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Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct information regarding Retton’s bond. We apologize for the error.
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton was arrested earlier this month in north central West Virginia on a DUI charge, court records show.
According to the West Virginia Magistrate Court system, on May 17, Mary Lou Retton, 57, was arrested in Marion County for “driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs.” She was issued a personal recognizance bond of $1,500, which she posted.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Nexstar’s WBOY, Retton was pulled over after reports of someone “driving all over the roadway” heading toward downtown.
When officers with the Fairmont Police Department made contact with Retton, “the odor of alcohol was emitting from her person,” and officers said she was slurring her words. Officers also noticed a “screw top container of wine” in the passenger seat of Retton’s vehicle, the complaint said.
According to the complaint, Retton showed signed of impairment on all three phases of a field sobriety test.
Retton, a Fairmont, West Virginia native, made history as a gymnast for the United States, specifically during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she received two perfect 10 scores just weeks after receiving an operation on her knee.
She also made headlines in 2023 after being admitted to an Intensive Care Unit during her battle with pneumonia, prompting her daughter to set up a crowdfunding page to help pay for medical expenses. The fund raised $200,000 in a day, but received criticism from those who questioned her lack of insurance. She was released from the hospital a few weeks later.
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