Konnor McClain holds off Shilese Jones to claim first U.S. gymnastics title

A year ago, Konnor McClain watched the U.S. Gymnastics Championships from the sidelines. The one-time contender for the U.S. team after the year-long pandemic delay made her suddenly eligible was dealing with injuries, a crisis of confidence and had just left her long-time coach in West Virginia for a proven powerhouse in Dallas.

What a difference a year can make.

Sunday night (21 August), the 17-year-old soared to her first national title, fulfilling the talent that has marked her as one to watch for years. She totalled a 112.750 to claim the title, ahead of Shilese Jones' 112.000 score. 2020 Olympic team silver medallist Jordan Chiles was third at 111.900. Kayla DiCello, 2021 world all-around bronze medallist, and Jade Carey, 2020 Olympic floor exercise champion, finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

"This is honestly one of the most amazing things in my career so far. It’s so unreal and I honestly just can’t believe it still. It seems so crazy," McClain told U.S. broadcaster NBC afterward.

McClain entered the final night of competition in an eight tenths deficit to Jones, but that was erased early with Jones falling off the beam as the night's first competitor. McClain capitalised, scoring a 14.350 on her double-twisting, Yurchenko vault to take a lead that she would never relinquish.

A rotation later, McClain, who is coached by Anna and Valeri Liukin, parents of 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin, improved her uneven bars score from night one by 0.750 in what is only her second time attempting an revamped routine in competition.

On her signature event, the balance beam, McClain appeared nervous, checking her balance on two opening acrobatic elements. But despite the early errors, she avoided any major mistakes to score a 14.100.

McClain entered the final rotation with a half point lead over Jones, who was competing on her highest scoring event from night one, the uneven bars. Up early in the rotation, McClain delivered a floor exercise with clean tumbling but a clear error on a turning element. Her 13.850 meant Jones had a chance to catch her with anything better than a 14.350.

Jones was one skill away from the title, executing a daring routine on the uneven bars that included two sky-high Tkatchev variations only to fall backward on her double front dismount and incurring a 1.000 fall deduction. She scored 13.600 to finish with the silver medal. She earned scores of 14.500, vault; 12.450, balance beam; and 14.200, floor exercise, in the other rotations.

For Chiles, it was a triumphant return to elite competition after a successful freshman campaign at UCLA earlier this year. She hit all eight routines over the two days.

Mature McClain

The U.S. title hasn't come easy. McClain was dealing with stress fractures in her shins, a concussion from a fall off the uneven bars and a bout with the flu in the build up to Tampa. She's also had to endure the tragic loss of her father and grandmother within days of each other in December to COVID-19.

Sunday, those challenges were on her mind.

"Honestly, I wish I could talk to my dad now, but...," McClain said.

Through it all, says Anna Liukin, McClain has grown.

"It's been a hell of a year. This kid's matured so much," she said. "You don't wish it on anybody, but she really prevailed, I believe. It's still a very short time since her dad passed... but she's getting stronger and I do believe that she has learned so much about herself during this process that it's made her an absolutely amazing human being."

Now, McClain will have about two months to continue to build toward October's World Championships, and Liukin says they're expecting to make upgrades on the uneven bars and balance beam in that time.

It's time that what she's accomplished this week can start to set in.

"[I'll need] maybe like a week," said McClain. "I have no idea [what I'm accomplished.] I don't even know what to do with myself right now."