Amanda Borden

Profile

Family Name: Borden
First Name: Amanda
Middle Name: Kathleen
Date of Birth: May 10th,1977
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Residence: Arizona
Former Club: Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy
Former Coach: Mary Lee Tracy
Began Gymnastics: 1984
Favorite Events: Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, Floor Exercise
Parents: Doug and Patty Borden
Sibling: Bryan
Favorite Food: Veggies, pizza with veggies only
Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Animal: Dog
Hobbies: Bicycling, reading, shopping, playing on computer

Photo by Matthew Barber

Top Achievements

1992 U.S. National Championships Event Finalist (4th Beam and Floor) and 5th AA
1993 U.S. National Championships Event Finalist (6th Beam and Floor) and 4th AA
1993 American Cup Finalist (8th AA)
1993 World Championships Team Member (alternate)
1994 World Championships Event Finalist (8th Bars)
1994 U.S. National Championships Bronze Medalist (AA, Bars, Floor) and Event Finalist (6th Beam)
1994 Team World Championships Silver Medalist
1995 American Cup Bronze Medalist (AA)
1996 U.S. National Championships: 4th AA
1996 Olympic Gold Medalist (Team)

For complete results, see her USA Gymnastics Official Biography

Biography

Before becoming a gymnast, Amanda was involved in various sports such as T-ball, soccer and ice skating. Like many of her teammates, she was inspired by Mary Lou Retton's performance at the 1984 Olympics and took on gymnastics.
She first went to a local gymnastics school in her hometown, Cincinnati, where her coaches quickly noticed her talent. When she was thirteen, she became aware of the fact that she could become a world-class athlete, so she switched training centers and became a student of Mary Lee Tracy's at the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, where she stayed until the end of her international career. Her coach helped her improving her skills on all events (even if the vault always remained her 'weak' event) and in 1991, she qualified for her first U.S. National Championships, but several injuries prevented her from competing there. That same year, she was chosen to demonstrate the 1996 women's compulsories at the World Championships in Indianapolis.
In 1992, she surprisingly placed seventh at the Olympic Trials in Baltimore, Maryland, and theorethically earned a spot on the Olympic team (as an alternate). But due to controversial selection procedures, Betty Okino and Michelle Campi, two members of the 1991 World Championships Team who couldn't compete at Trials because of injuries, were put on the team, leaving Amanda and fellow gymnast Kim Kelly behind.
But that didn't put an end to fifteen-year-old Amanda's gymnastics career and Olympic dreams. In 1993, she finished fourth at the U.S. Nationals and went to the 1993 World Championships as an alternate (there was no team competition that year and only the top three U.S. gymnasts were allowed to compete).
She then turned in her first *great* performance at the 1994 World Championships, where she qualified for her first world final (on the uneven bars). Unfortunately, she fell during the final and had to content herself with a disappointing 8th place. But she ended the year on a positive note: in November, she helped the American Team to win a silver medal at the Team World Championships in Dortmund, Germany.
In 1995, Amanda graduated from Cincinnati's Finney Town High School, a straight A-student and a Homecoming Queen. She placed third at the American Cup but then three injuries (a broken toe, a sprained ankle and then a broken metacarpal) seemed to compromise her Olympic hopes.
However, she came back a few weeks before the 1996 Olympic Trials, where she earned the seventh spot on the Olympic Team. She was voted Team Captain and the U.S. women went on to win the first team gold medal for the U.S. in women's gymnastics history.
After Atlanta, the girls now known as the Magnificent Seven appeared on the Weathies Box and on many T.V. shows, including Letterman and Today, and they went on tour in 1996 and 1997.
Amanda goes to college and wants to be a teacher. Gymnastics is still an important part of her life.

Links

Amanda Borden of the Mag7
Amanda Borden: The Unofficial Website
Amanda Borden Web Page
Jaycie Phelps and Amanda Borden Web Site
USA Gymnastics Official Biography

Copyright Lani Schea Holmes