OLYMPIC legend Mary Lou Retton looked bleary-eyed and distressed in shocking mugshots taken after her DUI arrest in May.
The 57-year-old gold medal gymnast was captured miserably failing sobriety tests after she was pulled over in West Virginia and caught with an open bottle of wine.
Former Olympian Mary Lou Retton, 57, appeared bleary-eyed in mugshots taken after her DUI arrest[/caption]
Retton is most known for taking home the all-around gold in 1984[/caption]
Bodycam footage captured her failing sobriety tests after being pulled over[/caption]
On May 17, a disturbed driver called the police on Retton after allegedly seeing the former athlete swerving on the roads in her home state, the Daily Mail reported.
Bodycam footage obtained by the outfit showed the 1984 Olympic Games star slurring her words as she was quizzed by cops on whether she’d been drinking.
Retton was heard insisting that she was out getting her nails done and had no clue why she had been pulled over.
Wearing a yellow t-shirt, burgundy shorts, and flip-flops, the athlete then tried and failed to balance on one leg for at least nine seconds.
She also rushed through walking a straight line and couldn’t seem to follow the officer’s finger without moving her neck.
Before taking any of the tests, Retton, who has suffered from serious health issues, admitted that she’s had many different surgeries, and said that she had “metal all over.”
When she was asked to take a breathalyzer test, the Olympian refused.
Despite crying that she was innocent, cops informed her that she was being arrested for a suspected DUI, leading her to cry out, “I’m a gold medalist.”
Retton appeared teary as she winced in the middle of her mugshots, which were taken by police in Fairmont, about an hour and a half south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Her eyes were red, and her mouth appeared to be moving in one of the shots.
Retton was breathing through an oxygen machine when she was arrested, but didn’t have any tubes in her nose for her mugshot.
Retton appeared to have tears in her eyes in the mugshots[/caption]
Retton appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2018[/caption]
She was the first American to dominate gymnastics at the Olympics[/caption]
RETTON’S HEALTH BATTLE
Retton submitted a no contest plea and was given a $100 fine after paying out a $1,500 bond. This was her first DUI charge.
The embattled athlete addressed the incident through her attorney and said that she was taking “full responsibility for my actions.”
“What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses,” she told PEOPLE.
“To my family, friends and my fans: I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry.
“I am determined to learn and grow from this experience, and I am committed to making positive changes in my life.
“I truly appreciate your concern, encouragement and continued support.”
Retton is most known for scoring the gold in the all-around competition at the Olympic Games.
She was the first gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the event in Olympic history.
In the fall of 2023, Retton fought for her life after she contracted a rare form of pneumonia.
Once she started to recover, the American legend said, “I’m so grateful to be here.”
“I am blessed to be here because there was a time when they were about to put me on life support,” she told Today.
Retton admitted to her mistakes and paid a fine[/caption]
