Amanda Kathleen Borden (born May 10, 1977) is a retired American gymnast. She was the captain of the gold medal-winning United States team in the 1996 Summer Olympics, the Magnificent Seven; a team medalist at the World Championships, and a multiple medalist at the 1995 Pan American Games. Borden was known for her clean form and technique. Životopis Amanda Kathleen Bordenová was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended Finneytown High School where she was on the A-honor roll, the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. Borden was also her high school's homecoming queen. Gymnastics Borden began gymnastics in 1984, and trained under coach Mary Lee Tracy at Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy. She was a member of the U.S. National Team for six years, earning her first berth as a junior in 1990. Due to her clean form and strong technique, Borden was chosen to demonstrate the 1993 - 1996 compulsory routines to the entire gymnastics community at the 1991 World Championships. Her enthusiastic, energetic demeanor also attracted attention, prompting commentators to nickname her "Pepsodent." However, injuries were a part of the adversities she had to work through. In the spring of 1991, she broke the growth plate on her left elbow. She trained with a cast to compete in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, but then Borden had to withdraw the day before the competition because of a pulled right hamstring. At age 15, the 1992 Olympic Games was her best chance to compete at the Olympics. Borden placed 5th at the 1992 U.S. National Championships, and 4th on floor and beam. At the 1992 Olympic Trials, however, she had a difficult competition, and placed 7th. She was not named to the Olympic team. Greatly disappointed, Borden briefly considered retiring, but within three days she was back at the gym training. The following year, at the U.S. National Championships, she placed 4th in the all-around, and was named as an alternate for the 1993 World Championships. In 1994, Borden placed third in the all-around, uneven bars, and floor exercise at Nationals, and was named to both World Championships teams (in 1994, for the first and only time, there were separate team and individual Worlds). At the Team World Championships in Dortmund Germany, Borden helped the U.S. team win the silver medal. At the individual Worlds in Brisbane, Australia, she placed 8th in the all-around and made the final in