Gold medalist McKayla Maroney: I'm no longer competing, but don't call it retirement
McKayla Maroney, who won an all-around team gymnastics gold medal as a teen at the 2012 Olympics and became an Internet phenomenon for her reaction to taking silver in the vault competition, on Wednesday announced that she no longer will be competing as a gymnast.
In a wide-ranging and fascinating interview on the GymCastic podcast, Maroney discusses her return from a devastating tibia injury she suffered just after the London Olympics, her struggles with depression and the toll the comeback bid for 2016 had on her body.
Maroney, now 20, said that she "didn't know how to be OK with not being a gymnast," but that it's time for her to move on.
Maroney acknowledged she competed with a fractured shin and a broken toe during the Olympics. Maroney hasn't competed since 2013, when she won her second gold on vault at the world championships. But she doesn't want to call this her retirement.
Maroney is the second American gymnastics star to step away from international competition this week. On Monday, Maroney's "Fierce Five" teammate Kyla Ross announced she is ending her Olympic career to focus on college.
it's time :) https://t.co/wEajiTRuFL
— McKayla Maroney (@McKaylaMaroney) February 24, 2016
