Now that your college season is over and your focus shifts to Elite, what are some of your goals for the rest of the year?
I have a couple of competitions planned. The bigger one is in China for the World University Games. This is kind of my warm up for the U.S. Championships but also for me to compare myself against the Chinese who are one of the most competitive countries in men’s gymnastics. So I would like to go there and learn from the Chinese, but also show them who I am. Then come back and about two weeks later we have U.S. Championships, where I definitely think I can win the competition. I want to make a statement that I’m the best in the country by then. The final competition of the year will be Worlds, which of course is where we can make a statement as a country. Last Worlds I feel like was a little bit of a disappointment with the men coming in fifth, so I want to be on that team now and hopefully make the difference.
Can you explain what happened last year with you being ineligible to try for a spot on the World Team?
It was a weird rule that nobody really caught. Because I had competed in February as a junior, because I was 17 at the time, I was not allowed to switch from junior to senior (internationally) in the same year. Nobody realized – the coaches, USA Gymnastics – until it was too late.
How excited are you to finally have the chance to contend for a spot this year?
I’m very excited. I feel like my goal is not just to make a World Team spot, but to win some medals. I think last year I could have made the team but I may not have been as competitive when it came to bringing home medals. I feel like I could really do that this year.
What do you see as your biggest strengths, from a team perspective and individual?
I would say my highest chance for a medal would be high bar. I’m ranked number one in college on high bar but also country-wise I think me and Brody [Malone] are top two. I’ll have to see when Brody is back where I stand. Of course Brody won last Worlds on high bar so I know I’ll be able to contend for that spot. I’ve been doing very well on parallel bars this year and have been hitting scores that could medal for sure internationally, so we’ll have to see where I stand there. Then the final event is floor exercise, I’ve been doing pretty good there. I think I definitely have a World Champion level routine there too.
Do you have any upgrades planned that you can share?
Definitely. On floor I have a front double full, punch double front that I’ve been working in the background. It would add about six tenths to my routine. Also my first pass on floor, which right now is a 2.5 twisting double back, I’ll turn that into a triple twisting double back – the same skill that Simone got a lot of hype over. Every event has a lot, it would take a while to go through all of them, but a lot of good stuff is planned. Upgrades are definitely coming and ready!
What about your long-term goals? I’d imagine that the Olympics are the ultimate dream for you… When did you first dream of going to the Olympics?
I would say within the last three years it’s become more of a goal than a dream. I think I realized I have the potential to not just make the Olympics but bring home medals. I think that’s the big difference. I’m not just aiming to make that team, we need to bring home medals. I think the ultimate dream that I have is growing the sport. To be honest, I’m very not satisfied with where we stand on the men’s side of things, so I feel like my whole mission is to grow the sport.
