Becky Downie on gymnastics future: “I don’t know what’s going to happen” - Gymnastics Weekly News
Plus, Olympic teammates Fred Richard, Brody Malone, and Paul Juda weigh in on Stephen Nedoroscik’s Dancing with the Stars turn, and a look back at Australia on the floor exercise from Atlanta 1996
Artistic Gymnastics
Three-time Olympic gymnast Becky Downie of Great Britain isn’t shutting the door on a future in competitive gymnastics.
"I'm still really good at what I do, and I really enjoy what I do," she said, according to the BBC. "I went to Paris really believing it would be my last [Olympics] and kind of knowing it would be my last, and tried to take in every experience as if that was it."
The 32-year-old was a crucial part of Team GB’s fourth-place finish but missed a catch-and-release element on the uneven bars during the apparatus final.
That moment left a mark on Downie.
“I didn’t achieve quite what I wanted,” she admitted.
What that means for her future in the sport… well, she’s not sure at the moment.
“I’m definitely taking a break and that’s what it is right now,” explains Downie. “I’m still good at [gymnastics] and needed Paris for me to believe that, so I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Stephen Nedoroscik dazzles even his teammates in 'Dancing with the Stars' performances
Three people who know two-time Olympic bronze medallist Stephen Nedoroscik better than most – his Olympic teammates Paul Juda, Brody Malone, and Fred Richard – didn’t exactly see his star turn on the reality dance competition Dancing with the Stars going as spectacularly as it has.
“I was very surprised with how he did, just knowing Stephen from a gymnastics background… just seeing him move like that, I never thought I would see it,” Malone told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview late last month ahead of the Los Angeles stop of Simone Biles’ Gold Over America Tour. “He killed it. There’s no denying it.”
In his opening dance, Nedoroscik earned sevens across the board from the three judges. Week two saw him earn one eight and two sevens.
While his teammates might poke fun, they’re quick to give credit where credit is due.
“We saw him the week before that aired because we went to visit him. He gave us a little showcase, and I was like, ‘Okay, you’ve got some moves,’ but I don’t know where it’s going to land among the other competitors,” recalled Richard. “But I honestly say… because I watched a bunch of the other guys, it actually was the best one.”
Adds Juda, “I thought Stephen held his own really well. We think he’s the most, like, you know, ‘in’ and popular guy on the show right now, so he’s got good, good chances, I’d say.”
Dancing with the Stars airs on ABC in the U.S. on Tuesday evenings.
From the vault…
This week, we take a look back at Australia’s women’s optional floor rotation from the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Joanna Hughes led the squad in the rotation, earning 9.600.