2022 U.S. women's gymnastics champion Konnor McClain will not compete at the upcoming World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, England. In 2018, he returned to singles skating after a four-year retirement. At first [driving] was definitely scarier than gymnastics. Konnor and her mom have been living in and out of hotels since she got to Texas. With McClain, her confidence restored, on the cusp of an opportunity she feared would never come. 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. The first time when we were invited to National Team Camp, they asked me if I thought she was ready. 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. I am thrilled to see former Olympians working for large media outlets and promoting the sport. JavaScript is disabled. A national title? Were at the championships in Fort Worth, Texas. Devastated, McClain reached out to a friend, Tokyo 2020 Olympic all-around gold medallist Sunisa Lee, seeking comfort, advice, and guidance. 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. The transformation that began when she switched gyms in a rush last spring ended with the 17-year-old . I've always gone to their house, and Konnor was just two years old, and her mom would say, Don't put your leotard on when Susan comes over. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Reed retired in 2019. This is a blessing, Susan shared. While shes working on beam, Jess is scribbling judges shorthand, trying to figure out how to maximize her routines potential. Aug. 22, 2022, 3:19 p.m. (ET). It was just meant to be that way. A week later, her grandmother also passed. Beamon heeded the advice and advanced. So that was definitely fun for us, Lorinda said. Her unconventional path started when an infamous video of Konnor became well-known in the gymnastics community completely by accident. 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. Her unconventional path started when an infamous video of Konnor became well-known in the gymnastics community completely by accident. I've always just wanted to help people in a way, and I didn't want to go to school to be a surgeon for like eight years. Chrs McDougall has covered the Olympic and Paralympic Movement for TeamUSA.org since 2009 on behalf of. Daisuke Takahashi, pioneering Japanese figure skater, retires again 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. I didnt want to compete., After the meet, what was supposed to be the beginning of a stellar Olympic journey felt like the end of her entire career. If not for Boston, fellow American long jumperBob Beamonmight not have pulled off the most astonishing feat of those Olympics. [Top athletes] are pulling their coaches to the next level too, in a lot of ways. 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. Boston broke the mens long jump world record six times between 1960-65 and shared the record going into the 1968 Mexico City Games. You won. Laurie helps like she needs to redeem herself from her Classic performance before championships. "Anything can happen,'' McClain said. Shes pushed an unexpected run at the Games out of her mind, reverting back to what the plan had always been: Paris 2024. Theres a conversation about the price of gymnastics and the sacrifices many families make to afford it. McClain at that point was especially low. She just is so self-driven that Konnor's going to make it work wherever she is., Though her coaching situation may be an unusual one, its certainly a perfect fit for her. Do their kids just hang around the gym all day? 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. Konnor McClain during an interview with NBC Sports following competition at the 2022 U.S. She skipped last years nationals (and a shot at Olympic Trials) to focus on 2024 after moving from West Virginia to Texas to train under AnnaandValeri Liukin, the parents of 2008 Olympic gold medalistNastia Liukin. In August 1960, Boston broke Owens world record in the long jump that stood since 1935. Not yet 2 years old when she . Now that I've gotten older, it's definitely different. Switching gyms with less than a month to go before Olympic Trials is not something you see often (ever?). As we get closer and closer to the Olympics, NBC released episode 5 of its series Golden: The Journey of USAs Elite Gymnasts on its new streaming service, Peacock. 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. Many events and activities were canceled, including the 2020 Olympic Games. Your email address will not be published. The night she got home from Classic, she cleared everything out of her locker, which is commemorated in a TikTok, obviously. Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year! McClain, who competed at her first world championships in October 2021, marveled at her position in the sport. 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. If youd like to watch along, the episodes are available. Takahashi switched to ice dance after his singles farewell at the December 2019 Japanese Championships. Konnor initially started at a gym where Susan coached, and when Susan opened her own gym in 2009 closer to home, Konnor followed. She did far more than that, taking the lead through one rotation on Sunday night and never letting go. McClain says she didnt have expectations to win the Winter Cup, just getting back into the gym and then competition had been hard enough. 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. 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. She loved my dad. Empower Team USA athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence and well-being. They pulled her out of Revolution immediately and moved all the way to Texas in a matter of days to ensure Konnor could train with Valeri, the coach of Konnor's choice. Konnor had chosen to go to Valeri because of how helpful he was when she was in the development program. I just wanted to make sure I had everything it took to help Konnor reach her ultimate goal, just equipping myself with as many tools as I can, she shared, adding, Konnor's always pulling meIm not necessarily in the lead here in the training. And I think just to throw that into the mix, I think just put a little extra pressure with our upgrades because before she had three years to perfect the upgrades and now she's really having to work on them a little bit more than she probably would have.. Theres nothing for fourth place, so I just said, OK, thats enough.'