Abie Grossfeld

While the U.S. finished 6th overall in the team competition (271.5 points, only 5 points behind Czechoslovakia for the bronze medal), Grossfeld finished in 39th place in the individual all-around competition (107.75 points).

Abraham Israel "Abie" Grossfeld (born March 1, 1934) is an American gymnastics coach and former gymnast.

Grossfeld represented the United States as a gymnast for 15 consecutive years in 35 countries as a member of 26 international teams including the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Pan American Games.

Born in New York City, Grossfeld was involved in multiple sports from a young age.

He won gold medals in two Jr. Olympic Cycling Championships, (1949–50).

He also won the New York City 4 X 50 relay team title at Madison Square Garden in 1949, and the Bronx High School high jump and standing long jump titles in 1949.

Grossfeld joined the West Side YMCA in New York City at the age of 16, initially to swim.

He was captain of his high school swimming team, and competed mostly in the 50 yd.

and 100 yd.

freestyle events.

In addition, he helped the team as a diver, and also swam and competed unattached in the NYC Boys’ Swimming Championships, winning gold in the 100 and silver in diving in 1949.

He was awarded the “New York Maritime Benevolent Association Medal” in 1951 for saving a human life in peril.

When he was 16 years old, he dove into an ice-filled river in New York to save a drowning five-year-old.

The YMCA introduced him to gymnastics and he was coached by John Van Aalten.

He competed at the 1953 Maccabiah Games, the 1957 Maccabiah Games (winning 7 golds in 7 events; AA, R, PH, FX, HB, PB, & V), and the 1965 Maccabiah Games (winning four gold medals, four silver medals, and three bronze medals), winning a combined 17 gold medals.

After retiring from competition, Grossfeld turned to coaching.

At the national AAU Championships he was four times the horizontal bar champion (1955–61).

He had more success at the Pan American Games, competing in 1955, 1959, and 1963.

A two-time Olympian for the United States' men's gymnastics team, Grossfeld first competed at the 1956 Melbourne Games.

Grossfeld finished 2nd in the individual all-around at the 1957 NCAA Championships (he attended the University of Illinois, class of 1960).

He finished in the top three in 10 of 16 events, (1957–59).

At the Big Ten Championships he won seven gold medals - 3 AA, FX, R, PB, & HB (1957–59).

He competed in the World Championships in 1958, finishing 7th in the team competition and 53rd in the individual all-around.

Grossfeld received the Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year Award for 1959 as a member of the Illinois Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team.

At the NCAAs he won four gold - AA, FX, two HB titles, and three silver and three bronze medals.

He won 15 medals (eight golds; including three for Horizontal Bar championships), including the gold in the individual all-around in 1959.

Grossfeld also dominated at the Maccabiah Games.

Four years later, at the 1960 Summer Olympics, the U.S. team finished 5th and Grossfeld placed 36th in the all-around.

He received a master's degree from the school in 1962.

After retiring from international competition, he coached the American gymnasts at the 1964, 1972, 1984, and 1988 Olympics.

He served as head coach of U.S. men's gymnastics team at five World Championships (1966, 1981, 1983, 1985, and 1987), and head coach of the U.S. team at Pan American Games in 1983 and 1987.

In addition, he coached the U.S. gymnasts in three Maccabiah Games: 1973, 1977 (men and women), and 1981.

II championship teams, 10 Consecutive Eastern Collegiate Conference (EIGL) team championships (1975-’84), and 148 gymnasts who achieved All-American status.

His 1981 squad won three team gold medals.

During this time, he also became a professor of physical education and became head gymnastics coach at Southern Connecticut State University, helping the program become one of the best in the country.

He coached four Nissen Award winners (akin to football's Heisman Trophy), three NCAA Div.

His 1984 team, with Mitch Gaylord, won the combined exercises championship.

Four years later, Grossfeld again competed in the World Championships, when the U.S. team placed 6th and Grossfeld finished 85th in the all-around.

He was also the head coach of the men's team at the 1986 Goodwill Games.

During the Games, he also placed 13th in the horizontal bar, 23rd in the free-standing exercise, 34th in the rings, 48th in the parallel bars, and 52nd in the pommel horse.