"Like, there's . Kayla Dicello took fourth, with reigning Olympic floor exercise champion Jade Carey in fifth. Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year! Then, step-by-step she marched toward that goal. How Konnor McClain Carves Her Own Path To Success College Gym News is your place for everything you need to know about collegiate gymnastics. McClain, who recently changed gyms to move from West Virginia to WOGA in Texas, is focusing on the next Olympic cycle, possibly beginning with the world championships in October in Japan, her mom said Wednesday, confirming an Inside Gymnastics report. Sitting on the couch next to her sister, Liv told Konnor to open the app. I wasnt expecting this year to happen, so going into this year, it was hard on my mind, she said. PLANO Konnor McClain wanted to quit. She left the building within striking distance of Shilese Jones for the all-around lead. I literally thought that I was the most garbage gymnast ever, she said this week. I feel like I'm really nervous at first when I salute and then I get up there and I'm like, "Oh, I'm good." 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. From Plano to world championships: Elite gymnast Konnor McClain's While shes working on beam, Jess is scribbling judges shorthand, trying to figure out how to maximize her routines potential. Takahashi, 37, and Muramoto, 30, won a national title and placed 11th and 16th at the last two world championships after teaming up during the pandemic in 2020. I'm like, Wow. 2022 U.S. women's gymnastics champion Konnor McClain will not compete at the upcoming World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, England. Despite their close friendship with Konnor's old coach, Konnor's parents . I loved them almost more than anyone in the world.. Unlike most of the NBC gymnastics pieces from over the years, these episodes take a more . 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. Ngl, that seems like a blast. Jess Graba and Alison Lim, Sunis coaches, are getting their kids out the door and to the gym. Suni is up on bars. 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? Team Narrows Selection To 2021 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, Who We Might See At The 2021 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, What To Watch For At The 2021 GK U.S. Classic, Cookie Preferences / Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Unlike most of the NBC gymnastics pieces from over the years, these episodes take a more serious angle. At least until her dismount, which Jones underrotated, forcing her to sit on the mat, her hopes of a national championship gone. The 17-year-old announced Wednesday that a back injury will keep her out of the global meet. The pair tell us how their friendship helped McClain get back on the mat. Though McClain had some uncharacteristic struggles on beam and missed one of her skills, her lead held up going into the final rotation. She says Morgan inspired her to speak up. Susan says she still loves Konnor and wants the best for her. Were at the championships in Fort Worth, Texas. Konnor McClain, rising U.S. gymnast, focuses on 2024 Olympic cycle Ralph Boston, who in 1960 brokeJesse Owens world record in the long jump and then won the Olympic title, died at age 83, according to Tennessee State, his alma mater, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic alumni association. Even the best in the world cant do it sometimes and has to take a break. From Konnors perspective, though it may look effortless, thats not quite how it feels. U.S. gymnast Konnor McClain on resetting after tragedy: "If Suni says Muramoto and Takahashi made their competitive debut as a dance couple in November 2020 and missed the 2022 Olympic team by one spot. If not for Boston, fellow American long jumperBob Beamonmight not have pulled off the most astonishing feat of those Olympics. Now shes eyeing a place in the US team alongside superstar Simone Biles. 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.. Join us as we recap each episode. 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. Her score of 13.850 opened the door for Jones, who was waiting to go on uneven bars as McClain's score flashed. As per usual, Suni is feeling a little bit stressed, and is still struggling with injuries. And then just whatever comes after that, but definitely World Championships later in the year. You would have never known. Did the inspiration for Payson Keelers plot line come from the Skinner family? Morgan says it will get easier with time, hopefully. Now, I hate to sound like a broken record, but maybe training with an elbow that isnt fully healed is the reason it hasnt been getting any easier? We thought we were on the slow and steady. On vault, MyKayla has a solid landing, with a 14.975. Once at WOGA, she regained a healthier approach to gymnastics. Konnor McClain rallies to victory at U.S. gymnastics championships And that moment was special for me because it just was so surreal after everything that we'd been through, Susan shared. Winter Cup Live Blog | Balance Beam Situation Today were talking about the recently dropped episode five. Picking up the pieces to rebuild the 16-year-old, regarded as one of the most talented gymnasts in the country, would be a gargantuan task for her new coaches, Valeri and Anna Liukin. College Gym News was founded in 2015 by Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Grimsley. Since then, the site has transformed into a one-stop-shop for college gymnastics news, from recruiting analysis to meet coverage at the NCAA national championships thanks to the hard work of 15-plus contributors. Boston leaped 8.21 meters, eight centimeters better than Owens. Though nerve-wracking to compete as a senior, the joy of competition remained the same. McClain had no idea, and even an hour later was still struggling to comprehend it. That seemed to be the theme for many of the gymnasts at that meet. Takahashi switched to ice dance after his singles farewell at the December 2019 Japanese Championships. A decision was made to pull the plug on 2021, which meant withdrawing from the national championships and Olympic trials. JavaScript is disabled. 