Linda Metheny

Linda Metheny competed at the 1964 Olympics and then enrolled at the University of Illinois. She won seven intercollegiate championships in the era before AIAW and NCAA competition, winning the all-around, beam and floor in 1968-69, and the beam in 1967. At the 1968 Olympics Metheny became the first American woman to make the finals of a gymnastics events, placing in a tie for fourth on the beam. At the Pan American Games, Metheny won 7 golds and 11 medals, including individual golds in all-around in 1967, floor exercises in 1967 and 1971, and vault and beam in 1967. She helped the US team to team gold medals both years. Metheny won 16 US Elite Championships, both in the AAU and USGF meets, winning the all-around at the AAUs in 1966 and 1968-72. She also competed at the University of Illinois between Olympic appearances, where she earned a bachelor’s and masters’ degree, and won seven titles at the women’s collegiate championships between 1967-69 (pre-NCAA, pre-AIAW).

She was coached by Dick Mulvihill and Metheny and Mulvihill married in 1973. Metheny-Mulvihill later became a judge both nationally and internationally, judging at four World Championships. She and her husband have operated the National Academy of Artistic Gymnastics (NAAG) in Eugene, Oregon since 1973. She was inducted into the US Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1985.