Born in 2005, McClain was originally too young to compete at the 2020 Games, but the postponement of the Olympics suddenly made her age eligible for Tokyo, drastically changing her plans. Konnor McClain competes at the 2019 U.S. OnlyCarl Lewis, who won four golds, has more Olympic long jump medals. ", When asked how she mentally prepares before competing a beam routine, she admitted, I feel like my brain is scattered before beam even though it shouldn't be, I feel like it is.. Get the most important Gymnastics stories delivered straight to your inbox. Remember your why, remember why you started, remember how proud you made your dad. The 2019 U.S. junior all-around champion,Kayla DiCello, turned 16 on Jan. 25, 2020, and would have been eligible for an Olympics in 2020. AndLaurie Hernandez, the 2015 U.S. junior all-around champion who made the 2016 Olympic team. [Top athletes] are pulling their coaches to the next level too, in a lot of ways. We hear about Valeri and how legendary he is in the gymnastics world. However, Jones was in position to regain it if she once again hit her uneven bars routine, which had scored the highest of any routine on Friday night. Now that I've gotten older, it's definitely different. Remember your 'why', remember why you started, remember how proud you made your dad. Following U.S. Championships last year, a number of athletes made the switch to new gyms. College Gym News was founded in 2015 by Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Grimsley. Very interesting switch a week before Nationals! She had reached out to me and asked me how did I stay motivated when my dad had his accident? I didnt really have the love for gymnastics, McClain said. McClain had trained at the same gym, with the same coach, her whole career. She just switched gyms too so that may be a factor as well. U.S. champion Konnor McClain will miss world championships She amazes me that everything she does is tight with pointed toes. While Laurie said it was because the beam and bars were cursed, perhaps it could be chalked up to the idea that when an immense amount of pressure is put on young adults, they tend to crack, or in the gymnasts case, slip. Rest with the greats. Those three, along with McClain, Jones, DiCello and Skye Blakely appear to be the top contenders to make the five-woman team that will head to Liverpool for the world championships in late October. I would say I had very low goals for myself at this competition, so I went in really thinking, 'Just do your best. Konnor's sister Olivia just posted and retweeted many things on Twitter which seem to relate to Konnor's abusive former coaches at Revolution Gymnastics doing some terrible things, including badmouthing Konnor and her family on Reddit in their moment of grief. And on top of that, she's super smart, very intelligent, makes corrections quickly, just really has the whole package.. For Susan, the meet was memorable for an entirely different reason. Konnor is really technically a beautiful gymnast on all the events. She just really has that attention to detail, and she's had it since she was a kid from the toes all the way to the fingertips.. Konnor has some issues with the ligaments in her foot and other issues and wont be going to championships, which means she wont be going to Olympic Trials. When McClain arrived, Anna Liukin remembers finding a teenager nursing ankle injuries and her confidence level completely down. "I felt forced going into the gym. Drury seems exhausted from her training, which Laurie relates to. TAMPA, Fla. -- Konnor McClain arrived in Texas last spring adrift, her confidence shattered. Known for her powerful yet technically proficient gymnastics, McClain performed a show-stopping beam routine Friday, posting the highest score of the night on that event. "Anything can happen,'' McClain said. I showed her the rotation, and we just laughed, a fun laugh, like a good, Are you kidding me, type of How cool is this? She won the Winter Cup in late February but had trouble staying healthy during the spring and early summer. Then the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 were postponed a year, and a subsequent adjustment to the minimum-age requirement suddenly made her eligible. Yet a year removed from a second-place finish to the Russian in Japan, the Americans appear to be a threat to return to the top of the sport even with reigning Olympic champion Lee and Biles both on sabbaticals from elite competition. Through Turmoil, Heartbreak And Injuries, Konnor McClain Is Back On The So sometimes we drive Konnor crazy, Lorinda shared, laughing. Its such a big difference being so confident and not being garbage anymore. He changed the game as an athlete, advocate and mentor. She watched the 2021 U.S. Championships from the stands and caught the Olympics on TV, wondering if the dream that once appeared so tantalizingly close had slipped