INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — The first national team camp of 2020 has wrapped up, making it the perfect time to reflect on what some of the gymnasts shared with us in interviews.
Conversations ranged from their biggest goals, to their inspiration, to expectations for the Olympic year.
Here are some of the most notable nuggets from the 16 gymnasts we talked to.
Simone Biles
On difference between 2016 and 2020: "I have my own house, I have my own dog, I have a boyfriend leading up to Tokyo. ... I think it's a good distraction because I focus so much at gym and I focus so much about gymnastics outside of the gym that it's a good distraction. ... It's not like leading up to 2016 where I didn't know what to expect. I know exactly what to expect so I have a little bit more anxiety about it."
On USA Gymnastics turmoil: "I feel like it affected me a lot in 2017 and and '18, especially in the beginning of the year. But now I'm kind of used to it. I'm good at shutting all the news out and just focusing on my job."
On the culture change at national team camps: "Being on a team with Tom is definitely different than Martha. There are things that I had to adjust to and I'm like, 'Whoa, we're allowed to do this?' ... He's a little bit more laid back in the best way because we still get our work done and he still expects a lot from us. But I feel like with Martha you were kind of scared into things — into perfection. I feel like now you can freely be yourself and if Tom's not onto you, you're onto yourself, rather than before it's like you tried your best and it wasn't good enough."
On which of her eponymous skills she's most proud of: "It's hard because I feel like I'm most impressed with the beam dismount because never in a million years did I think I could do that. But also with floor with the triple-double because I feel like I knew I had the potential of doing it outside of a routine. But putting it in a routine and then surviving it, I didn't think that was possible."
Despite being so impressed with the double-twisting, double-flipping beam dismount, Biles said she and her coaches would weigh the odds when deciding to compete it again. A technical committe controversially gave the skill a low value, discouraging other athletes from attempting it because it's so dangerous. "We would never try it in a team final or anything like that," she said. "But maybe in an individual event we'll try it."
Sophia Butler
On what she could bring to Team USA: "I think I bring a lot of excitement, a lot of cool skills, a lot of new stuff that people maybe haven't seen. Just a lot of positivity."
One of those cools skills is a double-twisting double layout, known as the Moors, after Canadian gymnast Victoria Moors. National team members Simone Biles, Jade Carey and Simone Biles have also competed the Moors.
Jade Carey
On using the apparatus world cups to secure a spot at the Olympics: "It's been pretty crazy but really exciting. It's definitely confusing, but so far it's been going well for me, so I'm really happy about it."
Note to the International Gymnastics Federation, who made the decision to shrink the team size from five to four for the 2020 Olympics: if a gymnast who is all but a shoo-in to secure a spot through individual qualification, it's probably too complex.
On Tom Forster: "I think Tom is doing a great job. I feel that he cares about what we have to say. So I think that has helped a lot because he cares what we want, and he wants to change it for the good for us."
Jordan Chiles
On switching gyms to train at World Champions Centre with Cecile and Laurent Landi: "Having them has been totally different than my previous coaches. I do have to say when people say Laurent is the coach, he's the coach. I can witness that. ... When I went there it was totally different. It was like everything just clicked."
Kayla DiCello
On what she could bring to lineup: "Being able to go first on some events becaues it doesn't make me that nervous and I've had a lot of experience for it."
On what changes she's made since last year: "My double-double on floor and basically my whole bar routine changed a little bit."
On how to pronounce her last name: "'di-SELL-o' or 'di-CHELL-o' world either work. ... When my parents got married, my dad asked my mom which she wanted it to be pronounced as and she said 'di-SELL-o.' But now he wants it as 'di-CHELL-o' again."
For what it's worth, she said her sisters — who are also gymnats — prefer "di-CHELL-o,' but she likes 'di-SELL-o.'
Kara Eaker
First things first, yes, her last name is pronounced "AY-ker," not "EE-ker."
On what she wants to be known for: "I really want be known for my beam because it's my best event. ... I feel really confident doing that and I want others to notice that as well."
On what she learned from her disappointing beam scores at 2019 Worlds: "It was just an eye-opener for the way that they judge. It's just feedback from them, just being able to learn from what happened and make myself better."
On how she likes her pizza: "warm."
eMjae Frazier
On what older sister, UCLA sophomore Margzetta Frazier has taught her: "You gotta do what you have to do. You can't worry about what anyone else says or does. ... My sister also taught me that as long as you're confident with yourself, whatever you do it'll be ok. as long as you're happy and you do what you're capable of doing, there will be no regrets."
