Olympic gymnastics champion Mary Lou Retton has entered a no-contest plea to driving under the influence in West Virginia.
Police stopped Retton in her hometown of Fairmont last month after receiving a report of a person in a Porsche driving erratically. Police said they found a container of wine in the passenger’s seat, she was slurring her words and she smelled of alcohol. The gold medalist also failed a field sobriety test, The Associated Press reported.
She was charged with a single count of driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs, ABC News reported.
She received a $100 fine for pleading no contest to a non-aggravated DUI charge.
Retton released a statement through her attorney, which read,
“What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses,” she said. “To my family, friends and my fans: I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry. I am determined to learn and grow from this experience, and I am committed to making positive changes in my life. I truly appreciate your concern, encouragement and continued support.”
Retton was thrust into the spotlight during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in gymnastics, CBS Sports reported. She had two perfect 10s in the vault and floor exercise, despite having an injured knee that was surgically repaired weeks before the games.
She won a total of five medals during the games - one gold, two silver and two bronze.
In 2023, her daughter said that she was “fighting for her life” with a “very rare form of pneumonia,” adding that she did not have health insurance, USA Today reported.
An online fundraiser brought in $450,000, but there were questions surrounding why she wasn’t able to get insurance like her daughter claimed and how the fundraiser money was being spent.
In May 2024, she told Entertainment Tonight that the money left over from the medical bills would go to the American Lung Association.
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