Gymnast talks selection process
MyKayla Skinner of Gilbert is going to the Tokyo Olympics with Team USA as an individual qualifier. “Things are a lot more fair” this year, Skinner said.
MyKayla Skinner believed she had a fairer chance of making the Olympics this time than in 2016, but that didn’t alleviate any stress going into the final day of the U.S. Gymnastics Trials.
After being an Olympic alternate for the 2016 Rio Games and 2019 World Championships, Skinner’s history of disappointment kept her on edge while the selection committee met following her fifth place allaround finish at trials Sunday in St. Louis.
“Things are a lot more fair than when Marta (Karolyi) was here,” Skinner said Monday. “It’s kind of hard to say that because for 2019 Worlds I got fourth allaround and they still put me alternate. So last night waiting back in the room, I was like it could go either
way.”
Instead of two automatic qualifiers after trials, Skinner would have preferred that the top four all-arounders were assured of making the U.S. team, which ultimately is what happened. That left one individual berth to be decided and no guarantee that it would go to Skinner even though she was just .300 behind fourth-place Grace McCallum.
“It was a little bit of a guessing game,” Skinner said. “After they called that fourth name, I was like ‘oh my gosh am I going to be the alternate again’. I was super stressed. Then they called me for the individual spot, and I was super shocked. Obviously I would have loved to be on that four-man team, but either way is super cool and I finally get to be an Olympian, which is awesome. I get to check that mark off the list.”
Skinner of Gilbert/Desert Lights and Jade Carey of Phoenix/Arizona Sunrays are both going to the Tokyo Olympics, July 23-Aug. 8, as individual qualifiers with Carey earning her berth in February 2020 through the Apparatus World Cup Series.
Both can compete in all four events if they choose or concentrate on their specialties, vaulting and floor exercise, in pursuit of a medal.
Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles and McCallum will compete for the U.S. in team, pursuing a third consecutive gold medal. The U.S. women have won a medal of some sort at every Olympics since 1992 (seven in a row).
Arizonan Kerri Strug was on the 1992 and 1996 teams that won bronze and gold. Amanda Borden, now owner of Gold Medal Gymnastics in Tempe and Chandler, also was on the 1996 Magnificent Seven team.
Skinner, 24, returned to international elite gymnastics after three years of college at Utah for a second shot at fulfilling her Olympic dream. During the oneyear Olympic postponement, her training was slowed by an overuse injury, COVID-19 and pneumonia, making her selection more improbable.
But she made enough progress from U.S. Classic in May (10th all-around) to U.S. Championships (ninth) in early June to trials (fifth) to warrant more than a career achievement award like she received for sportsmanship at nationals.
“I went up right away to Lisa (Spini) and Bruce (McGehee) and said thanks so much for putting your life on hold to allow McKayla to pursue this dream of hers,” said Tom Forster, who replaced Karolyi as USA Gymnastics women’s high performance director. “She’s an amazing inspiration that also has just put in the work.
“I visited them a couple of times in Arizona because we have family in Scottsdale. I watched the work. She takes no shortcuts. She is driven. I’m super happy for her and her coaches and her family.”
On Sunday, Skinner competed on uneven bars and balance beam before finishing on her best events (floor then vault). Tension was high considering her fourth-place finish all-around in 2016 wasn’t enough to make what later became known as the Final Five (because it was the last Olympics with five-member teams and Karolyi’s last as national team coordinator).
“Even talking to Simone, day 2 was a lot more stressful,” Skinner said. “This is it for me, my last time trying for the Olympics. I hit 4-for-4 both days, which was a goal.
“When we got to floor, I wanted to give it all I can and push it through and see where it takes me. On vault, I got super emotional. It was a crazy feeling. Even before I went, I was going to cry. It was so surreal. After I finished those two vaults, I was so grateful I was even able to be out there and make it this far.”
Carey, 21, who competed only two events Sunday to protect an ankle still not fully healed from a February injury at Winter Cup, spoke with Skinner before she competed on vault Sunday.
“You’ve got this, you’re ending on an amazing event for you and I know you can do it,” Carey told her fellow Arizonan. “It was really exciting to see that happen for her. I’m really excited we both made it. I was so happy for her.”