Konnor speaks more to the struggle of growing up in West Virginia and with white people saying racist things around her. Theyve decided to keep shooting for 2024 as their ultimate goal, especially as Konnor has already faced some serious setbacks this year, including foot surgery and a stomach infection that set her back about three months. 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. Konnor and her mom have been living in and out of hotels since she got to Texas. When the scores came up, Liukin whispered into McClains ear. Unlike most of the NBC gymnastics pieces from over the years, these episodes take a more serious angle. Obviously, they're two very different things because my dad obviously didn't pass away, but I kind of just told her, Remember your 'why', Lee told Olympics.com. This is so unbelievable right now, she said. It was just meant to be that way. Favorite TV show: Grey's Anatomy and All-American, How Would Other Elite Gymnasts Describe Her: Competitive, Hardworking, Funny. I barely know. 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. As a teenager, Konnor makes me feel SEEN. So, I'm feeling really good about the next competitions and camps in the future.. Its the GK U.S. Classic in Indianapolis. She's just really driven to go to the Olympicsat a very, very young age she's always wanted thisa great combination of work ethic, strength, flexibility, drive. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Konnor McClain arrived in Texas last spring adrift, her confidence shattered. A lot. This article is not a criticism of Shawn. Being the only Black girl in her group, Konnor felt uncomfortable in the environment. Boston leaped 8.21 meters, eight centimeters better than Owens. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Always has been, she just has a great personality and she's a good kid, Lorinda shared. In 2018, he returned to singles skating after a four-year retirement. Susan and Lorinda have been friends since grade school, working at the local pool, doing gymnastics together, and going to college and cheerleading together. So as an example informed Australian, this seems like a big deal. "So I'm excited for the future.''. We've talked about itshe communicates with all the girls at college, and you know how that goes with social media and everything, Susan shared. Last years national championships were held in Fort Worth, Texas, not far from McClains new gym, which is known as WOGA. Id won a gold, silver and a bronze in that order. In this instance, the balance check on the landing cost her another 0.3 or 0.5 (depending on whether it was deemed medium or large). Try to forget the past and not be anxious about the future. Now, MyKaylas on beam and falls on her back handspring into a back full. She had reached out to me and asked me how did I stay motivated when my dad had his accident? McClain, the 2019 U.S. junior all-around silver medalist, was originally too young for the Tokyo Olympics but became age-eligible when the Games were postponed one year to 2021. The first step is the September training camp later this month, which will select the U.S. team for the world championships in October. Not yet 2 years old when she . Theres nothing for fourth place, so I just said, OK, thats enough.'. Konnor is very close with her sister, and credits her as the main thing thats helped her mentally survive the difficulties of the pandemic, including that moment. He would be so proud of me, she said. Im not sure Ive seen MyKayla in the gym with just her coaches and no family members once this entire series. Its a lot different, I wont have to switch up [my plan] in a year or less.. Its time for gymnasts to show what theyre capable of. 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. Shes been homeschooled since fourth grade to focus on gymnastics, and just started going to high school as a sophomore to take one class a day, art, and then goes to gymnastics in the afternoons. She wanted to go and see her friends that she hadn't seen since third grade. Required fields are marked *. It has been a long year, Lorinda McClain said. MyKayla talks about how she didnt like gymnastics as a kid, but her mom kept her in it. A little more than a year before the Games, she reset her sights from 2024 to 2021. Switching gears today for a live blog of the senior women's session at Winter Cup, where the likes of Konnor McClain, Skye Blakely, Katelyn Jong, and insert name will compete for the first time in the new triennium and the first time under the new code. Content Summary [ Hide] 1 1.After Almost Quitting Gymnastics, Konnor McClain Commits to LSU 2 2.Konnor McClain moves to WOGA - Inside Gymnastics Magazine 3 3.Konnor McClain moves to WOGA (confirmed on her IG) : r/Gymnastics 4 4.why did konnor mcclain switch gyms 5 5.Elite gymnast Konnor McClain's abrupt move to WOGA 'all worth it' MyKaylas nieces, nephew, sister, husband and mom are with her in the gym. Then the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 were postponed a year, and a subsequent adjustment to the minimum-age requirement suddenly made her eligible. 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 (born February 1, 2005) is an American artistic gymnast and a convicted criminal for a hit and run case involving teammate Hezly Rivera in a woga parkinglot, she is also a member of the United States women's national gymnastics team. Instead, she performed wearing a patch with his initials on it, dedicating her performance to her biggest supporter. Besides gymnastics, Konnor is just your average teenager, getting her drivers permit and attending public schoolwell, as of two weeks ago at least. Now that I've gotten older, it's definitely different. But for a local. At one point, MyKaylas fathers pay was cut and they didnt think they were going to be able to afford gymnastics, but her coach created a position in the gyms office for her mom. Your email address will not be published. Empower Team USA athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence and well-being. Jess Graba and Alison Lim, Sunis coaches, are getting their kids out the door and to the gym. 