It used to be that gymnasts had to choose between a track that took them to collegiate gymnastics or one that took them to elite gymnastics with a goal of competing internationally and taking a shot at the Olympics.
That is no longer the case. One gymnast, Konnor McClain, is hoping to prove you can have the best of both gymnastics worlds.
The winner of the all-around title at the 2022 U.S. nationals, McClain announced Thursday that she will enroll at LSU in August and compete for the Tigers starting in 2024. She will also attempting to land one of five fiercely competitive spots on the U.S. team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
McClain is one of three gymnasts with LSU ties currently aiming for Paris. The others include LSU rising junior Aleah Finnegan, who is hoping to represent The Philippines, and Zoe Miller, a member of the 2023 U.S. Pan American Games gymnastics team. Miller chose to defer her enrollment at LSU until August 2024 to first take a shot at making the U.S. team for Paris.
McClain, who is currently training back home in Las Vegas, spoke to The Advocate on Friday, about what led to her decision and where she hopes to go from here:
There has been a lot of talk about whether you would defer your enrollment at LSU until after the Olympics. What made you decide now was the time to enter school and start competing collegiately?
“It was a decision I was trying to make, but I wasn’t sure. I went to a couple of (LSU) meets this year and I knew what I wanted, the support the team gives each other and the whole vibe at LSU. I needed that in my life.”
Can competing at the elite level in gymnastics be a bit lonely?
“I’ve never had a team my whole life. I’m ready for one.”
What first influenced you to want to be an Olympic gymnast?
“I remember watching the 2012 Olympics when Gabby (Douglas) won the all-around gold medal. That was the whole reason I wanted to start on that path. She was a big inspiration in my life.”
You lost your father and grandmother in December 2021. How did that influence your decision?
“Last year I put it out of my mind and pushed through the season. But once I had a break I realized what had happened and thought that this has really been traumatizing in my life. I’ve been kind of lonely and needed that support (of a team).”
How many events do hope to compete in for LSU during the 2024 season? Are you hoping to do all four (vault, bars, beam and floor) as an all-arounder?
“I definitely want to do all-around. That’s my main goal. I want to contribute whatever I can to the team and be the best I can.”
You haven’t competed since the 2022 U.S. Championships in August because of back and hand injuries. How are you recovering?
“I’m almost completely healed up.”
How do the skills required for collegiate and elite gymnastics compare?
“They’re two completely different things in the way you do it. Elite skills are so much harder. It takes a toll on your body. Since NIL, so many girls have done both and I will do both. But it will be hard to figure out. Definitely after the NCAA (championships) I will be training elite full time and work toward elite competition.”
The competition for the five spots on the U.S. Olympic team will be intense won’t it?
“It’s such a big playing field this year. So many girls want to make the team. I want to be part of that. Everyone has goals. You go to trials and see what happens.”
What friendships have you already made with some of the gymnasts on LSU’s team?
“I feel like I’ve known some of these girls my whole life. Alyona (Shchennikova, a fifth-year senior) used to buy me ice cream at (gymnastics) camp. I know Aleah so well. They’re like family. I’m so close to a lot of them.”
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