 10^th AA 1979 Spartakiade, 1^st AA 1979 Polish Championships, 18^th AA 1980 Olympics, 21^st AA 1981 Euros 
Personal: Anita's parents were both Olympic gymnasts. Her father, Jerzy, was the silver medalist on floor at the 1952 Olympics and had a long career for Poland, competing in two Olympics (1952 and 1960) and three World Championships (1954, 1958, and 1960). Her mother, Dorota, was 27th all around at the 1960 Olympics.

Pam Bileck
Country: United States
Born: 1 December 1968
Best Event: BB
Best Results: 1st (T) BB 1984 U.S. Nationals; 2nd T 1984 Olympics 
Personal: Bileck began gymnastics at West Valley Gymnastics, where Amy Chow would later train, before moving to Twisters and SCATS. She attended UCLA and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a major in Communications and Business. Bileck remained active in gymnastics after retiring from competition, working as a judge and serving in various positions in USAG.

Ioan Suciu
Country: Romania 
Born: 24 November 1977
Best Event: PH
Best Results: 1st V 2000 Euros; 2^nd PH, 4^th V 2002 Euros; 1^st 2004 Euros; 3^rd T, 4^th AA 2004 Olympics 64 Olympics 
Personal: Suciu is now a part of the Romanian men's national coaching staff.

Miroslav Cerar
Country: Yugoslavia (Slovenia) 
Born: 28 October 1939
Best Event: AA, PH
Best Results: 1^st AA, PH, R, PB 1961 Euros; 1^st PH, PB 1962 Worlds; 1^st AA, PH, R, HB 1963 Euros; 1^st PH, 3^rd HB 1964 Olympics; 1^st PB 1965 Euros; 1^st PH 1966, 1970 Worlds, 1968 Olympics, 1969 Euros 
Personal: Cerar was one of the top gymnasts of the 1960s, and one of the few to regularly break the Soviet and Japanese domination of the sport. In addition to his two European titles, he had top ten all around finishes in all Worlds, Olympics and Euros between 1960 and 1970. Cerar, an attorney, has remained active in sports since his competitive retirement, first serving as a Slovenian representative to the Yugoslav Olympic Committee; then, being an instrumental part of the founding of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia (along with another great Slovenian gymnast, Leon Stukelj) and later as a member of the NOC; and also as president of the Slovenian Olympic Academy.

Nikolai Andrianov
Country: Soviet Union (Russia) 
Born: 14 October 1952
Best Event: AA
Best Results: 1^st AA, FX, V, R, HB 1975 Euros; 1^st AA, FX, R, V 1976 Olympics; 1^st AA 1975, 1977 World Cups; 1^st AA, R 1978 Worlds; 1^st Team 1979 Worlds; 1^st Team, V 1980 Olympics 
Personal: One of the greats of gymnastics, Andrianov first made a name for himself at the 1971 European championships where, as an eighteen-year-old, he finished third all around, won pommel horse and vault, and medalled on all but high bar. He retired in 1980, but continued in gymnastics as a coach and judge. In the late 90s, he moved to Japan and coached Naoya Tsukahara, son of his own rival Mitsuo Tsukara. Andrianov is from Vladimir, Russia, also home of 1981/1985 World Champion Yuri Korolyov and 1988 Olympic Champion Vladimir Artemov.

12 October 2009
Olexander Beresh
Country:Ukraine
Born:12 October 1977 (d. 29 February 2004)
Best Event: HB
Best Results: 3^rd HB 1997 Worlds; 1^st AA, HB, 3^rd PH2000 Euros; 3^rd AA, 2^nd Team2000 Olympics; 1^stHB 2000 World Cup Finals; 2^nd HB, 3^rd Team, PH 2001 Worlds
Personal: An elegant gymnast, Beresh had continued Ukraine's strong tradition in gymnastics and was among the favourites for medals at the 2004 Olympics. Sadly, he was killed in a car accident on 29 February 2004, just a day after competing in the Ukraine Cup.

11 October 2009
AriellaKaeslin
Country:Switzerland
Born:11 October 1987
Best Event: V
Best Results: 1^stV, 3^rd AA2009 Euros, 2^nd V 2008 World Cup Finals
Personal: Kaeslin's gold medal at this year's European Championships was the first for a Swiss female. She's become one of the most popular female athletes in her country and in 2008 won the Swiss Female Athlete of the Year award. In London this week she hopes to add another medal to her collection.

8 October 2009
Matteo Morandi
Country:Italy
Born:8 October 1981
Best Event: R
Best Results: 3^rdR 2002, 2003, 2005Worlds,2004 Euros
Personal: While internationally known as a rings specialists, Morandi has dominated Itallian championships this decade, winning the national title in 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, and this year. He enjoys motorcycling and snowboarding in his free time.

7 October 2009
Vera Kolesnikova
Country:Soviet Union (Russia)
Born:7 October 1968
Best Event: UB, FX
Best Results: 1^st AA 1986 Goodwill Games, 1^st Team 1985 Worlds, 1^st AA 1984 Moscow News
Personal: Kolesnikova is nowa Category 3 International Brevet judge.Her daughter, Viktoria Komova, is one of Russia's top juniors and won the 2009 EYOF.