Black gymnasts have been flipping the sport on its head over the last few years, a trend that refuses to be deterred.
From the greatness of Simone Biles and the energy and powerful performances of UCLA gymnastics to Fisk University launching the first HBCU gymnastics program, Black gymnasts have brought a new flavor to the sport.
Now three athletes have cemented their names in the sport’s history books.
On Sunday, Konnor McClain, Shilese Jones and Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles swept the all-around podium at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Tampa, marking the championship’s first all-Black winners’ podium in event history.
10 years after Gabby Douglas became the first Black gymnast to capture all-around Olympic gold at the 2012 Games in London, McClain (first), Jones (second) and Chiles (third) added their names to the history books.
“This is so unbelievable right now,” said McClain. “It’s so unreal, and I honestly can’t believe it. I’m still in shock a little right now.”
After fighting through doubt and injury over the last year, a time in which she called herself “the most garbage gymnast ever” and actually contemplated quitting the sport, capturing gold and making history rejuvenated the 17-year-old star.
“My confidence has grown so much just in the last couple months,” she said. “Just doing routines over and over again, and knowing I can do the routines and coming to the competition knowing I can make it too. It’s such a big difference being so confident and not being garbage anymore.”
This is another dominating performance for women of color at the event.
Last year the podium consisted of Biles, Sunisa Lee (who became the first Asian American to win all-around Olympic Gold) and Chiles.
McClain, Jones and Chiles continue to open the doors for Black girls in the sport as others did for them.
And they now give this generation a new set of role models to follow.
“It’s pretty cool that kids will look at us, just the way we looked at Simone, and say, ‘Yeah, if she can do this, maybe we can do this too,’” said Chiles before the Tokyo Games last summer. “Representation matters, you know.”
Yes it does, and these young women represented for sure.
