Konnor decided to switch gyms because things just kept going poorly at her gym. An organic, homegrown gymnast through and through, her success has come from her own methods, rather than from following the usual formula. Skye Blakely and Konnor McClain were both initially too young to compete at the Tokyo Olympics Blakely by 35 days, McClain by 32 days - but the two 16-year-olds became age-eligible after the one-year postponement was announced. Charity Involvement: Volunteer with kids with special needs at the gym. She is the 2019 City of Jesolo Trophy and the 2019 U.S. Classic Junior All-Around Champion. Elite, Featured, Musings, Recap. Charity Involvement: Volunteer with kids with special needs at the gym. Blakely loved her first gymnastics competition and she did great!Paws for a Cause Invitational, Atlanta, GA January 30, 2015 Fitness 139 View detail Preview site Watch Gymnastics Level 1 State Meet | Prime Video 2 days ago Blakely had a great season and awesome State Meet. "I was having a rough year inside the gym. 2021 GK U.S. Classic Uneven Bars. McClain won the all around at the recent Winter Cup. 2021 Winter Cup . "She was like, 'Yes, you can.'. I realize that's not their family's top priority but it's a pretty huge snub at this point when 2 weeks of training with Valeri isn't going to be the difference between her making the team or not and will actually make Konnor's journey . The thought of uprooting her family also weighed on her mind. "We're just trying to get her back on track. "I felt forced going into the gym. She considered two options: quit the sport or switch gyms. Konnor McClain's passion for gymnastics began when she was 18 months old She was training for the 2024 Olympics as she was too young for Tokyo 2020 However, the postponement has now made her. Once a junior standout herself, McClain's career was fast forwarded during the COVID-19 pandemic. I know sometimes it can help gymnasts to have a training partner who is at a similar level, but that seems to work best when people are on somewhat different trajectories or have complementary strengths, whereas Konnor and Skye will probably be in pretty direct competition with each other for the entire quad. Biles, the lone gymnast . I didn't really have the love for gymnastics," McClain said. McClain - BB - tuck full, hits, bend at the hits but stayed on - wonderful amplitude on wolf jump - bhs bhs layout and falls, awesome height, but another fall for her today - onodi with leg-up check - switch to switch 1/2, wonderful 180s, another leg-up check - aerial, small hesitation to split jump - split ring jump, great . Skinner, an alternate at the 2016 Olympics and 2019 Worlds who is clinging to one more year of elite gymnastics at age 23, said she hoped the FIG decision could be changed. Like, if Suni says it, then I can do it.". It's time for gymnasts to show what they're capable of. Liukin coaches Team USA headliner Konnor McClain at WOGA. McClain - BB - pause before standing back tuck full, excellent - bhs bhs layout, good lift, keeps hips pretty well open - switch to switch 1/2, solid - aerial to split jump to straddle jump, should get combination there - side aerial, little lean - switch ring, hit, some back leg position risk - bhs bhs double pike, hop back. 4-Yr Old Gymnast is Just Brilliant | Konner McClain Wins Hearts Watch on Konnor, 13, clinched fifth place at the 2018 U.S. Gymnastics Championships at TD Garden in . category. It was a surprise, because though McClain and everyone else had been waiting for the FIG to make a decision about 2005-born gymnasts, she wasn't expecting it quite so soon. So, her leaving said gym at this point seems like a big deal. There are two other WOGA gymnasts on the U.S. senior team for Stuttgart, two WOGA . Susan Brown. Granted, Gabby switched her head coach within a closer time frame before Rio, but Christian had already been coaching her. Konnor is fantastic, and the fact that she matches the all-around scoring potential as all of the many seniors in that 55-56 scoring range at the junior level is incredible, but beam aside, she's not a real standout on any event and would need some work to add more difficulty on bars and beam to truly fit in as a top all-arounder. Konnor McClain competes at the 2019 U.S. Junior World Championships. Before starting eighth grade Konnor McClain made the Junior U.S. Women's National Team for Gymnastics. Representing the United States. She was like, 'I felt the same way, too, at one point,'" McClain told Olympics.com of her conversations with the Olympic champion. If Konnor McClain was age-eligible, how would she factor into the Olympic conversation? I am thrilled to see former Olympians working for large media outlets and promoting the sport. Lorinda never imagined anyone else would be interested in watching her daughter do gymnastics, especially for ten minutes straight. 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. I wonder why she would choose to be at the same gym as Skye. It signals a reversal to the pre-Simone way of doing things and a rekindling of media narratives that aren't always in the best interests of the gymnasts being covered. And she actually made it all the way to senior elite, all while training at her small, unknown gym in WV. The event set for Saturday, May 22, is the first in the home stretch for the top female gymnasts leading up to the trials. It will come at a time when Simone is leaving behind a void. The video was originally uploaded by Konnor's mom, Lorinda McClain . "I think it definitely happened way too fast for me and too fast for my brain to handle all of that," she said. Gymnastics Championships on Aug. 11, 2019 in Kansas City, Miss. Konnor even being at trials for their gym is a huge boost for them as far as reputation and name recognition. 