MyKayla Skinner was deemed one of the best as she earned her spot on the roster of the U.S.A. Gymnastics team. Little did she know, she only had a glimpse of what it means to be an Olympian as she did not qualify to move onto the semi-finals on July 26, 2021.
Skinner was deemed worthy of a spot for competing in this year’s Tokyo Olympics. After the
hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, It is fortunate to have the opportunity to have the Olympics happen within the next following year.
Skinner is the oldest gymnast on the U.S.A. women’s gymnastics team. She had a long road to getting to the Olympics. Having not being selected to compete in the 2012 Olympic Trials, she worked hard to get a step closer in 2016 when she qualified as an alternate for the Rio Games. This year, Skinner placed fifth in qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. While making fifth place, she was also named a plus-one specialist, meaning that she would travel with the U.S. Team as an individual competitor.
Skinner competed on July 25 but failed to qualify for any event final. She competed in all four events; vault, uneven bars, floor exercise, and balance beam. She scored in the qualifying round a total of 55.398 points, placing fourth among American competitors and 11th in the overall competition. Only two gymnasts per country can compete in the finals in the individual competition, and those spots are filled by Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee.
she said he felt “heartbroken” but still “humbled and blessed.” In her most recent tweet, she posted, “you have all brought me to tears; thanks for being my biggest cheerleaders! Love u all.” Even Simone Biles tweeted, “little did you know OG means Olympic Grandma’s,” with a picture of her and Skinner back to back. With the constant support of her fans and teammates, Skinner is considered one of the greats in the sport.
Written by Darryl Johnson Jr.
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
CBS News: MyKayla Skinner sends heartfelt message after Olympic run ends; by April Siese
USA Today: Who is MyKayla Skinner? Getting to know Team USA gymnast at her first Olympics; by Christian Ortega
ABC News: Heart broken’: MyKayla Skinner reacts to Olympic run ending; by Addy Bink
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First Inset Image Courtesy of Jennifer’s Flickr Page- Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Dushan Hanuska’s Flickr Page- Creative Commons License