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. Muramoto was a singles skater through her teens, then competed in the 2018 Olympics in dance with Chris Reed. Konnors dad says the reason people dont like Valeri is because he pushes girls so hard, but why else would they be there. Reed retired in 2019. Konnor McClain Rallies to Claim US Gymnastics National Title Entering the Olympic year, she tried to enjoy it without putting too much pressure on herself, but nothing seemed to fall into place. Laurie cant wait to be a crowd pleaser again. Laurie talks about how she was really happy with the silver medal she got at Rio and she just wants to emulate that performance and feeling. To see Konnor McClain compete today, many people would happily pay a good amount of money. That includesKyla Ross, the 2011 U.S. junior all-around silver medalist who made the 2012 Olympic team. 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. 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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. That's my number one priority, Susan shared. Konnor McClain competes during the women's balance beam at the 2022 U.S. Konnor McClain moves to WOGA (confirmed on her IG) : r/Gymnastics - Reddit The world of Olympic gold medalists is small. Instead, Jones who has faced hardships of her own this past year, and also lost her dad last December sat down on her dismount. Jordan Chiles finished third in her first elite meet since winning a silver in the team competition at the Tokyo Olympics. The first step is the September training camp later this month, which will select the U.S. team for the world championships in October. Konnor had chosen to go to Valeri because of how helpful he was when she was in the development program. That made McClain the highest-ranked, first-year U.S. senior woman in 2021. I think she's missed one practice in 16 years besides an injury or something. He changed the game as an athlete, advocate and mentor. Until then, I saw myself as just another local yokel, Boston, who called Owens a mentor and dear friend, said last year. Sacrificing family time. But despite an error on the uneven bars McClain won the competition. She gets a 15.300. McClain had trained at the same gym, with the same coach, her whole career. Finally, after nearly two years of turmoil, she feels like shes back where she wanted to be with two years to go until the Paris Games. At the U.S. Championships in August, McClain edged Shilese Jonesby .75 of a point after Jones fell on the last skill of her last routine of the competition. "Anything can happen,'' McClain said. Konnor McClain won her first U.S. gymnastics national championship Sunday night, rallying past Shilese Jones in the finals to complete a stunning turnaround since switching training gyms last year. His first retirement came after placing sixth at his third Olympics in 2014. Full Name Konnor McClain Nation United States Birthdate February 1, 2005 Status Active Click here for all coverage related to Konnor McClain on The Gymternet. Theres a somber mood as the first night of championships. The family moved to West Virginia when McClain was 3. Just because Konnor hasnt experienced what other gymnasts have, doesnt mean he is like that with every other athlete. You are using an out of date browser. Empower Team USA athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence and well-being. Boston broke the mens long jump world record six times between 1960-65 and shared the record going into the 1968 Mexico City Games. Many events and activities were canceled, including the 2020 Olympic Games. Konnor McClain, who recently moved to Texas to train at WOGA under Valeri Liukin, competes at the 2019 U.S. Championships. Ongoing problems at her gym exacerbated, making her struggle with motivation. Growing up in a family of athletes, Lorinda played soccer and cheered in college, Konnors dad played college football at Southern Utah, and her uncle was in the Olympic Trials for boxing. My philosophy on this is I am trying to preach to her to always stay present, Liukin said. Konnor's parents : r/Gymnastics - Reddit 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. A post shared by Konnor McClain (@konnormcclain_). In short, the episodes are far from The Ranch documentary from 2016. Five-Star Konnor McClain Commits to LSU for 2024 Season 'If my dad dies, I die': How Konnor McClain now balances - MSN 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. I [felt] like I needed a change because [my gym] wasnt good for my head. And on top of that, she's super smart, very intelligent, makes corrections quickly, just really has the whole package.. Its such a big difference being so confident and not being garbage anymore. Susan and Lorinda have been friends since grade school, working at the local pool, doing gymnastics together, and going to college and cheerleading together. Switching gyms with less than a month to go before Olympic Trials is not something you see often (ever?). I was like, 'OK, then I got it.' Konnor McClain competes during the women's floor exercise at the 2022 U.S. In the final, Beamonsfirst jump was so far that the measuring device couldnt extend far enough to record it. Konnor McClain rallies to claim US gymnastics national title I'm actually really excited for [the trip to Germany] and excited for later in the season where I could hopefully put some upgrades in and be at my full potential and peak at worlds, said McClain. Konnor decided to switch gyms because things just kept going poorly at her gym. 