FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WDTV/Gray News) - Police in Fairmont have released the body camera footage of Mary Lou Retton’s arrest in May.
The Fairmont-native and former Olympic gymnast was arrested for driving under the influence after being stopped just off the Gateway Connector on May 17.
Police said they were notified that day about a Porsche with Texas license plates driving “all over the roadway.”
Officers made a traffic stop and found Retton behind the wheel after pulling her vehicle over in an AutoZone parking lot.
Officers said they noticed a screw-top bottle of wine in her passenger seat, along with Retton smelling like alcohol while slurring her words.
In the body camera video, Retton can be heard telling officers before one of the sobriety tests that she is an Olympic gold medalist in the balance beam.
At one point during the tests, an officer also allowed Retton to use her oxygen.
When an officer said she failed all of her field sobriety tests, Retton responded by saying she did not. Before she was placed into the back of a police cruiser, Retton can be heard saying, “In Fairmont, West Virginia!”
The Olympic gold medalist was charged with first-offense DUI and given a PR bond. In June, she pleaded no contest to the DUI charge and was fined $100.
In a statement released through her attorney, the 57-year-old Retton said she took full responsibility for her actions.
“What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses,” she said. “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.”
Considered a gymnastics legend, Retton became the first American woman to win a gold medal in her sport’s individual all-around competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
In 2023, she faced a health scare when her daughter shared that she had been hospitalized with a “rare form of pneumonia” that landed her in intensive care with “dangerously low” levels of oxygen.
At the time, her daughter said that Retton did not have health insurance and set up a Crowdfund to raise money for her medical bills. Although the fund raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, Retton also faced backlash as many people questioned how the former gold medalist could be uninsured.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight last May, Retton addressed the backlash, saying the funds were strictly used for her medical bills and that the remaining money would be donated to the American Lung Association.
Copyright 2025 WDTV via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