out of reach, maybe for good. Its time for gymnasts to show what theyre capable of. It doesn't matter where are you're going to end up,' she said. Honestly, I'm not going to lie, [competing beam is] terrifying. In agreement with her new coach, she decided to withdraw from the Olympic process and resume her original plan, preparing step by step for 2024. McClains journey still has a long way to go. As per usual, Suni is feeling a little bit stressed, and is still struggling with injuries. Konnor McClain, rising U.S. gymnast, focuses on 2024 Olympic cycle When asked separately what their favorite moment in Konnors career has been, both Lorinda and Susan said it was when she won first all-around at Jesolo. The gymnastics that came so easily for so long to the precocious teenager had turned shaky. Gymnastics Championships on Aug. 21, 2022 in Tampa, Fla. TAMPA, Fla. Konnor McClain arrived at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Texas a year ago as a broken soul. Everything. In gut-wrenching social media posts, she questioned if she even wanted to continue in the sport. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "afcfd5a3b9b326283a000c1a4a0b73d7" );document.getElementById("af034859ed").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. His first retirement came after placing sixth at his third Olympics in 2014. I just can't really explain it. "You know, to fall twice and still end up in second place, this just really only the beginning for me.''. My best friends, my rocks, my twins, and the best dad and grandma I couldve asked for decided to say their goodbyes this past week, McClain wrote on Instagram at the time. I think that is so good because sometimes Konnor can be shy. A little more than a year before the Games, she reset her sights from 2024 to 2021. Did the inspiration for Payson Keelers plot line come from the Skinner family? Their WOGA gym has produced two Olympic all-around champions, including their daughter Nastia Liukin in 2008. Konnor McClain Wins 2022 U.S. Gymnastics Championships As Black - MSN Carl Lewis (@Carl_Lewis) April 30, 2023, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Daisuke Takahashi, pioneering Japanese figure skater, retires again, Ralph Boston, Olympic long jump champion, dies at 83, Ukraine boycotts judo worlds after Russians, Belarusians allowed as neutrals, Joel Embiid unlikely to play at FIBA World Cup, France coach says, who called Owens a mentor and dear friend, reportedly became Beamons unofficial coach. I felt forced going into the gym. The thought of uprooting her family also weighed on her mind. In the final, Beamonsfirst jump was so far that the measuring device couldnt extend far enough to record it. She doesn't really want to watch gymnastics tonight. Her sister was also on my team, and theyd both put on their leotards and come out and, and Konnor would just slide down in the most perfect split with pointed toes at two years old and do a backbend kickover., It was a good thing Konnor found a coach she loved and didnt mind showing off in front of, since she was a shy kid. At one point last spring, she felt she was "the most garbage gymnast ever." The next step for McClain and the other top gymnasts will be a selection camp, where five women will be named to the U.S. team for the world championships that start in late October in Liverpool, England. Required fields are marked *. When she walked between six and a half and seven months old, Lorinda was concerned it was too early and even called a physical therapist to make sure it was okay. Slowly the coaches began building her back up. Beamon heeded the advice and advanced. Laurie helps like she needs to redeem herself from her Classic performance before championships. with a free Peacock account. Notably, Seniors Levi Jung-Ruivivar, who is now at WOGA, and Joscelyn Roberson and Sumansekera who are now at WCC. Susan's crazy, and she's been my friend for a long time. I feel like in 2024, when the season comes, I feel like it'll be a lot better that year just because I've been preparing for this for my whole life, McClain said. At 15, @konnormcclain_ wasnt old enough to compete at #Tokyo2020 until the Games were postponed. Muramoto was a singles skater through her teens, then competed in the 2018 Olympics in dance with Chris Reed. This wasnt our initial goal anyway to do Trials or Olympics this year. Lee had been through hard times herself, including in August 2019 when her father, John, fell and was paralyzed from the waist down just prior to the U.S. Championships. Three weeks later, Boston took gold at the Rome Olympics. I was ready to quit gymnastics, McClain said. The pressure mounting, and her love for the sport waning, McClain came home from practice one day shortly after that and made a split-second decision. Konnor McClain's abusive former coaches are on Reddit? Id won a gold, silver and a bronze in that