e's the ultimate specialist, taking one arcane event, the 400-meter hurdles, and refining it, redefining it, crystallizing it, to the point where the race is one with the man; she's the classic generalist, the only female gymnast to make it to all four event finals, none of which she won. But by then, of course, she'd won her gold medal in the All-Around. So Moses and Retton have taught us again that, however much great athletes must be blessed with ability, each champion must be fired in his or her own kiln. Photograph by Walter Iooss Jr. Text by Frank Deford Mary Lou Retton,the first American woman ever to score a perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics, captured the All-Around gold at the 1984 Olympic Games. She was also the first woman to grace the front of a Wheaties box. After retiring from competition, Retton, now 29, became a corporate spokesperson for Tyson Holly Farms chicken. She gave birth to her second child, a daughter, in April 1997. Edwin Moses won his second Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1984 Games (his first came in 1976). From 1977-1987, he won 122 consecutive races. Moses's dominance continued as he won the world and the national outdoor championships in 1987. After finishing third at the 1988 Olympics, he retired to pursue an M.B.A. at Pepperdine University. Now 42, Moses is a financial consultant for the Robinson-Humphrey Group.
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