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. Our kids had no choice. Their WOGA gym has produced two Olympic all-around champions, including their daughter Nastia Liukin in 2008. A lot. I felt forced going into the gym. Getting to know Konnor McClain - one of Team USA's fastest rising stars. ", 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.. He changed the game as an athlete, advocate and mentor. If we had a good day of training, enjoy this, appreciate it, be grateful for this and stay present. She's a great sister, she's a great daughter, she's the easiest kid. U.S. all-around champion Konnor McClain posted 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 . The first time when we were invited to National Team Camp, they asked me if I thought she was ready. 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.. 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. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Konnor McClain arrived in Texas last spring adrift, her confidence shattered. And then she said based on how this will go, maybe she can do two classes next year. Its time for gymnasts to show what theyre capable of. Well, I'm not going to say no to that, Susan shared, laughing. At just 17 years old, four-time U.S. Women's National Team member Konnor McClain is a rising star in the sport of gymnastics and a leading contender to represent the U.S. at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. McClain missed last months U.S. Classic, the main pre-nationals tune-up, while recovering from a concussion and stress fractures in both shins. So we just thought that would be best physically and mentally to withdraw her and focus more on the future and what our initial path was. As the National Anthem is sung, the athletes are making their entrance. Behind the scenes, it wasnt always going so well. The thought of uprooting her family also weighed on her mind. With Lee and the rest of her Tokyo Olympic teammates either in NCAA, taking a break from elite competition, or retired, McClain finds herself quickly as one of the leaders of a USA team that has long dominated womens gymnastics. 2) Konnor is a rare breed. 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. Meet Konnor McClain, The 15-Year-Old U.S. Gymnast Suddenly In - TeamUSA A couple of weeks after I switched [gyms] I really started doing it for me and not doing it for other people, because I just enjoyed it again, she said. While McClain made her peace with how this year started, coming to the conclusion that 2021 wasnt her time, shes more committed than ever to turn 2024 into her Olympic year. Slowly the coaches began building her back up. She just switched gyms too so that may be a factor as well. Then the injuries began piling up. Having grown since then, one thing that Lorinda and Susan can attest to is that her perfectionism and attention to detail has stayed consistent. Konnor McClain | The Gymternet I just tried to make it to this competition because coming here was a really hard road for me. Who is on Olympic gymnastics team 2021? - BIO-Answers.com 2023 Winter Cup - 5 Storylines to Follow! Who To Watch and What to Her older sister Liv was on pre-team at the time, and everything Liv came home and did from class, Konnor mimicked. She's really like a sister to me, Susan shared, making Konnors coaching experience more like a family one. Konnor McClain competes during the women's balance beam at the 2022 U.S. So that was definitely fun for us, Lorinda said. Three weeks later, Boston took gold at the Rome Olympics. Everybody needed to see thatevery gymnast and every girl, every human being in the world needed to see that, McClain said. McClain and Jones were followed in the U.S. Championships all-around standings by Tokyo Olympic team silver medalist Jordan Chiles, University of Florida freshman Kayla DiCello(who said at nationals that she did not plan to go for the world team) and Tokyo Olympic floor exercise championJade Carey. Remember your why, remember why you started, remember how proud you made your dad. Gymnastics Championships on Aug. 21, 2022 in Tampa, Fla. Coming into Tampa, she cautiously listed her goal as simply hitting her routines. 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. One of the national team coaches told Lorinda that Konnor didnt say a word to them until she was 12 years old, but she was always happy to talk to Susan. She wanted to move gyms. Jumpers, Know his name!!! I didnt want to, but I was so done. What Susan and Konnor decided to do about the news was also unexpected. Ukraine boycotts judo worlds after Russians, Belarusians allowed as neutrals. After a while, her parents noticed Konnor was easily doing skills that her older peers were still learning. Wearing a bedazzled red leotard with her bun held in place by a matching red scrunchie, McClain was up by a half-point going into the final rotation but lost her balance while trying to complete a wolf turn spin on floor exercise. Since she was moving so early, Lorinda enrolled her in a mommy and me class at 16 months. The Liukins are well-known in the sport. 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). Even in Mommy and Me class, Konnor McClain was precocious. In fact, it was not supposed to happen this year at all. Follow on
