15 greatest Olympians to appear on a Wheaties box

13. Mary Lou Retton, Gymnastics

Few athletes have managed to make as profound of an impact in only one Olympic appearance as Mary Lou Retton did in Los Angeles in 1984.

1984 got off to an impressive start for Retton, capturing victories at several prestigious gymnastics events around the United States. Tragedy, however, nearly derailed her Olympic dreams.

With less than two months remaining before the 1984 Summer Games, Retton was forced to undergo knee surgery. This was before arthroscopic surgery was an option for elite athletes, putting a return for the games in further doubt. Retton persevered, and as a result, was able to secure a place as one of the most popular United States athletes in Olympic history.

Retton, then 16 years old, participated in a total of six events during an Olympics where Civil War tensions were ever-present once again. Soviet bloc nations had boycotted the games — with the exception of Romania. Of course, as Retton honed in on a gold medal in the women’s individual all-around competition, her greatest obstacle was none other than Slovakia’s Ecaterina Szabo.

Retton trailed Szabo heading into the final two events, the floor exercise and pole vault, leaving a flawless finish necessary to win the gold. She did exactly that, receiving perfect scores in both. Retton would also take home a pair of silver and bronze medals.

Wheaties featured Retton on the cover when she returned home that summer, and did so again in 1999 and 2004. She is the only Olympian to appear on the box three times.

Next: No. 12