| Valerie Zimring | |
| Fullname: | Valerie Le Zimring-Schneiderman |
| Birth Date: | 28 March 1965 |
| Birth Place: | Los Angeles, California |
| Height: | 1.620NaN0 |
| Discipline: | RG |
| Natlteam: | 1979–85 |
Valerie Le Zimring-Schneiderman (born March 28, 1965, in Los Angeles) is a former Olympic rhythmic gymnast. She represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics, and finished 11th in the individual all-around.
Zimring was born in Los Angeles, and lived in Cheviot Hills, Los Angeles.[1] She attended UCLA for college and graduate school, earning a B.A. as well as an M.A. in program-dance.[2] [3]
At 11 years of age, Zimring learned she had a stress fracture in her back.[3] Having just reached the Class I level in artistic gymnastics, she had to leave it to pursue rhythmic gymnastics, which she was still able to do.[3]
Zimring was a member of the United States National Team for seven years (1979–85) and the USA World Championship team from 1981 to 1983. In 1982, she won the All-Around title at the U.S. Junior National Championship. She also won at the Austrian Invitational in 1983, becoming the first American to win an international Rhythmic Gymnastics competition.[4]
She competed at the 1981 World Championships and the 1983 World Championships, finishing 44th and 48th in the all-around respectively.[5] [6] She was the 1984 National All-around Champion, qualifying to compete in the Olympics.[4] [7]
She represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics, and finished 11th in the individual all-around. It was the best finish to date by an American in that event.[4] [8]
Zimring is Jewish, and won five gold medals at the 1985 Maccabiah Games in Israel.[4] [9]
Zimring coached the USA National Team in 1987–88.[4]
She was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.[10] She was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2007.[11]