Olympic Gold Medalist Arrested On DUI Charge

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Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton was arrested earlier this month on a DUI charge in West Virginia.

Records posted online state that Retton, 57, was arrested in Marion County, West Virginia, on May 17th for “driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs.”

She faces one misdemeanor count of DUI and posted $1,500 bond the same day as her arrest.

From the New York Post:

Retton became a household name in the 1980s after winning gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

She took home five medals during the Olympics in 1984, and that included the gold in the all-around competition — a first for any American woman.

Retton also captured two silver medals and two bronze medals that year, while also being named the Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 1984 for her performance at the Olympics.

She was named to the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997 and made appearances in movies and TV shows, including a 1993 episode of “Baywatch” and the 1994 film “Naked Gun 33 ¹/₃: The Final Insult.”

Retton struggled with a “rare form of pneumonia” in 2023 and had to fight for her life.

WATCH:

Fox News reports:

She was placed in the intensive care unit for a period of time as doctors helped her fight the illness.

“This is serious, and this is life, and I’m so grateful to be here,” she said on NBC’s “Today” in 2024. “I am blessed to be here because there was a time when they were about to put me on life support.”

Retton was nicknamed “America’s sweetheart” during her gold medal-winning performance at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. She was just 16 when she scored perfect 10s in the floor exercise and vault in the final two rotations to become the first American woman to win the Olympic all-around title.

She earned five medals that year – one gold, two silver and two bronze.

After she retired from gymnastics, Retton became a motivational speaker and frequently shared messages about the benefits of proper nutrition and exercise.

She also served on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under former President George W. Bush.



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