Olivia Greaves
On being a young senior: "I definitely feel like an underdog. You don't have as much experience. No one expects me to be good."
On if she has a shot at the Olympic team: "No (but) I think I can. I know if I work really hard I can. But I try not to get my hopes up."
Laurie Hernandez
On her unlikely comeback: "I'm very familiar with this sport and aware that the timeline is last-minute. ... Taking a break from gymnastics was extremely important to figure out who I was and what I liked and what I wanted to do with my life. ... That really needed to happen because of those two years dancing, traveling, meeting new people, it all circled back around, literally to realize that I still love the sport and that I wanted to try to come back. When you dedicate so much time to something, it's OK to take a break from it. And it took a while for me to accept and be ok with that.
On accusations that she returned to the sport for popularity: "I'm doing it because I love it. i know that this is a really tough journey and i know what i'm getting myself into. knowing how this process works, if you're not ready for it, it's not going to work. So I had to wait until mentally I was OK to start everything."
On if she truly has time to be ready for Tokyo: "With the time frame, looking at where I'm at now versus where I need to be in Tokyo, personally for me — and every athlete is different — I think the timeline is perfect."
On Simone Biles: "She set it so that way a lot of little girls are looking at her and going like, 'I want to do that,' and it's crazy because I remember doing that to so many athletes, and now they do it for us in the Final 5. ... To see a woman of color out there, I think that's really important. 2016, that was one of the most diverse gymnastics teams that we've had in a very long time, if not ever...I think that's incredible, and I think the world needs to see that, and I think for 2020, we're getting that again. An array of girls where little girls can look up and point and say, 'Oh, she looks like me. I can do that.'"
Morgan Hurd
On her work ethic: "My coach has always told me that even when I was a little level 5 that i just kind of had my own self-drive. ... Even when I was younger, I didn't care about gymnastics — watching it — I just cared about mine. I never necessarily looked up to anyone. My coach told me that I would literally take people's turns. They would be standing, getting ready for vault and I would jump in front of them and then go because they weren't going quick enough for me. It's just something I was just born with."
On 2020 being a redemption year: "I try to think of it as a year of redemption but at the same time, (2019 disappointments) kind of made this year more stressful almost because now I really do have to redeem myself."
Sunisa Lee
On if we could potentially see some of the combinations in her Instagram videos in competition: "Yeah I'm not training most of that stuff. I just kind of put it on there because I like confusing people so that they don't kind of put my routines together."
Lilly Lippeatt
On her favorite athlete: "I don't know if I have a favorite professional athlete but someone that I did train with was Amelia Hundley. She was kind of in the same position that I am. I really got to watch her personally. She was really just a happy person. I like seeing her be joyful in every opportunity that she's given. ... As I got older, she really helped me with learning different lessons about staying positive and persevering and working hard. I feel like I've learned so much from her."
Grace McCallum
On how she wants to contribute to Team USA: "I want to be a solid all-arounder for sure, but I also want to be known as I can go up and hit when I need to."
On Tom Forster: "I think he's a really amazing leader. he really wants the best for all of us, not only as a gymnast, but as a person. He really wants the best for the team."
Riley McCusker
On what motivates her: "All my drive really comes from not wanting any regret. This upcoming Olympic Games has been by goal forever. It's just kind of what I've been working for. Just because I'm having a tough time in the gym...doesn't mean I wanna give up my goal. That's my whole motivation. It's not gonna be I didn't give it my all. It's gonna be I gave it my all and maybe it didn't work out, fine, but I'm gonna give it my all to get there."
MyKayla Skinner
On national team camp after Martha Karolyi's retirement: "It was kind of weird coming back. We were so used to having Martha. I remember texting Simone and I'm like terrified, having that anxiety. And she's like, 'It's not that bad, don't worry. It's not as stressful. Tom's really nice, you'll be fine.'"
On Tom Forster's leader: "Tom's been awesome, so I feel like everything's in the right place. Even though we don't have Martha and things are different now, I think things are different in a good way."
On her execution: "I'm not super flexible. My knees just aren't naturally straight. It's just hard. I can try, and try, and try to straighten to them and it's just so hard for them to straighten because my muscles are so tight...I wish people could just realize I'm just super unflexible!"
Leanne Wong
On the professional athlete who inspires her most: "Definitely Patrick Mahomes because he was a new quarterback for the Chiefs and he's just so good."
Spoken like a true Kansas City girl.
