Olympic Gymnastics Legend, Who Scored the World's First Perfect 10, Relives Her Greatest Performance 50 Years Later
On July 18, 1976, Nadia Comăneci stepped onto the mat and changed gymnastics forever. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, she defied gravity on the uneven bars with release moves, unmatched transitions, extraordinary precision, and poise.
After she stuck her landing, the 14-year-old Romanian athlete did what no other had done before: She scored a perfect 10. From there, she did not stop-not even for a second.
"I didn't even think about the score," she said later, according to Olympics.com. "I was more into not making a mistake because the Olympics are every four years, just trying to concentrate on what I have to deliver in that minute and 20 seconds. That was the only thing that was in my head."
By the end of the competition, Comăneci had earned seven perfect 10s from the judges and swept three gold medals (all-around, uneven bars, and balance beam events), one silver, and one bronze, becoming one of Montreal's biggest stars.
The world was stunned-and so was the electronic scoreboard, which famously glitched, flashing a "1.00" because it wasn't built to display the perfect four-digit score, 10.00. It was an incredible feat that forever changed the sport.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic moment, Comăneci is reliving her "The First 10" through a new line of gymnastics wear. On Instagram, the legend shared a video of herself modeling various "Nadia"-stamped leotards from the collection.
She begins the video by twirling into view in a lavender-toned one-piece studded with sparkly rhinestones and strappy flourishes on the back. The video then cuts to her in a hot-pink leotard, where she does some footwork before giving another twirl. She models a couple more looks, performing through each shot.
Now 64, she looks absolutely ageless.
Since Comăneci's Goliath display at the Summer Games, a handful of other Olympic gymnasts also earned perfect 10s: Mary Lou Retton, Julianne McNamara, and DanielaSilivas all joined the perfect-10 club.
In 2006, however, the International Gymnastics Federation phased out the 10.00 system in favor of an open-ended scoring system, making it impossible to now receive a perfect score.
"Even now, I'm looking back … and I'm thinking that the 14-year-old [version of me], the courage, the craziness and determination, I look at that 14-year-old like it's not me," she added.
At the Montreal Games, Comăneci became the youngest gymnast ever to win the Olympic all-around title, a record that still stands because of age-rule changes. And The First 10 remains one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history and a routine that continues to inspire generations of gymnasts worldwide.
Fifty years later, The First 10 still sparkles, and so do the leotards celebrating it.
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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 6:52 PM.