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Mohini Bhardwaj
- 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the women's team competition; finished sixth in the floor exercise
- Had her training funded by television star Pamela Anderson
- 2001 NCAA Champion, Floor Exercise and Team; 2000 NCAA Champion, Uneven Bars and Team
- 2001 Vault National Champion, third place All-Around
- 2001 World Championships Bronze Medalist; 1997 World Championships Team, Individual Event Finalist
- First name means "Illusion" in Hindi
- Her mother, Indu, is from Russia and her father, Kaushal, is from India. The two met in Canada.
- Graduated from UCLA in May 2001 after setting records for most 10s in a season (8), most career perfect 10s (8), and most 10s in a meet (3).
- Majored in sociology.
- Is an 11-time collegiate All-American.
- Personal motto is "Don't do it unless it's fun."
- Enjoys Papa John's pizza (thin crust with mushrooms and onions).
- Has a 17-pound cat named Panther.
- Favorite band is the Beastie Boys.
After a highly decorated gymnastics career at UCLA, Bhardwaj decided she wasn't finished yet. Of her career, she said, "I just spent 17 years of my life doing gymnastics. I want to ride it out for as long as I possibly can. I figure the opportunity is there, I'm in good shape, I have the skill level, so why not? The reason I do gymnastics is I love to compete. I love the adrenaline, the pressure, the satisfaction of doing well." Although injured, she went on to compete in three of four events in the U.S. Classic, post-UCLA. Keeping up a rigorous training schedule, she then won the 2001 National Vault title and qualified for the 2001 World Team.
Related Links
Photo gallery: Ballgames, award shows and more
Photo gallery: 2004 Olympic gymnastic trials
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Height: 4' 10
Born: 9/29/1978
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Resides: Los Angeles, Calif.
Sport: Gymnastics
Event: Favorite event: Vault
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