. By Chrs McDougall | CROSS LANES, W.Va. (WCHS) Because of the pandemic, 2020 was a very difficult year for so many people. As a child I idolized him and he was a major influence in my life. McClain, who turned 16 on Feb. 1, won the U.S. junior all-around silver medal in 2019. Just looking back at last year and being where I was last year, this is so crazy to me. 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. But for a local. Now shes eyeing a place in the US team alongside superstar Simone Biles. 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. Her older sister Liv was on pre-team at the time, and everything Liv came home and did from class, Konnor mimicked. So that was a shocker. Very interesting switch a week before Nationals! You're going to have to refocus. Just to get it at the end of the routine's going to take some time, but just having that E dismount is going to really help, and she also has a laid out Jaegerwe're still working the laid out full on beamand the Arabian on beam.. McClains journey still has a long way to go. Once at WOGA, she regained a healthier approach to gymnastics. The video was originally uploaded by Konnors mom, Lorinda McClain, because Konnor liked watching herself after practice. It was only a matter of time before someone would invite this comparison. OlympicTalk is on Apple News. At 15, @konnormcclain_ wasnt old enough to compete at #Tokyo2020 until the Games were postponed. We thought we were on the slow and steady. I recognized Konnor's talent early on, and she's always been a super serious kid. On vault, MyKayla has a solid landing, with a 14.975. In short, the episodes are far from The Ranch documentary from 2016. The hope is to have her ready for the World Championships in the fall. On floor, Sunis routine is solid, except for her last landing, where her ankle seemed to buckle. McClain was expected to be a factor in the run-up to the 2020 Olympics but struggled so much early in the competition season last spring that she needed to make a change, moving abruptly from West Virginia to Texas. A production company owned by LeBron James began filming her journey as part of a Peacock docuseries about Olympic womens gymnastics hopefuls. The other five later won Olympic and/or world all-around titles, the most recent Simone Biles. Drury seems exhausted from her training, which Laurie relates to. Behind the scenes, it wasnt always going so well. It was a difficult ending to an otherwise encouraging meet for the resilient 20-year-old, who promised her father Sylvester before his death from kidney disease last December that she would press on in hopes of reaching the 2024 Olympics. So this one element cost her a LOT and didn't gain her anything. 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. Slowly the coaches began building her back up. The two gyms will be well represented in Louisville . When McClain arrived, Anna Liukin remembers finding a teenager nursing ankle injuries and her confidence level completely down. Her sister was doing some backbend kick overs, and Konnor started doing backbend kick overs at 20 months oldthat's a little freaky for 20 months old and we have videos of it because I was like, no one will ever believe us, Lorinda shared. 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. Sensing Beamons nerves, Boston told his younger teammate to move it back three feet with a cautious jump to avoid fouling, Beamon later said. 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. Peng Peng Lee is hyping up the audience, cheering for USA. How many people there know Peng is from Canada? Also in qualifying, Beamon fouled his first two of three jumps, giving him one last chance to make the final. She falls on bars, then on beam. She's really like a sister to me, Susan shared, making Konnors coaching experience more like a family one. In the final, Beamonsfirst jump was so far that the measuring device couldnt extend far enough to record it. 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. 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. Like what you see? Konnor McClain competes during the women's balance beam at the 2022 U.S. 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. Though McClain had some uncharacteristic struggles on beam and missed one of her skills, her lead held up going into the final rotation. Rest with the greats. "She was like, 'Yes, you can.' She was like, 'I felt the same way, too, at one point,'" McClain told Olympics.com of her conversations with the Olympic champion. Susan feels like Konnors family could have handled the situation better because what they did was so sudden. Everyones experiences are different, and its important to remember that. I would say I had very low goals for myself at this competition, so I went in really thinking, 'Just do your best. I think its considered a big deal because: Real data on college teams put together by mezzamare! 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. 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' Following in the footsteps of two of her cousins, Konnor is considering becoming a firefighter in the future. Sensing Beamons nerves, Boston told his younger teammate to move it back three feet with a cautious jump to avoid fouling, Beamon later said. 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? So, a firefighter, I don't know, it just inspires me, she shared. Required fields are marked *. If youd like to watch along, the episodes are available here with a free Peacock account. AndLaurie Hernandez, the 2015 U.S. junior all-around champion who made the 2016 Olympic team. I always tell people if it wasn't gymnastics, Konnor would strive to go to the Olympics in another sport. 