Their WOGA gym has produced two Olympic all-around champions, including their daughter Nastia Liukin in 2008. Guess what? she said. Well, I'm not going to say no to that, Susan shared, laughing. She made it to the arena that weekend, but not to compete. She gets a 15.300. Many people were intrigued by the video because at four years old, Konnor was practicing incredibly advanced skills for her age. 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. Switching gyms with less than a month to go before Olympic Trials is not something you see often (ever?). It has been a long year, Lorinda McClain said. I teared up a little bit because I was just so sweet and so special. Konnors mom is canceling Konnors weekly massage because they, very casually, have moved out of the state. "Anything can happen,'' McClain said. Now, it's getting a little bit less scary. 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.. You certainly wouldnt know it from watching her compete. Jess Graba and Alison Lim, Sunis coaches, are getting their kids out the door and to the gym. Konnor says until the pandemic started, things were good with her coach, Susan, and in the gym. Despite their close friendship with Konnor's old coach, Konnor's parents . Beamon heeded the advice and advanced. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. Sensing Beamons nerves, Boston told his younger teammate to move it back three feet with a cautious jump to avoid fouling, Beamon later said. 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. I was having a rough year inside the gym. 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. Im still in shock a little right now. Boston broke the mens long jump world record six times between 1960-65 and shared the record going into the 1968 Mexico City Games. 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. It wasn't an aha moment or anything like that. By submitting my information, I agree to the, DiCello, Wong Headline 2021 Women's Artistic World Championships Team, Konnor McClain - Floor, WOGA Gymnastics - 2021 Women's World Championships Selection Event, Konnor McClain - Beam, WOGA Gymnastics - 2021 Women's World Championships Selection Event, Konnor McClain - Bars, WOGA Gymnastics - 2021 Women's World Championships Selection Event, Konnor McClain - Vault, WOGA Gymnastics - 2021 Women's World Championships Selection Event, U.S. In the few months she spent at WOGA, McClain has already made two important decisions. I'm getting better at driving, she shares. Why is it a big deal? So, I'm feeling really good about the next competitions and camps in the future.. Theres a conversation about the price of gymnastics and the sacrifices many families make to afford it. McClain, 17, was due to vie for a spot on the five-woman world team at a selection camp in two weeks. As per usual, Suni is feeling a little bit stressed, and is still struggling with injuries. 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.. The U.S. has won every world team title dating back to 2011 and won gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016 before taking silver in Tokyo. Konnor decided to switch gyms because things just kept going poorly at her gym. 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. She was interested in four other schools, she revealed, including Georgia, Utah and Oklahoma, and it was a very hard decision in the end.. Following U.S. Championships last year, a number of athletes made the switch to new gyms. 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. And then the Olympics is definitely there in the back of my mind, but I don't want to think about it too much right now, calling the 2024 Olympics her final goal, something shes been saying since she was at least 11. Learn how your comment data is processed. Takahashi switched to ice dance after his singles farewell at the December 2019 Japanese Championships. I feel like it encourages all of us to be honest, just all of us supporting each other from different DI colleges all around, and then me and my younger brother were doing our thing togetherI feel like it encourages us and strives us to be better, Konnor shared. . After a subpar performance at the U.S. Classic McClain abruptly left her gym in West Virginia and moved to Texas to train at WOGA under Valeri Liukin. Three weeks later, Boston took gold at the Rome Olympics. Let's not take this camp for granted. Honestly for a really good two or three months it was kind of like a seesaw, ups and downs, Liukin recalled. She amazes me that everything she does is tight with pointed toes. He would be so proud of me, she said. OlympicTalk is on Apple News. I didnt really have the love for gymnastics, McClain said. In gut-wrenching social media posts, she questioned if she even wanted to continue in the sport. 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. My confidence has grown so much just in the last couple months, she said. 2022 United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. [Coach] Anna [Liukin] gave me the patch three days before the competition. I wasnt really having a good time anymore, so by the time I got to Classics, I was so over it and I felt so done. Its starting to feel real. Even the best in the world cant do it sometimes and has to take a break. 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. After the first rotation, Sunis in second and MyKaylas in fourth. I loved them almost more than anyone in the world.. What has been the hardest skill for your gymnast to acquire or get so far? But for a local. I didn't really have the love for gymnastics," McClain said. Three weeks later, Boston took gold at the Rome Olympics. She really held it together for me. They were like, What school is Konnor going to? And I was like, Let me join in. So I started it and then it became a thing, so I had to continue it all the way until I actually committed., Although LSU always felt special to McClain, she wasnt misleading fans when she appeared to be considering multiple options. On beam, Morgan falls on her back full, as well as her side aerial + back layout sequence and nearly hits her face on her dismount, only getting a 10.300. McClain was born in Nevada. "Golden" Episode 2 Recap - College Gym News Sunis dad mentions how he thought a leotard cost maybe 20 bucks. Oh boy, wouldnt that be nice. 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." She's a great sister, she's a great daughter, she's the easiest kid. Just because Konnor hasnt experienced what other gymnasts have, doesnt mean he is like that with every other athlete. 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. The transformation that began when she switched gyms in a rush last spring ended with the 17-year-old . McClain never gave the lead back, though there were some nail-biting moments late. Devastated, McClain reached out to a friend, Tokyo 2020 Olympic all-around gold medallist Sunisa Lee, seeking comfort, advice, and guidance. In August 1960, Boston broke Owens world record in the long jump that stood since 1935. Muramoto was a singles skater through her teens, then competed in the 2018 Olympics in dance with Chris Reed. Ah! She's really like a sister to me, Susan shared, making Konnors coaching experience more like a family one. 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 just wanted to give you this just so you have something to remember him and just to know that he's right there with you, explained McClain. The thought of uprooting her family also weighed on her mind. Like what you see? Her older sister Liv was on pre-team at the time, and everything Liv came home and did from class, Konnor mimicked. Instead, she performed wearing a patch with his initials on it, dedicating her performance to her biggest supporter. McClain became the sixth woman to win the all-around in her senior nationals debut since 2000. As a child I idolized him and he was a major influence in my life. If we had a good day of training, enjoy this, appreciate it, be grateful for this and stay present. Konnor McClain, who recently moved to Texas to train at WOGA under Valeri Liukin, competes at the 2019 U.S. Championships. Join us as we recap each episode. Lorinda's really like my sister, now that I think about it. Now lets pause. 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. Then the injuries began piling up. Boston died Sunday morning after recently suffering a stroke, according to the Tennessean. 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. When Konnor decided after Classics that she needed to find a new gym, her parents supported her 100%. I didnt want to, but I was so done. Konnor McClain, newly arrived to Texas, clinches US gymnastics - Chron Ive never even thought about it, she said. Being the only Black girl in her group, Konnor felt uncomfortable in the environment. Your email address will not be published. Until then, I saw myself as just another local yokel, Boston, who called Owens a mentor and dear friend, said last year. I just can't really explain it.