Golden: The Journey Of USA’s Elite Gymnasts

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Peacock will air a six-episode docuseries following U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team hopefuls on the road to Toyko.

“Golden: The Journey of USA’s Elite Gymnasts” follows Rio gold medalist Laurie Hernandez, 2017 World all-around champion Morgan Hurd, 2019 World Championships team members Sunisa Lee and MyKayla Skinner and first-year senior gymnast Konnor McClain.

The series, with hour-long episodes, follows the gymnasts over a five-month period as they train to vie for four Olympic spots for the team and individual events (and, potentially, one spot for individual events only).

The timespan includes national team training camps, the U.S. Championships in early June and the Olympic Trials in late June.

Dominique Dawes, a three-time Olympian and 1996 Olympic team champion member, serves as an executive producer along with LeBron James and others from Uninterrupted, which produces the series.

 

[peachmangosteen]

Does anyone know when this is airing?

[onatrek]

I've not seen an update on that. I'm not even seeing updates on any of the accounts of those making it, which is odd.

But it's definitely ending up interesting who was chosen to be covered (especially since Morgan has also been in the All Around series). And while I'd have thought when a project was rumored that they'd have included someone like Jordan Chiles over Konnor, the other four all are ones that are willing to be pretty open in/out of the gym and also tend to show a lot of their own footage on SM, so that seems like it could have also factored into the choices.

I won't add big spoilers in case that's not really allowed, but will put some tidbits sans names in the spoiler box about some current things since Championships night 2 is tomorrow:
 

Spoiler

 

One changed gyms last week, isn't at Championships, and isn't going to Trials, but will put her focus back on Worlds and 2024.

One is very iffy on competing day 2 (only did one event day 1 after a fluke dismount in warm ups tweaked her knee) and another is going to need to comeback awfully strong tomorrow (also wasn't competing AA) otherwise Trials is going to be an even bigger uphill battle for them than it already was going to be (especially since both were currently iffy on being AA ready even at Trials...and Tom has pretty much said the 4 on the main team will be all arounders)

 

All 5 are certainly great girls and full of potential, and Deanna Hong (she creates stellar content for UCLA gymnastics) is a great one to have doing some of the work on it for sure.

But the above (in spoilers) is very similar to what happened with a similar thing produced before Rio, but that followed individuals in different sports (female acro, I believe Steele Johnson a male diver, a female trying to go for judo or something like that, and a young male swimmer are the four I recall)

Spoiler

with I believe all but one out before they even got to trials (Steele made it and got a silver medal).

Actually, All-Around will likely be a 1 of 3 situation making it to Tokyo also

It seems like it would have been really smart to start airing some sort of promos for this during Nationals this weekend.

If there's still silence about it at Trials in two weeks it may have gotten scrapped for some reason, which would be a shame!

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Since the show description said the episodes will include nationals and Olympic trials, I'm guessing that they're waiting to see who makes the team before they finish editing/start airing.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

June 27!

 

[peachmangosteen]

Does anyone know how many eps this will be? Also, are they putting them all out on June 27th or is it a weekly thing?

[peachmangosteen]

Am I just an idiot who can’t find this or is it not up yet for some reason?

[Jenniferbug]

It's on Peacock now. I have it on as background while working. Only 3 episodes out so far.

[irisheyes]

Watched the first one and part of a second. At first, I thought it was going to be a USAG apology tour, but they at least brought it up. The second episode spends some time talking about Laurie Hernandez’s abusive coach. 

[Haleth]

This is a fascinating series.  I am really enjoying seeing the human side of those spectacular athletes.  What a brutal way to live.

[Conotocarious]

Does anyone have any idea when the second three episodes are supposed to drop?

[peachmangosteen]

On 7/1/2021 at 6:08 PM, Conotocarious said:

Does anyone have any idea when the second three episodes are supposed to drop?

Apparently, there are 3 more eps that will be released weekly starting Wednesday, July 7th.

[Conotocarious]

4 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Apparently, there are 3 more eps that will be released weekly starting Wednesday, July 7th.

Really looking forward to the next episode!!!

[peachmangosteen]

Episode 3 really seemed like it was trying to get some sympathy for Mykayla but it didn't work for me. She still seems bitter that Gabby specifically made it over her, which is a little dicey imo. Madison also made it and she placed lower than Gabby and then only performed on one event at the Olympics but MyKayla doesn't seem too hung up on that. Hmmm.

I am loving this show. The scheduling for it is weird though. They put 3 eps up and then wait 10 days before putting another up and now it's gonna be 1 a week. Very odd lol.

[zenithwit]

8 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Episode 3 really seemed like it was trying to get some sympathy for Mykayla but it didn't work for me. She still seems bitter that Gabby specifically made it over her, which is a little dicey imo. Madison also made it and she placed lower than Gabby and then only performed on one event at the Olympics but MyKayla doesn't seem to hung up on that. Hmmm.

I am loving this show. The scheduling for it is weird though. They put 3 eps up and then wait 10 days before putting another up and now it's gonna be 1 a week. Very odd lol.

Yeah, her explanation for why she re-tweeted the photo with her picture cropped over Gabby's was... very dicey.  

As for the schedule, I think they are trying to set it up so that this series ends when the Olympics begin (in late July).  Now why they choose to release 3 episodes on a Sunday and then start the weekly releases 10 days later?  I have no idea.  Maybe someone forgot to flip a switch?

 

[Haleth]

Eek. This latest episode doesn’t leave me too optimistic about the team’s chances at the Olympics, unless every other team is just as rusty due to the pandemic. 

[Girl in a Cardigan]

On 7/6/2021 at 7:13 AM, peachmangosteen said:

Episode 3 really seemed like it was trying to get some sympathy for Mykayla but it didn't work for me. She still seems bitter that Gabby specifically made it over her, which is a little dicey imo. Madison also made it and she placed lower than Gabby and then only performed on one event at the Olympics but MyKayla doesn't seem to hung up on that. Hmmm.

Yeah, she even says something to the effect of like, "if I could apologize" - and I'm like, there's literally a camera crew interviewing you about it right now. You could apologize, explain how you've grown, etc. But instead we get like ten people saying that she was 4th and they didn't pick her even though that's never been how Marta (or anyone else) ever picked a team before. It wasn't just that she "retweeted a picture" but everything that came after as well.

She got the "Miss Congeniality" award at one of the recent competitions, so I'm open to the fact that she has grown up in 5 years. But if she's 24 now, then she was 19 then and that's old enough to know what she was doing. Never mind her coaches and the other people from that segment. I'm happy she's an Olympian now (even if that's a dumb way for the US to use the +1 spot), but stop trying to sell me on how you got screwed in 2016. I'm not buying.

[zenithwit]

5 hours ago, Haleth said:

Eek. This latest episode doesn’t leave me too optimistic about the team’s chances at the Olympics, unless every other team is just as rusty due to the pandemic. 

I think they were paying the editors overtime for this episode.  They were clearly going for the mid-season "will they make it?" moment.  I wouldn't be surprised if they use they next two episodes to build from there and end on a happy/inspirational note (just in time for the actual Olympics).  But I guess for me it's kinda hard to buy their narrative arc when we already know who makes the Olympic team.

Also, I get that a bunch of girls fell during the meet but the doom and gloom felt a bit exaggerated - especially when they showed Simone Biles land that super difficult vault in the same episode.

[Haleth]

I'm sure you're right, zenith.  They just all looked so unprepared.  Konnor was so nervous she threw up, poor girl looked like she was a minute away from a complete breakdown.  I feel bad for Laurie for saying how exhausting it is to keep up the image of the spunky girl from 5 years ago, but it seems like by taking time away to experience life she's missed her opportunity to compete on that level again.  Similarly Morgan had to decide if she risks competing too soon after surgery or losing her edge if she takes time away to heal.  Everything that's happened in the last year, from the pandemic to the scandals to their personal issues, all of it has taken a toll on these women and the program.  It's a far cry from Tom's pronouncement in the first episode that there is enough talent to field three gold medal teams.

[Conotocarious]

Konnor had a Facebook Live last night where she basically came out and said she did not have a good relationship with her coach here and she was trying to be nice and not say too much but next week’s episode should cover at least most of the reasons she switched gyms.

You just never can go by how someone acts in front of a camera crew. 

[zenithwit]

2 hours ago, Conotocarious said:

Konnor had a Facebook Live last night where she basically came out and said she did not have a good relationship with her coach here and she was trying to be nice and not say too much but next week’s episode should cover at least most of the reasons she switched gyms.

You just never can go by how someone acts in front of a camera crew. 

Very interesting.  I initially thought that maybe the nerves were because she's been on an accelerated path since the Olympics were pushed back and perhaps she wasn't quite ready yet for the pressure of an Olympic cycle.  But this makes a lot of sense.  Also, didn't that coach say that Konnor was her first athlete to make it to that level?  I'm guessing that added to the pressure.

4 hours ago, Haleth said:

It's a far cry from Tom's pronouncement in the first episode that there is enough talent to field three gold medal teams.

I started listening to the podcast whose main host is interviewed on the show (Gymcastic) and they are not Tom fans at all.  Methinks he may have been exaggerating a bit.

[Conotocarious]

Tom Forster looks like Greg Kinnear. 

[irisheyes]

14 hours ago, zenithwit said:

Also, I get that a bunch of girls fell during the meet but the doom and gloom felt a bit exaggerated - especially when they showed Simone Biles land that super difficult vault in the same episode.

Everybody looked terrible at US Classic. The quality definitely improved by the time they got to US championships. I think it was obvious that it was the first time most of them had competed in ages. 

[Girl in a Cardigan]

Oof, episode 5 was ROUGH! I still don't feel like I understand what happened with Konnor and her coach or how they were able to move to WOGA so quickly, but yikes that exit interview that she did was A LOT. And the husband too.

It was so cute to see Kyla and Madison with Laurie at the gym. Those girls have all been through it and I wish there was more of that to see - the camaraderie between gymnasts who don't have any other elites in their gym, but stay connected to the other national team gymnasts because they are the only ones who get it.

I'm not entirely sure why we got the whole family getting ready for the day with Sunisa's coach (I admit I'm biased because I don't find children cute, so I didn't need any of that), but hopefully that comes up later.

It was rough to watch those who faltered at Nationals (Morgan, Laurie, etc) start to see the end of their dreams for this cycle. Next week is going to be even rougher to watch, I think, even though I know what happened. (I'd love to know when some of those talking heads were taped because Morgan's "it's not getting easier; maybe I've already peaked; if I don't make the team, my world will collapse" TH was hard to watch knowing that she doesn't now. Is that a hindsight TH made to look at like it happened two months ago or could she already feel it coming before she ever went to Nationals?)

[zenithwit]

4 hours ago, Girl in a Cardigan said:

Oof, episode 5 was ROUGH! I still don't feel like I understand what happened with Konnor and her coach or how they were able to move to WOGA so quickly, but yikes that exit interview that she did was A LOT. And the husband too.

Yeah, I found that confusing as well.  They really beat around the bush on what exactly happened.  It seemed like some combination of her coach's lack of experience with elite gymnasts and her coach's husband probably being outwardly racist (and her coach not doing anything about it).  

 

4 hours ago, Girl in a Cardigan said:

I'm not entirely sure why we got the whole family getting ready for the day with Sunisa's coach (I admit I'm biased because I don't find children cute, so I didn't need any of that), but hopefully that comes up later.

I didn't mind the segment.  The overarching theme to the episode was the sacrifices/choices made by the families of the elite gymnasts.  I thought it was a nice reminder that the coaches have families themselves who may have to make their own sacrifices (albeit not quite at the same level as the gymansts' families).

Edited July 16, 2021 by zenithwit

[Athena5217]

4 hours ago, zenithwit said:

Yeah, I found that confusing as well.  They really beat around the bush on what exactly happened.  It seemed like some combination of her coach's lack of experience with elite gymnasts and her coach's husband probably being outwardly racist (and her coach not doing anything about it).  

The coach was asked if she brought politics into the gym, and her answer included a comment like “you can see my flags around here.” The only flag I saw was an American flag, but that can’t be what she meant. Now I really want to know what flags she was talking about.

[Haleth]

That whole issue with the McClain family and the coaches was upsetting.  There had to be more than just the American flag that caused the rift.  The man speaking off camera (husband of the coach?) sounds like a real jerk.

I saw a commercial for some med with Laurie's dad.  She's in it too but I didn't see that she was ever identified.  

I only have basic Peacock and it's very annoying how they break to commercial in the middle of a scene and don't go back to it after the commercial.  I feel like I'm missing important conversation.

Yeah, still not feeling good about the women's chances at the Olympics.  

[irisheyes]

5 hours ago, Athena5217 said:

The coach was asked if she brought politics into the gym, and her answer included a comment like “you can see my flags around here.” The only flag I saw was an American flag, but that can’t be what she meant. Now I really want to know what flags she was talking about.

I think it was Trump flags rather than just the American flag.  It seems like Konnor's family didn't want to out and out call them racists, so they tried to beat around the bush.  It's gotta be tough to be a mixed race family in small town West Virginia.  I think they were also concerned that her progress had seemed to stall, and they knew they would need to make a move at some point in time.  Which probably explains why they were able to move so quickly, because it looked like they had a relationship already developed.  I don't know if I would move my kid to Valeri Liukin, but she's 16 and seems to advocate for herself fairly well, so hopfully it will work out.

[Athena5217]

I knew the American flag was not the flag the coach meant. There are a number of offensive flag possibilities so I just wasn’t sure if it was a Confederate flag, a Trump flag, etc. 

i think Morgan Hurd had a pretty good idea she wasn’t going to make the team in her talking head head segments. She was dealing with rehabbing her elbow and being off from training because of COVID. It is a shame because she is such a talented gymnast. She does amazing switch rings on floor and balance beam. 

[Conotocarious]

I think Konnor said on IG live they were Trump flags.

[zenithwit]

Well that was an emotionally manipulative final episode.  Congrats to Suni and Mykayla. 

I felt really sad for Morgan.  She did peak at the correct time but unfortunately Covid had other plans.  Out of all of the gymnasts featured, she really seemed to be the one that missed out on this once in a lifetime opportunity for the Olympics.  (While it sucks that Laurie's injury halted her comeback, she is an Olympian with 2 medals.  And Konnor is still on the 2024 path.) I hope Morgan is able to find fulfillment in her advocacy work or anything else she decides to pursue.

[Haleth]

Morgan is still young,  I wonder if she now has any thought about getting back into shape and trying again in 3 years.  Her injury wasn't fully healed and it made her timid.  If she can get her body and her head back into shape she certainly has a chance of fulfilling her dream.

Poor Laurie, putting on her spunky face for the camera during the Olympic trials.  You could see she was devastated not being able to compete, barely holding it together.  Her parents seem like such lovely, supportive people.

Konnor is such a cutie pie.  Hope she's around in 3 years to try again.

Good luck to Suni and Mykayla and the rest of the team.  Stay safe, stay healthy.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Haleth

[irisheyes]

Morgan may never make it to the Olympics, but she’s going to do great things. 

[zenithwit]

Congrats to Suni for winning the All Around Gold (and for the team silver too)!  I wasn't able to watch live but I'll definitely catch a replay.  It was really nice getting to know Suni, her family and coach through this show.  I can only imagine how everyone in her world is feeling right now - especially since she was probably hoping just to make the podium before Simone withdrew.

I think Suni has two more event finals remaining (Uneven Bars and Beam).  I know MyKayla ranked #4 in the vault qualifications but because of the two per country rule was not eligible for the finals (with Simone and Jade coming in at 1 and 3, respectively).  But it sounds like Simone is taking it one day/event at a time.  So maybe MyKayla will have a chance if Simone chooses to withdraw from the vault event finals?

[zenithwit]

Update: Simone has withdrawn from the Vault final and MyKayla is in.  So that means MyKayla has gone from thinking her Olympics was done after qualifications to potentially being eligible for the podium.

Whoever decided to showcase Suni and MyKayla in Golden is definitely getting a promotion.

[zenithwit]

Another update: MyKayla has won silver on Vault and Suni won Bronze on the Uneven Bars.

Edited August 1, 2021 by zenithwit

[Haleth]

So Suni has a complete set. Nice. 

[TwopLurker]

It’s probably post partum hormones but all of the footage of younger Morgan with her little glasses made me tear up. She’s a really impressive woman, I hope she has the time of her life in college and then takes on the world! I could see her getting a Masters in Public Health or something similar. 
 

Why was Marta sitting next to Tom Forster at the competitions? Shouldn’t she be banned from even smelling chalk at this point? 

[irisheyes]

13 minutes ago, TwopLurker said:

She’s a really impressive woman, I hope she has the time of her life in college and then takes on the world! I could see her getting a Masters in Public Health or something similar. 

Did she say where she was going to college?

[ombelico]

52 minutes ago, TwopLurker said:

Why was Marta sitting next to Tom Forster at the competitions? Shouldn’t she be banned from even smelling chalk at this point? 

I'd have to watch again to figure out who you're referring to but I'm 100% sure that was not Marta. Reports are she and Bela are long gone and back in Romania.

39 minutes ago, irisheyes said:

Did she say where she was going to college?

Morgan is going to the University of Florida.

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by ombelico

[Haleth]

I thought that was Marta too. Sure looked like her.

Regardless of any controversies I’m glad all of the women are going home with a medal. 

Edited August 4, 2021 by Haleth

[TwopLurker]

17 hours ago, ombelico said:

I'd have to watch again to figure out who you're referring to but I'm 100% sure that was not Marta. Reports are she and Bela are long gone and back in Romania.

Morgan is going to the University of Florida.

 

Thank goodness! I’ll try to grab a screenshot but whoever she is looks just like Marta to me. 
 

I grew up not far from Mary Lou Retton’s home town and literally went to a gymnastics school on Mary Lou Retton Drive. If Konner makes it to the Olympics the entire 304 area code will probably lose their minds with pride.