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Henrietta Ónodi
Henrietta Ónodi
	Ónodi at the 1992 Olympics
Personal information
Country represented	Hungary
Born	May 22, 1974 (age 50); Békéscsaba, Hungary
Height	146 cm (4 ft 9 in)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team	1986–92, 1995–97 (HUN)
Club	Békéscsabai Előre Atlétikai Club; ATorna Club Békéscsaba
Head coach(es)	Mihály Unyatyinszky
Assistant coach(es)	Júlia Karakas
Retired	1997
Medal record
Representing Hungary
Olympic Games
World Championships
World Cup Final
Goodwill Games
European Championships

Henrietta Ónodi (born May 22, 1974) is a Hungarian artistic gymnast. She competed at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and won a gold and a silver medal in 1992.^[1] After retiring from gymnastics in 1997 she moved to the United States, married American Olympic pentathlete Jimbo Haley, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen. In 2010, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.^[2]

Career

Ónodi, also known as "Heni" in the gymnastics community, began gymnastics in 1978 and made her international debut in 1986. Too young to qualify for the 1988 Olympics, she made her senior debut in 1989 and represented Hungary at the World Championships that year, where she placed 19th in the all-around and 5th in the balance beam event finals.

Over the next few years, Ónodi established herself as a medal contender at major events. In 1989 she became the first female Hungarian gymnast to medal at the European Championships with a gold on the uneven bars; at the 1990 Europeans she placed third in the all-around and the floor exercise. In 1990, she also finished third in the all-around at the Goodwill Games and the World Cup where she won the vault event. At the 1991 World Championships Ónodi suffered a sudden back injury but was able to win a silver medal on vault and helped the Hungarian squad qualify for the 1992 Olympics with an eighth-place finish in the team final.

The next year at the Olympics in Barcelona, Ónodi became the first female Hungarian gymnast in over 30 years to win an Olympic gold medal. She tied with Romanian Lavinia Miloșovici for the gold in the vault event final; on floor exercise, performing to "Hungarian Rhapsody" she finished second behind Miloşovici. Ónodi's difficulty level on vault was actually higher than Miloșovici's (they both used full twisting Yurchenkos but Henrietta did a piked barani and Milosovici a tucked). Ónodi also performed the difficult triple twist on floor, then an unusual move (nobody else in the Barcelona floor finals did it).

Ónodi semi-retired after Barcelona Olympics to focus on her studies. She returned to international competitions in 1995 at the World University Games and subsequently led the Hungarian team at the 1996 Olympics. She retired again in 1997 after attending her second University Games.^[2]

Skills and style

Ónodi made many contributions to gymnastics during her competitive career. She was lauded for her unique style and power on vaulting and floor. Her uneven bars routine consisted of elements on the low bar at a time when most gymnasts did the minimum two elements on the low bar.

Eponymous skill

Onodi has one eponymous skill listed in the Code of Points.^[3]

Apparatus	Name	Description	Difficulty^[a]	Notes
Balance beam	Onodi	Jump bwd (flic-flac take-off) with ½ turn (180°) to walkover forward	D	Though it is named after Ónodi, Olga Mostepanova was the first to compete the skill at a World Championships or Olympics. Henrietta also performed the skill on FX, but on FX it is rated as an A skill.

^ Valid for the 2022-2024 Code of Points

Post-retirement

In 2001 Ónodi graduated with a degree in marketing and found a job in Miami, Florida, as Director of Community Relations for the World Olympians Association. She married Jimbo Haley, an American pentathlete who also competed at the 1992 Olympics, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen. In 2010, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.^[2]

In March 2024, at 50 years of age, Henrietta suffered a heart attack, the severity of which has necessitated long-term care. Her sister has set up a GoFund me.^[4]

Competitive history

Year	Event	Team	AA	VT	UB	BB	FX
Junior
1985	FTC Cup
1985	Pioneer Summer Olympics
1986	Avignon International
	Olso Tournament
	BUL-HUN Dual Meet		4
	European Championships		12			4	7
	Friendship Tournament	5	11		7		8
	Kosice International		17
	Kraft International
	Pioneer Summer Olympics
1987	McDonald's American Cup		7
	Athens International		8
	International Mixed Pairs	15
	Friendship Tournament	4	10			6	7
	HUN-FRG Dual Meet
	Kosice International				6
1988
	European Championships		8	6		4
	Friendship Tournament	4	7			6	6
	Hungarian Masters
	Mezobank Cup
Senior
1989	McDonald's American Cup
	DTB Cup					4
	European Championships		5	8		5
	Gander Memorial
	GBR-HUN Dual Meet
	Hungarian Championships
	Hungarian High School Championships
	Hungarian International
	Hungarian Masters
	International Mixed Pairs	5
	World Championships	9	19			5
1990	Blume Memorial		7
	Bolzano Grand Prix
	Chunichi Cup						5
	Cottbus International					7
	DTB Cup					6
	European Championships				8	8
	French International		8
	Goodwill Games			4	5	7	4
	Hungarian Championships
	Hungarian Masters
	Tokyo Cup
	World Cup Final					8
1991	Blume Memorial		4		4	4
	Chunichi Cup
	Galvan Memorial
	Hapoel Games
	Hungarian Championships
	Hungarian International
	Hungarian Masters
	HUN-ISR Dual Meet
	Tokyo Cup
	World Championships	8	31		4	7	8
1992	McDonald's American Cup
	Cottbus International				4
	FRA-HUN Dual Meet
	Hungarian Championships
	Hungarian International
	HUN-ROM Dual Meet
	International Mixed Pairs	8
	Olympic Games	6	8
	World Championships
1993	Hungarian International
1993	Subaru World Open		4
1996	Olympic Games	9