order. Gymnastics Championships on Aug. 21, 2022 in Tampa, Fla. Twelve hours later, she had packed up her room at the familys West Virginia home, hopped in the car with her dad Marc and hit the road, headed toward Texas. Not yet 2 years old when she . Daisuke Takahashi, who after an Olympic medal-winning singles figure skating career came back to ice dance, has retired along with partnerKana Muramoto, according to Japanese media citing a video on their Instagram. At first it was very overwhelming, I would say, and I felt a lot of peer pressure on me just because it was everywhere, Konnor said. 2006 - Present FloSports, Inc. All rights reserved. Maybe, just maybe, the best for her was not letting her compete while she was throwing up in a bag. Takahashi was trying to become the first figure skater to compete in the Olympics in their career in both singles and ice dance as medal events, according to Olympedia.org. Though everyone is excited about her Olympic eligibility, Konnor is focused on one thing at a time. Gymnasts cant compete in major senior international meets until the year they turn 16, so she would have been too young for the Tokyo Games had they been held in 2020. Uncertain. Following a year and a half of turmoil, heartbreak and injury struggles, McClain, now 17, strung together eight strong routines over two days at the OOFOS U.S. It was more, Wow. "If Suni says it, then I can do it." McClain took Lee's words to heart. I barely know. Valeri Liukin, a co-founder and owner of WOGA, had also built a relationship with McClain from his time as the elite development coordinator from USA Gymnastics. Data Deep Dive: What Makes an MVP in Gymnastics, Looking Back at the Highs and Lows of the 2023 Season, Way Too Early Power Rankings For the 2024 Season, Golden Recap Episode 6 College Gym News, LIVE BLOG: NCAA National Championship Final, LIVE BLOG: NCAA National Championships Semifinal II, LIVE BLOG: NCAA National Championships Semifinal I, LIVE BLOG: Los Angeles Regional Round Final. Until then, I saw myself as just another local yokel, Boston, who called Owens a mentor and dear friend, said last year. Just doing routines over and over again, and knowing I can do the routines and coming to the competition knowing I can make it too. The transformation that began when she switched gyms in a rush last spring ended with the 17-year-old . As a teenager, Konnor makes me feel SEEN. As we get closer and closer to the Olympics, NBC released the first three episodes of its series "Golden: The Journey of USA's Elite Gymnasts" on its new streaming service, Peacock. Instead, Jones who has faced hardships of her own this past year, and also lost her dad last December sat down on her dismount. Boston was reportedly an inspiration for Beamon, having spoken in front of Beamon and his classmates in a high school gym in 1964. Then the injuries began piling up. In 2018, he returned to singles skating after a four-year retirement. Whether the E panel thinks this is a switch ring where the foot is too low or a switch leap where the foot is too high, she's losing 0.3 on the element. Takahashis greatest success came in 2010, when he became the first Japanese man to win an Olympic figure skating medal (bronze) and a world title. The 17-year-old announced Wednesday that a back injury will keep her out of the global meet. Boston died Sunday morning after recently suffering a stroke, according to the Tennessean. Konnor McClain during an interview with NBC Sports following competition at the 2022 U.S. Her gymnastics, she said, was garbage. Her confidence shattered. At the 1968 Games, Boston broke his own Olympic record in qualifying by jumping 8.27 meters. Lorinda never imagined anyone else would be interested in watching her daughter do gymnastics, especially for ten minutes straight. Ever since I felt it, I started loving it even more., McClain felt even more legitimized in her choice a couple of months later, when Simone Biles withdrew from four finals at the Olympic Games to prioritize her mental health. McClain had no idea, and even an hour later was still struggling to comprehend it. Konnor McClain (Revolution) She turned her focus instead to her. Last years national championships were held in Fort Worth, Texas, not far from McClains new gym, which is known as WOGA. The only thing missing from this weekend was being able to celebrate with her dad. Most gymnasts dont suddenly find out theyre eligible for the Olympics a year before Trials, something else that keeps Konnor off the traditional gymnastics path. Many people were intrigued by the video because at four years old, Konnor was practicing incredibly advanced skills for her age. Were just trying to get her back on track. In retrospect, this was probably the perfect way to find out about the news that was going to rule her entire life for the next year or so.
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