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. Maybe, just maybe, the best for her was not letting her compete while she was throwing up in a bag. Sunis family would fundraise for Suni to compete by selling T-shirts and doing a banquet where theyd invite friends and family. 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. There, McClain is planning to compete in the all around for the first time since March and hopes to end her year at worlds in Kitakyushu, Japan. 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. She won the Winter Cup in late February but had trouble staying healthy during the spring and early summer. An organic, homegrown gymnast through and through, her success has come from her own methods, rather than from following the usual formula. I loved them almost more than anyone in the world.. She was like, Yes, you can. She was like, I felt the same way, too, at one point, McClain told Olympics.com of her conversations with the Olympic champion. What has been the hardest skill for your gymnast to acquire or get so far? She lost her father and grandmother in the span of a week around New Year's. Today were talking about the recently dropped episode five. 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. I barely know. Maybe I cant do it all the time, maybe Im not perfect all the time. Muramoto was a singles skater through her teens, then competed in the 2018 Olympics in dance with Chris Reed. Many people were intrigued by the video because at four years old, Konnor was practicing incredibly advanced skills for her age. At the end of it, I was like, How are people going to see me? To the untrained eye, it looks like hes just doodling while Suni practices. 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. 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). Lauries eyes are watering as the episode ends. 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. 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. . 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. At least until her dismount, which Jones underrotated, forcing her to sit on the mat, her hopes of a national championship gone. 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. TAMPA, Fla. -- Konnor McClain arrived in Texas last spring adrift, her confidence shattered. It was more, Wow. It has been a long year," Lorinda McClain said. 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. This article is not a criticism of Shawn. She's very dedicated, Lorinda shared, always been super self-motivated, able to take corrections super easily, and make the corrections, always a super hard worker., Susan saw the same spark in Konnor as her mom did. It has been a long year, Lorinda McClain said. On floor theyre working on a double layout full out, and she competed her two and a half twist through to a double pike at camp. This was an easy decision for the family. 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. This year will be the first year that she is the only gymnast competing at her level. As recently as two weeks ago, it wasnt a given that McClain would even be ready for nationals. 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. Then, at the U.S. Classic in May 2021, she struggled. Reed retired in 2019. 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. Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year! I've said it once, and I'll say it again. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. Leanne Wong, who claimed silver in the all-around at the world championships last fall, overcame a foot injury to put together two graceful sets on bars and beam. Its a great routine, especially after falling at Classic. The only thing missing from this weekend was being able to celebrate with her dad. I think it's considered a big deal because: 1) Timing. The Liukins are well-known in the sport. A star on the junior level, McClain won the U.S. all-around silver medal in 2019, then went on to the inaugural junior world championships as the alternate for the American team. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Your email address will not be published. Konnors mom is canceling Konnors weekly massage because they, very casually, have moved out of the state. From Konnors perspective, though it may look effortless, thats not quite how it feels. Gymnastics Championships to win the all-around title in her first try as a senior. She ended up taking the bronze on vault and beam at Winter Cup, and plans to bring back all-around for the GK Classic. 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. Jumpers, Know his name!!! Im not sure Ive seen MyKayla in the gym with just her coaches and no family members once this entire series. They taught me pretty much everything I know. 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. Just because Konnor hasnt experienced what other gymnasts have, doesnt mean he is like that with every other athlete. I was like, Oh my gosh, what do I do now? And then each day, I was like, Oh my gosh, this is actually real.. As the National Anthem is sung, the athletes are making their entrance. 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. [Coach] Anna [Liukin] gave me the patch three days before the competition. Remember your 'why', remember why you started, remember how proud you made your dad. She's the one who wanted to do it. Back in 2007, she had to beg people to watch her. Goodbye candle mounts, multiple wolf turns, split leaps, and 1/2 jumps from . For 2024, we had everything worked out, we were feeling good about it, we have plenty of time. As 2021 was winding down, tragedy struck U.S. gymnast Konnor McClain. Now lets pause. She arrived in Florida last week hoping to simply build momentum toward the world championship selection camp in October. Also in qualifying, Beamon fouled his first two of three jumps, giving him one last chance to make the final. Sacrificing family time. 2) Konnor is a rare breed. The 17-year-old took to Instagram Wednesday, announcing that a back injury would hold her out of this . She wanted to move gyms. On vault, shes focused on perfecting her double twist and working an Amanar.
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