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Amy Chow was a member of the “Magnificent Seven” U.S. team that won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Also in Atlanta, Chow took the silver medal on uneven bars, her favorite event; it was the first of three individual gymnastics medals captured by American women in Atlanta. Chow is one of only seven Americans ever to earn an individual Olympic medal in women's gymnastics. She left the sport shortly after the 1996 Games, but has taken a year off from her studies at Stanford University to train for Sydney. In July 2000, she competed at U.S. Gymnastics Championships for the first time since 1996, placing sixth in the all-around to earn a spot at the Olympic Trials. She also won the balance beam national title.

Starting early

Chow first got involved in gymnastics at age 3. Initially, her mother tried to enroll Amy into ballet school, but couldn’t because of her age. She eventually found a gym that would allow Amy to take tumbling classes. Amy also was involved in diving before giving up the sport to concentrate on gymnastics. She currently trains under long-time coaches Diane Amos and Mark Young at West Valley gymnastics club in San Jose, California.

Uneven bars to bar notes

An accomplished pianist, Chow began taking lessons when she was five years old; she still practices frequently. “I once called the Chow house to speak with Amy’s mother,” says her coach, Amos. “During the conversation, I heard beautiful classical music in the background and assumed that the radio was on. As the conversation continued, I found out that the music was being played by Amy as she was preparing for an afternoon lesson.”

Cardinal stays close to the nest

Chow, on a gymnastics scholarship, enrolled at Stanford in the fall of 1996, shortly after the Atlanta Games. She chose Stanford in part to remain close to home; her parents, Nelson and Susan, live about one hour from campus. Both were born in Hong Kong and came to the United States during college. When her parents don’t want Amy to understand them, they often speak Chinese to each other, which Amy does not understand. Chow’s younger brother, Kevin, also attends Stanford, where he competes for the men’s gymnastics team.