23 Jul 1996: Dominique Dawes of the USA on the beam during the womens team gymnastics event at the Georgia Dome at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport
6 Jun 1996: Dominique Dawes performs on the balance beam en route to sixth place in the All-Around competition at the USA Gymnastics National Championships at the Thompson-Boling Arena, on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Mandatory
30 Jun 1996: Dominique Dawes competes on the balance beam during the USA Gymnastics Trials at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport
25 Jul 1996: Dominique Dawes of the USA in action in the womens individual all around final at the Georgia Dome at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta Georgia.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 25: Dominique Dawes of the USA moves on the Balance Beam in the Womens Individual Competition on Jul 25,1996 during the 1996 Olympic Games at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by: Mike Powell /Getty Images)
25 Jul 1996: Dominique Dawes of the USA in action in the womens individual all around final at the Georgia Dome at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta Georgia.
14 Aug 1996: Gymnasts Dominique Dawes and Jair Lynch of the USA, both medalists at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, pose together outside Washington, D.C. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport
14 Aug 1996: United States gymnasts Jair Lynch (left) and Dominique Dawes at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport
14 Aug 1996: Dominique Dawes of the United States looks on after helping her team win the gold at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport
14 Aug 1996: United States gymnasts Jair Lynch (left) and Dominique Dawes at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport
Although now retired, Dominique Dawes is still one of the most influential American gymnasts of all time. She served 10-years as a member of the U.S. national gymnastics team and was a member of the gold-medal winning “Magnificent Seven” at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Dawes is also acknowledged for being the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics, and the first black person to win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics. TheGrio has compiled several pictures of her historic accomplishments.
WATCH: Dominique Dawes honors Gabby Douglas with tearful tribute:
