Did she maybe just mix up team final and qualification? The US, I seem to remember, started on floor and ended on beam in 2016. Laurie did the same events on both occasions, so that seems an easy mistake to me.
Right after surgery, her leg felt awful even when she was motionless, and she wondered how bad it would be to tumble on. She was in pain even when she slept. Her legs twitch at night, and when the twitching started in the very stiff leg, it would wake her up
She was also sad, because she wasn't sure if she'd be able to return to gymnastics. Her mom was worried too. She had prove to herself and the people around her she could come back. She gave herself a few days to wallow, then came up with a plan. To start, she'd follow the therapy process perfectly and not rush anything so she would be stronger than ever
The next day she started doing her usual stretches against the wall in her room. Her mom was concerned and confused. She told her mom that it wasn't over, that this is what she wanted. She wanted to get back to gymnastics because she's happiest and most comfortable when her body is in motion. She's sassy, loves to talk, loves to write, but her body has a lot to say too
She couldn't explain her feelings like that at the time, but her mom understood. Laurie keeps a picture that her mom took of her doing those stretches in her scrapbook
Worked her arms since she couldn't work her legs
That year her teammate Jazzy Foberg won junior nationals–Laurie was glued to the TV watching her compete. Laurie was cheering her on, but she also wanted to get out there herself. Knew she had to be patient, positive, motivated, and resourceful
Fully recovering from an injury is something you can only decide for yourself. It helps to have a strong community, but you have to be ready to push for it.
The person who understood the best was her brother, Marcus. Marcus just sat with her when she was tired and just told her he understood. He'd been around some resilient athletes in his track days and saw even the toughest athletes have fragile moments around injuries
Talked about her nerves with her PT, Malvin Torralba. He told her not to go back until he released her–he wouldn't release her until she was really strong enough to get out there again
When she did return in November she was still scared to do things she thought might hurt. Everyone reassured her they wouldn't let her do anything she couldn't do. They did push her hard, but they never pushed her beyond her abilities.
Also worked with Dr. Jidong Sun, who had been trained in Beijing and used the same rehab techniques they used with the elite gymnasts there. Got acupuncture from Dr. Sunny Shen to help her body heal itself, to make sure the wear-and-tear from the day-to-day is addressed before small problems turn into big ones
Got so much support from friends, family, doctors, coaches, and teammates
Ligament was restored by a piece from a cadaver. She is grateful to her donor and his family
Had many struggles in 2014, but felt much stronger mentally, physically, and emotionally by the end of the year, and everyone around her could feel it.
Still approached the sport with the pent-up, hyperactive energy of a 14 year old. She had to be serious for much of that year, but she was still a kid and didn't want togive up that part of her yet. She wanted to have fun
Bring It On!
Chapter 9
March 2015 competed at Jesolo
Usually arrive a few days early to adjust to the time difference, food, and equipment
Teammates were Jazzy and Norah Flately
Met Norah at TOPS, then reconnected as juniors. Would bunk together, making shadow puppets on the wall and telling stories all night
At camp before, Laurie had to verify bars and beam to earn her spot. She had a rip on her wrist, which was infected. But she also really wanted to go to Jesolo. She figured she'd try and if it didn't work out, it wasn't meant to be
Marcus would remind her after her surgery that she could try and if it didn't work out, God would redirect her to the path she was meant to be on
The rip was getting worse, and her mom told her she didn't have to do this, offering to come to Texas to pick her up. But Laurie was determined to try
She pushed through and qualified for beam, but Marta made it very clear she had to heal by the time they left, and she did
Ended up junior AA champion, with golds on bars and floor
Italy positively influenced her for the next few competitions as well. In the lead up to 2016, meets were different. They competed less, because coaches didn't want them to overexert themselves. Winter and spring were for working skills and basics and upgrades.
She had a lot of doctors appointments and found herself working in the gym with just her coaches a lot. That's when she started giving herself the pep talks that her teammates used to give her
Hit everything at the Secret Classic and won the junior AA title, as well as vault and bars and placing third on beam and floor
Championships
Hit all her routines at Championships for the junior AA title, bars gold, silver on floor, and bronze on beam and vault.
But that competition had a rough start, where she kept getting lost in her twist for vault and landing on her back. When she competed, her coach told her not to think about it, just go, and by a miracle she landed it. Her coach said, "You can't give me a heart attack like that. Next time, don't do that. It scared me."
Jazzy was in the lead after day one, but Laurie tried not to think about it. After floor on day two, she thought they were tied, but she ended up in the lead by .1
Jazzy is an amazing person, really focused and doesn't stop pushing until the job is done. Laurie is more likely to freak out at times. They balance.
When you're close like that, you can't feel bad about placing in front of or behind them for any given competition. Always tries to congratulate teammates who place ahead of her, to acknowledge how hard they work and that they deserve their success
Next event was in Japan.
Was a lot more comfortable than her first international competition, and it was fun to be there with Jazzy.
Got to tour Tokyo and talks about how beautiful it was
Made Japanese friends and traded pins
The culture was completely new, even the equipment felt different. The vault runway didn't have a platform under it, so it felt harder
Won the AA, floor, and vault and got silver on bars and beam
Happy that it was such a consistent meet
People were saying she was unstoppable, but she knew she still had to grow. Had to just say "Thank you" and ignore the complement when she got them, because she couldn't let herself think she could stop pushing
I always forget that Laurie really wasn’t a notable Beamer until 2016. It was kind of hard to picture how she would fit into that Rio team until she randomly started stacking hit cold beam sets for mid 15s.
Has always known gymnastics is something she is supposed to be doing
Woke up on January 1, 2016 knowing that it was going to be her year. She told her family she was going to be there, and they just smiled and said, "We know, baby."
All her family members will tell you they always sensed she was destined for something special. She loves putting herself out there and entertaining others. She doesn't get embarrassed easily, and she picks herself up when she makes mistakes
Marcus was the one who predicted she'd go to the Olympics, when he was in 7th grade. He has the social media statements to prove it.
Jesolo
Debut competition as a senior elite
Roomed with Emily Gaskins, who she really likes. When they woke up, Emily was jumping around raising shades shouting, "Meet Day! Meet Day! Get up, it's Meet Day!"
Got bronze in the AA behind Ragan Smith and Gabby Douglas, silver on vault, and gold on beam ahead of Ragan and Aly Raisman
Pacific Rim Championships
Was put on the team to get more experience
Team was Laurie, Aly, Ragan, Simone Biles, Ashton Locklear, and Brenna Dowell
Goal was to hit as many routines as possible and she did, and so did everyone else. Had the third highest AA score, behind Simone and Aly, but was 2per'ed
She and Simone were pulled from event finals to rest them for Olympic Trials
Injury
Time between Pac Rim and Trials was stressful - she had a strained muscle in her leg. She took the advice to rest it for a week, and it hurt more. The muscle wasn't firing properly, and she knew she'd have to work around the strain for Secret Classic and P&Gs
She's a mentally strong individual and had handled previous injuries well, but she was very frustrated that this one wasn't getting better.
Had a meltdown one night when out at dinner with her family after Pac Rims. Cried that she didn't know if she could do it anymore, if her body could take it. Everyone was shocked–it was very not-Laurie behavior and sentiments. They gave her a lot of encouragement and promised to be there for her. Jelsya told her that what she was doing was beyond what any of them had done, and Jelsya would have quit by now, but that's not who Laurie was
The waitress kept giving her tissues the whole time. Jelsya grabbed the pile, stuck them in her pocket, ad said she'd give them back to Laurie when she made the Olympic team as a reminder of her struggle.
Used the family's pep talk to get her through the next few competitions.
Injuries usually occur as a signal from your body that you're doing something wrong.
Got therapy and acupuncture for the leg, and then when that didn't work saw Dr. Scott Greenberg who told them the VMO muscle (above and to the inside of the knee) was badly damaged. He treated it using a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatment. In seven weeks, she went from unable to bend her knee to beating the doctor in a high jump competition on the clinic's beds.
Trails and Tribulations
Chapter 11
Secret Classic
Only did bars to avoid stressing her knee too much
Team management needed to see if she could compete
Qualified for Championships a month later
P&G Championships
At the end of Day One, she was tied for second with Aly behind Simone.
By the end of Day Two, she ended up in third behind Simone and Aly, and tied for third with Mykayla Skinner on floor.
Was ultimately content, because she met her goal of making Trials
Trials
Goal was to show Marta and the Olympic staff that they could trust her enough to put her up in Rio, so her goal was to hit all of her routines
During practice, she'd think of every possible thing that could mess her up and had to go back to early training to remember how to quiet those thoughts and focus on technique, technique, technique
All the girls were crying on Trials day. She thinks Aly started it. Amelia Hundley said, "No matter what happens, we all love each other. Just because one of us doesn't get named to the team doesn't mean we're bad students, it just means it wasn't our time."
Brenna Dowell suggested a prayer circle and they all held hands and prayed together–asking to be safe, have a good time, and be there for each other
Hit almost all her routines at Trials. Stepped out of bounds on her floor on the second day, but it was a small mistake
Ended up second in the AA behind Simone and made the team
Named team: Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Madison Kocian, Laurie Hernandez
Remembers stripping off her club warm ups and putting on the Olympic ones
Going away party
Night before leaving for Texas to begin team practices
Jelsya was the one who got emotional this time. Gave Laurie a cute little purse with all the tissues from a few months ago
Had a delicious quesadilla and came home early so she could sleep
Talked about the adversity she'd faced to get this far
That three month period was the only time she'd really had deep doubts
Had to deal with fans thinking she wasn't ready for the Olympics. She thinks a lot of people just didn't know enough about her yet, because she was a new senior and there were so many established seniors aiming for the team
Mentions how Maggie Nichols had been on track for the team but just didn't have enough time to come back after her meniscus surgery
She was probably too focused on the speculation
Making the team was also a victory for her coach, Maggie Haney, who had never gone to the Olympics either. Laurie was her first elite, her first athlete to compete internationally, and now her first Olympian
Does anyone know/remember how she injured her VMO muscle? She's the second athlete I've heard of recently having real issues with an injury causing that muscle not to fire well.
Because the media hadn't considered her a favorite to make the team, her family hadn't allowed themselves to consider the possibility of a trip to Rio–they had no travel preparations
Only her parents went–because of the Zika virus, the three adults of child-bearing age were advised to stay home (Laurie hadn't considered Zika in regard to herself–this was a once or twice in a lifetime opportunity she wouldn't miss). Jelsya was 27 and Marcus was 20, and someone had to stay home to take care of their elderly grandmother
She was disappointed, but they'd been watching her competitions from a distance all these years and she always felt their presence
Parents ended up staying in a hotel an hour away from the Village. Her parents thought Brazil was a beautiful country
Didn't get to see her parents until after the Olympics were over because the team rules were strict. It was okay with her and enabled them to enjoy the festivities on their own. She was busy practicing and bonding with her teammates
Arrived in Rio a week before the games. They stayed in the apartments in the village, on the third floor. She thinks Michael Phelps was on one of the top floors. The apartment was nice–a living room, two tables for PT and treatment, and three bedrooms. She roomed with Simone, Maddy and Aly roomed, and Gabby got the single. It was nice that trainers and nurses could travel with them
Didn't really travel outside of the Olympic Village. Team management wanted them to remain extremely focused, so they set up a structure to help guarantee their attention remained solely on the Olympics and their job
Didn't go to Opening Ceremonies because they're distracting and exhausting
Whenever they went to practice or lunch, they all walked together, including coaches and staff. She liked it.
It was cool seeing all the athletes in so many sports from all the different countries.
Spent a lot of time in the cafeteria. Brazil was clearly trying to accommodate everyone's needs and tastes. There were lots of types of foods, including special meals for allergies or dietary restrictions
Everyone was very friendly
Athletes came in every shape and size. Some were extremely muscular weight lifters, some extremely lean distance runners, volleyball players over seven feet tall
Liked trading pins with athletes from other countries
Her parents are fluent in Spanish. She's studying it, but she didn't have the skill to hold a conversation with the Spanish-speaking athletes. She thinks it was a missed opportunity to practice with them
Didn't mind staying in the Village–got to see and meet people from around the would coming together for the love of sport
Striking Gold
Chapter 13
How Qualifications work
Qualifications/Prelims determine who moves on to team, AA, and EF
For team finals, four team members from each country compete on each event. One person on the team sits out each event. The three top scores count. The eight top scoring teams move on
For AA, it's the top 24 scoring athletes who compete on all of the apparatuses. Only two people per country can advance
EF is the top eight on the event, two per country
Team came to the conclusion that no one can do it alone–the weight and enormity of it will mess with you. They didn't one-up each other in practice and always cheered for each other
Part of you is competing against your previous performances
Qualifications Competition
Went well
Aly, Simone, Gabby, and Laurie competed floor. Laurie was first up, which she hates. She hates going first or last.
Aly and Gabby's main piece of advice was to enjoy the experience, because when you're performing your body goes on auto pilot–muscle memory naturally takes over
Simone had their highest floor score, then Aly, then Laurie, and Gabby
Same four did vault, which helped loosen them up because it was more an event they just had to get out of the way. Only Simone was trying to qualify for vault finals
Maddy, Aly, Simone, and Gabby did bars
It was either Laurie or Aly who would have to sit out bars
Aly had a solid performance in podium training
Laurie had a small stomach muscle strain. They'd hoped it would improve quickly, but it proved unpredictable–one day it was fine, the next it hurt badly. It wasn't an injury to risk aggravating
Was initially very disappointed not to be chosen to compete AA–she could score well on bars and in the AA. But she calmed herself down and remembered to celebrate she was at the Olympics at all. Who knows–if she'd done bars, maybe her stomach would have gotten worse and she wouldn't have been able to do beam finals
Maddy was excellent on bars, Gabby was close behind. Both qualified for bars final
Simone, Gabby, Aly, and Laurie competed on beam. Simone had the highest score, then Laurie, and Aly and Gabby tied for 7th. Simone and Laurie made it into beam finals
US qualified into team finals in first, and every member of the team had at least one individual final. Aly explained to them how rare that was
Even when you're expected to succeed, it's still surprising and thrilling and unbelievable
Team Finals
It was nice to have one playful moment in all the intensity, and hers came when she spontaneously winked at a judge during her team finals floor routine. She doesn't know what came over her–she'd been so nervous about messing up their last event.
The other girls reassured her
Felt good when she was in the warm up area, just tried to soak up everything around her
Heard the beep telling her to go. She saluted and could see one of the out-of-bounds judges in her field of vision, and she had a surge of confidence to wink. Went on to have an amazing routine
The judge later told her that when she winked at her, it worked
The most exciting moment was standing on the podium with their gold medals
Searched the crowd for her parents and could see everyone around them congratulating them
Her dad said in the moment he felt everything and nothing
Her parents had never gotten to go to her international competitions
AA finals
Simone and Aly killed it, earning gold and silver. Russia's Aliya Mustafina took bronze
If Aly hadn't competed on bars, the US might not have had a 1-2 finish
EF
Six more medals: Simone won gold on vault and floor and bronze on beam; Maddy won silver on bars; Aly won silver on floor; Laurie won silver on beam
Thrilled she hit every skill in her routine
Especially proud of how she had a high chest on her front pike
The routine went very quickly
Thinks it was one of the best routines she showed in Rio
Only two times she was anxious
In her beam routine, she's always a little nervous on her triple series
Aly's first tumbling pass, because she does so much. She doesn't think Aly's ever worried about it, but the pass is insane
Won 9 medals, breaking the record shared by the 1984 and 2008 teams. They were on the top of the world and ready for a pizza party
