U.S. champ Konnor McClain eyes summer comeback: "I want to prove my doubters wrong"
The 2022 national champion has been dealing with injuries since claiming the title last August, but now readies for her return to competition in August
Artistic Gymnastics
U.S. gymnast Konnor McClain can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The 18-year-old is on week nine of a 10-week return to training plan following a back surgery she had at the start of the year for an injury that kept her out of last year’s World Championships.
“So, I started tumbling. I got all my skills back on beam pretty much,” McClain told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview this week.
Since climbing to the top of the all-around podium last August at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Tampa, Florida, McClain has spent much of the time in recovery mode.
The back injury kept her out of training for six weeks and after seeking multiple opinions, McClain opted for a “simple outpatient procedure” in order to help her heal faster, according to her representation.
But it hasn’t only been her back.
McClain has also been dealing with a hand injury that has kept her off vault and the uneven bars, recently.
“I haven’t started vault yet,” she said. “Bars, I actually had another hand surgery, so I had to be out for that but in a couple of weeks, I’ll be back.
“It’s about like an eight month comeback for my back, and then, it's a month comeback for my hand,” McClain concluded.
The talented teenager admits to feeling some fear as she returns to her sport. Her time away, she says, has been her longest ever.
“It actually feels scary because I’ve never been out this long before,” explained McClain. “So, coming back, I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh. I don’t know if I can do this skill anymore, but once I do it, my muscle memory just knows what to do and I have the skill.”
McClain says she plans to return on at least a few events at August’s U.S. Classic and then compete the all-around at the U.S. Championships as she targets the World Championships in Antwerp and next summer’s Olympic Games.
Konnor McClain: Settling in Seattle
McClain’s return to gymnastics comes as she is also settling into new surroundings, after having moved from Dallas, Texas, to the Seattle area to train at Pacific Reign Gymnastics under head coach Cale Robinson.
“I made the move, I think it was the beginning of April. I really like love Cale,” said McClain, who first met Robinson at a developmental camp when she was 8. “I always saw how he coached Jayla [Hang] and Simone [Rose] at competitions and camps, so I just like… I really want that and I’m excited to work with him.”
The move came together quickly, she says. First, there was a call with her would be new coach, followed by a trial in March.
“I was like, ‘I love it here,’” she said. “I guess I’ll just move again.”
The trials and tribulations she’s faced since her August triumph made her feel like she needed a change in her environment.
“I feel like, WOGA, I have so much respect for Anna and Valeri and everything, but I feel like it just wasn’t the right fit for me anymore,” explained McClain. “I went through so many injuries, so I just decided I’m ready for something different.”
Konnor McClain on the doubters: "I want to prove them wrong."
She’s also adjusting to different routine.
Workouts at Pacific Reign are in the afternoon, leaving McClain looking for something to keep her entertained, turning to filling her time with shopping (“I’ve spent a lot of money,” she said with a laugh) and a newfound interest in journaling.
“I feel like I’m so bored,” she admitted. “Gymnastics is like my whole life because I’ve graduated high school. I live here by myself. I feel like boredom has been the hardest part.”
McClain is no stranger to hard times.
In addition to her battle with injuries over the last year, she lost her father and grandmother to COVID-19 at the end of 2021.
“I feel like it was really hard for me last year just dealing with because I didn’t know how to, and I’ve never been through that before,” said McClain. “So going into this year, with my back and my hand, and just all these injuries and things happening, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is never ending.’
“I feel like this is one of the things that Cale’s really helping me with,” she continued. “He’s really helped me, like, looking in the positive side instead of the negative side. So, I’m trying to switch my mindset.”
One thing that remains constant: her drive.
And although she knows she might have some who doubt her, that only fuels her.
“If they say I can’t do something, I want to come back even better,” McClain said. "I want to prove them wrong and show them that I can do it and that I’m better than what they think I am.”