Black women sweep the podium at 2022 U.S. Gymnastics Championships

History was made at the 2022 U.S. Gymnastics Championships as for the first time in history, three Black women swept the podium at the competition.

Konnor McClain rallied to the top after delivering a strong two-day performance to win gold at the national championships. On the podium, she was joined by silver medallist Shilese Jones and bronze medalist Jordan Chiles after a very tight competition that saw a mere eight-tenths of a point gap between first and third place.

The rise of Black women in gymnastics has been credited to trailblazers in the sport over recent years, including Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas and more.

The gold medal finish comes as a sort of redemption arc for the champion McClain – she was initially expected to be a part of the 2020 Olympic team, but her season was derailed with injuries which led her to abruptly move to another state and switch coaches. A year later, that switch has most certainly paid off.

Even more so, McClain said she’s still only competing at around 75 percent as she recovers from a recent concussion and stress fractures in both shins, per The Associated Press. She said she believes she’ll be completely healthy for the world championships in Liverpool later this year.

It was a tough, but encouraging ending for the resilient 20-year-old Jones. She continues to press on as she hopes of reaching the 2024 Olympics.

Now, the immediate future seems to bode well for the Americans as they appear in prime position to reclaim the top of the podium at the 2022 world championships. This is despite Sunisa Lee waiting before returning to competition and Simone Biles on a sabbatical. The stars and stripes are in good shape with their three most recent podium winners, as well as Kayla Dicello, who took fourth and Skye Blakely, who will likely make up the five-women squad that will head to England in October.