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. McClain, who competed at her first world championships in October 2021, marveled at her position in the sport. Maybe I cant do it all the time, maybe Im not perfect all the time. College Gym News was founded in 2015 by Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Grimsley. with a free Peacock account. After an honest conversation with her parents, McClain decided to relocate from Revolution in West Virginia to WOGA in Texas to train with Valeri Liukin, who coached 2008 Olympic champion Nastia Liukin. 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. The video was originally uploaded by Konnors mom, Lorinda McClain, because Konnor liked watching herself after practice. She has some wobbles and doesnt do her real dismount. It kind of took me a long time to get back into the groove of things. Entering the Olympic year, she tried to enjoy it without putting too much pressure on herself, but nothing seemed to fall into place. The gymnastics that came so easily for so long to the precocious teenager had turned shaky. When McClain started her recruiting process, she began to tease fans about her collegiate choice, dropping real and fake clues on social media about the schools she was considering. my #1 supporter, i love and miss you more than words can describe https://t.co/zC4owvGqzd. I'll miss his voice and support. 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. Join us as we recap each episode. She committed to an elite schedule that she hopes will take her to the world championships this fall and eventually to Paris 2024, and she chose LSU as her future NCAA team. We thought we were on the slow and steady. When the Olympics were postponed, McClain became eligible to make the U.S. team, but a difficult start to her 2021 campaign prompted her to withdraw from the Olympic process, switch gyms from Revolution to WOGA and commit to a more relaxed training schedule that she hopes will lead her to Paris 2024. At least one woman who turned 16 or younger in the Olympic year made the last 10 U.S. Olympic teams. Also in qualifying, Beamon fouled his first two of three jumps, giving him one last chance to make the final. McClain was expected to be a part of the 2020 Olympic team, but a rough season combined with injuries led her to abruptly switch coacheswhich is a decision not normally made during an Olympic . I loved them almost more than anyone in the world.. Her older sister Liv was on pre-team at the time, and everything Liv came home and did from class, Konnor mimicked. 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. Susan's crazy, and she's been my friend for a long time. She left the building within striking distance of Shilese Jones for the all-around lead. Golden: The Journey of USAs Elite Gymnasts,, After Elite Heartbreak, Aleah Finnegan Is Ready for Fresh Start at LSU, The Transfer Portal: How It Works and How to Normalize It in Gymnastics, Looking Back at the Highs and Lows of the 2023 Season, Belgiums Margo Van Linden Looking Forward to Team Spirit at Western Michigan College Gym News, MyKayla Skinners Unusual Path to the Olympics Paved by Just Three Before Her 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. Well, huh. We're trying to be on pace for 2024. Then, step-by-step she marched toward that goal. You are using an out of date browser. Aug. 22, 2022, 3:19 p.m. (ET). McClain, 17, was due to vie for a spot on the five-woman world team at a selection camp in two weeks. She ended up taking the bronze on vault and beam at Winter Cup, and plans to bring back all-around for the GK Classic. I'm getting better at driving, she shares. 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. McClains father, Marc, passed away on 27 December due to COVID-19. Continued Lee, I was like, There's going to be a part of you that's missing, but you're just going to have to rebuild. She falls on bars, then on beam. Her gymnastics, she said, was garbage. Her confidence shattered. So I had to take that all in and put her safety and health first. On Sunday night, in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Tampa, Florida, the rebirth came to fruition. OnlyCarl Lewis, who won four golds, has more Olympic long jump medals. And on top of that, she's super smart, very intelligent, makes corrections quickly, just really has the whole package.. College Gym News is your place for everything you need to know about collegiate gymnastics. McClain at that point was especially low. "I was having a rough year inside the gym. Boston was reportedly an inspiration for Beamon, having spoken in front of Beamon and his classmates in a high school gym in 1964. I'll miss his voice and support. I'd say this year, just with the age change, was definitely a hard year for me because just running it through my head, thinking about it and seeing it everywhere all over social media was definitely hard, but I've learned just to not think about it and to keep my mind away from it more, instead of just always putting that on myself and putting the pressure on myself, she shared. That was really good to see.. Favorite us! She feels like Tom and the Olympic Committee always see her injured, so she may not seem reliable. This