2021 was supposed to be McClain's breakout year on the senior stage, but it felt more like the end of her career. Katie Simons. McClain had trained at the same gym, with the same coach, her whole career. This article is not a criticism of Shawn. The pressure is palpable in the arena as the meet is the first of three competitions that will end up selecting the U.S. Olympic team for Tokyo 2020. 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. There are two other WOGA gymnasts on the U.S. senior team for Stuttgart, two WOGA athletes on the Team USA junior squad. She successfully performed her pull over on . Videos of Konnor McClain 2021 GK U.S. Classic Balance Beam. "I was like, 'OK, then I got it.'. . According to McClain, Konnor was the one who requested a move, telling her parents that her long-time coach, Susan Brown, and her husband, Randy, brought politics into the gym (this was confirmed . Her unconventional path started when an infamous video of Konnor became well-known in the gymnastics community completely by accident. 2021 GK U.S. Classic Vault. In her absence marks a massive standard of excellence that every American gymnast will be compared to. It was only a matter of time before someone would invite this comparison. a gymnast with multiple mistakes who scores roughly the same as a gymnast who had a pretty much fully hit day is clearly the better choice here, and that's when you have to take into consideration the wider body of work and think about the bigger picture, because one fourth-place day is not who konnor is as a gymnast, and i'm sure the selection "I didn't want to do that to my parents because I knew it would suck and I also didn't want to be labeled as a gym switcher," McClain said. It has been a long year," Lorinda McClain said. I think it's considered a big deal because: 1) Timing. The video was originally uploaded by Konnor's mom, Lorinda McClain, because Konnor liked watching herself after practice. "So, it was tough." Not yet 2 years old when she . Fun how this question, received prior to the coronavirus pandemic, is now SUPER relevant considering she might just be age-eligible for Tokyo! Konnor McClain (born February 1, 2005) is an American artistic gymnast and a member of the United States women's national gymnastics team. Switching gyms with less than a month to go before Olympic Trials is not something you see often (ever?). Konnor McClain, an elite U.S. junior gymnast who became eligible for the Olympics when they were postponed by one year, will not go for the Tokyo Games. National Competition Results. - . All four are coached by other WOGA coaches, according to their bios. Medal record. Liukin coaches Team USA headliner Konnor McClain at WOGA. 2) Konnor is a rare breed. Today they join us to share their thoughts on the news and their game plan moving forward. Konnor McClain and Skye Blakely are the current juniors who perhaps have the greatest shot at making the team. After Almost Quitting Gymnastics, Konnor McClain Commits to LSU and 2024 Olympics. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. 2022 Winter Cup, Frisco, Texas - 1st-AA, BB; 3rd-FX(T) 2021 GK U.S. Classic, Indianapolis, Ind. "I was pretty shocked at. According to McClain, Konnor was the one who requested a move, telling her parents that her long-time coach, Susan Brown, and her husband, Randy, brought politics into the gym (this was confirmed . 2019 Gyr. 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. Konnor even being at trials for their gym is a huge boost for them as far as reputation and name recognition. The night she got home from Classic, she cleared everything out of her locker, which is commemorated in a TikTok, obviously. 2) Konnor is a rare breed. 2022 Winter Cup, Frisco, Texas - 1st-AA, BB; 3rd-FX(T) 2021 GK U.S. Classic, Indianapolis, Ind. When the Tokyo Olympics were postponed a year, she suddenly found herself eligible for a Games she'd never thought about. I realize that's not their family's top priority but it's a pretty huge snub at this point when 2 weeks of training with Valeri isn't going to be the difference between her making the team or not and will actually make Konnor's journey . 2022 Results Date Competition VT UB BB FX AA Apr 9-10 City of Jesolo Trophy EF ----- ----- 13.850 13.900 ----- AA 14.100 13.733 13.933 13.233 54.999 Mar 31-Apr 3 2021 GK U.S. Classic Vault. Finally, McClain began to feel the weight of expectations, leaving her with a sense that she wasn't doing it for the right reasons anymore. McClain won the all around at the recent Winter Cup. Videos of Konnor McClain 2021 GK U.S. Classic Balance Beam. The two have had a long friendship, dating back to . As a teenager, Konnor makes me feel SEEN. 2021 GK U.S. Classic Uneven Bars. It's the GK U.S. Classic in Indianapolis. Unlike most of the NBC gymnastics pieces from over the years, these episodes take a more serious angle. The FIG hasn't yet decided if 2005-born gymnasts will be eligible for the 2020 Olympic Games, now to be held in 2021. Even in Mommy and Me class, Konnor McClain was precocious. Riley McCusker's first competition since her gym switch, and Jordan Chiles putting together the best all around performance of her career . The GK U.S. Classic is the kickoff event for the 2021 summer Olympic season. National Competition Results. In a recent clip for Yahoo Sports, Shawn Johnson discussed the possibility of a rivalry between Simone Biles and Konnor McClain. - . As we get closer and closer to the Olympics, NBC released episode 5 of its series "Golden: The Journey of USA's Elite Gymnasts" on its new streaming service, Peacock. Team. In Indianapolis, both Blakely and McClain only competed on two events; Blakely tied for first on balance beam, while . She was a YouTube "star" dubbed as being super talented at age what, 3-4? 2021 Winter Cup . McClain took Lee's words to heart.