Gymnast: Amy Chow

Amy Chow was a member of the 1996 Olympic team that won gold, and she earned an individual silver medal on bars in 1996 as well.

Chow was renowned for the impressive skills she performed across all four events. On bars, she dismounted with a double-twisting double tuck, and on beam she threw a standing full, Rulfova (full-twisting swing down), and a triple twist dismount. Chow was also well-known for her stalder work: she has two stalder variation skills named after her in the Code of Points.

Chow easily tumbled triple twists and full-ins on floor, and competed a double-twisting Yurchenko on vault.

Chow took a huge fall on beam at the 1996 Olympic Trials. She missed her foot on a back handspring-layout-back handspring series, and hit the beam right near her eye. The crash happened just 15 seconds into her routine, but Chow got back up and finished the rest of the set -- performing her standing full, Rulfova, and triple twist dismount. She scored a 9.275 and finished fourth overall at the Trials, making the Olympic team.

Watch her routine.

Amy Chow performed bars and vault in the team finals at the 1996 Olympics, helping the team -- dubbed the Magnificent 7 -- win the first Olympic gold ever for women's gymnastics.

She made the bars final as well, placing second behind Russian bar superstar Svetlana Khorkina.

Chow made the Olympic team again in 2000, along with 1996 teammate Dominique Dawes. The two veterans helped the squad win fourth in team finals, and in 2010, the team's result was raised to third place after China was stripped of the 2000 Olympic bronze medal. Chow also qualified to the individual all-around finals in Sydney, and finished 14th.

Amy Chow was born May 15, 1978 in San Jose, California. Her parents, Nelson and Susan Chow, also have a son, Kevin, born in 1979.

Chow trained at West Valley Gymnastics with coaches Mark Young and Diane Amos.

She retired from gymnastics in 2000, and has had athletic success both in pole vaulting and in diving. (More on her diving career.)

She married Jason Ho on July 10, 2010, and works as a pediatrician. Ho is an orthopedic surgeon.

International:
• 2000 Olympic Games: 3rd team
• 2000 Senior Pacific Alliance: 1st team; 5th all-around
• 1996 Olympic Games: 1st team; 2nd bars
• 1995 Pan American Games: 1st team; 3rd all-around; 1st vault; 2nd bars
• 1995 McDonald's American Cup: 6th all-around (prelims.); 2nd vault; 3rd bars (tie)
• 1994 World Championships (team): 2nd team
• 1992 Mexico Olympic Festival: 1st all-around; 1st vault; 1st bars; 1st beam; 2nd floor

National:

• 2000 Olympic Trials: 2nd all-around
• 2000 US Nationals: 6th all-around; 2nd bars (tie); 1st beam (tie)
• 2000 US Classic: 5th all-around
• 1996 US Olympic Trials: 4th all-around
• 1996 American Classic/World Team Trials: 3rd all-around; 2nd vault; 5th bars; 2nd beam; 4th floor
• 1995 World Team Trials: 5th all-around
• 1995 US Nationals: 8th all-around
• 1995 US Classic: 3rd vault; 4th bars
• 1995 American Classic: 4th all-around; 3rd vault; 1st bars; 5th floor
• 1994 World Team Trials: 4th all-around
• 1994 US Nationals: 5th all-around; 3rd vault; 6th bars
• 1994 US Classic: 2nd all-around; 1st vault; 2nd bars; 5th beam; 2nd floor
• 1994 US Olympic Festival: 2nd team; 8th all-around; 2nd beam (tie); 2nd floor (tie)
• 1994 American Classic/World Team Trials: 10th all-around
• 1992 US Nationals (Junior): 6th all-around; 1st vault;
• 1991 US Nationals (Junior): 11th all-around; 5th beam