is a blessing, Susan shared. A post shared by Konnor McClain (@konnormcclain_). It was easy to end my career, in 1968, Boston said. Konnor says until the pandemic started, things were good with her coach, Susan, and in the gym. Her dad passed away the day before they left for Italy. As a teenager, Konnor makes me feel SEEN. I felt forced going into the gym. In August 1960, Boston broke Owens world record in the long jump that stood since 1935. why did konnor mcclain switch gyms. 2022 U.S. women's gymnastics champion Konnor McClain will not compete at the upcoming World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, England. She really held it together for me. The gymnastics that came so easily for so long to the precocious teenager had turned shaky. I just know that., Shilese Jones Star Turn Puts Her In Pole Position Going Into Day 2 At Gymnastics Nationals, When School Let Out, These Three Star Gymnasts Resumed Their Quest To Be The Best, Juniors Dulcy Caylor, Tiana Sumanasekera Represent A Talented Next Generation Of U.S. Gymnasts. Their WOGA gym has produced two Olympic all-around champions, including their daughter Nastia Liukin in 2008. That includesKyla Ross, the 2011 U.S. junior all-around silver medalist who made the 2012 Olympic team. In fact, it was not supposed to happen this year at all. His first retirement came after placing sixth at his third Olympics in 2014. Her grandma passed less than a week later. Boston won silver and bronze at the next two Olympics and remains the lone person to win an Olympic long jump medal of every color. But despite an error on the uneven bars McClain won the competition. McClain never gave the lead back, though there were some nail-biting moments late. Along with learning logistics, Susan sought out a sports psychologist to gain confidence in coaching the mental aspects of gymnastics and wisdom to not get overwhelmed and give in to self-doubt. In the run-up to the 1968 Olympics, Boston reportedly became Beamons unofficial coach after Beamon and other UTEP track athletes lost their scholarships for boycotting a meet against BYU because of the Mormon churchs historically racist views. But I was not expecting the outcome that happened.. Susan feels like Konnors family could have handled the situation better because what they did was so sudden. Though McClain had some uncharacteristic struggles on beam and missed one of her skills, her lead held up going into the final rotation. Its such a big difference being so confident and not being garbage anymore. 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.. Boston was reportedly an inspiration for Beamon, having spoken in front of Beamon and his classmates in a high school gym in 1964. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a3860ed09bb427606f3c16e2d8cddaf3" );document.getElementById("af034859ed").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It was kind of crazy.. Boston broke the mens long jump world record six times between 1960-65 and shared the record going into the 1968 Mexico City Games. By Chrs McDougall | After the first rotation, Sunis in second and MyKaylas in fourth. Her score of 13.850 opened the door for Jones, who was waiting to go on uneven bars as McClain's score flashed. 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. She was very hard on herself, Anna Liukin said. In August 1960, Boston broke Owens world record in the long jump that stood since 1935. "Anything can happen,'' McClain said. I mean, she loves my family. Gymnastics Championships on Aug. 21, 2022 in Tampa, Fla. Coming into Tampa, she cautiously listed her goal as simply hitting her routines. Theres a conversation about the price of gymnastics and the sacrifices many families make to afford it. U.S. all-around championKonnor McClainposted that she will miss the world gymnastics championships that start in three weeks due to a back injury, writing that her season is officially over.. 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. Until then, I saw myself as just another local yokel, Boston, who called Owens a mentor and dear friend, said last year. July 6, 2021 College Gym News Elite, Featured, Musings, Recap. On vault, MyKayla has a solid landing, with a 14.975. The thought of switching gyms had been looming in McClain's mind for the past year and half, but it wasn't an easy move to make. 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. Ralph Boston, Olympic long jump champion, dies at 83 Switching gyms with less than a month to go before Olympic Trials is not something you see often (ever?). A committee will choose the five-woman world team after the selection camp. Favorite us! Finally, McClain began to feel the weight of expectations, leaving her with a sense that she wasnt doing it for the right reasons anymore. The world of Olympic gold medalists is small. Laurie had fallen on her landing during warmups and hurt her knee. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Konnor McClain arrived in Texas last spring adrift, her confidence shattered. McClain learned the Olympics were postponed in March 2020, this making her age-eligible for Tokyo, while watching The Hunger Games: Catching Fire., Just to make it to the Olympic Trials would be such an accomplishment, especially for her being young, her mom said in April 2020. "I still think we're going to be able to pull through and have an amazing outcome,'' Chiles said. So that was a shocker. The teacher was always like, Oh my gosh, she's so strong, and so we kept her in it, Lorinda shared. Takahashi switched to ice dance after his singles farewell at the December 2019 Japanese Championships.
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