Dallas’ Kocian has ideal execution but settles for Olympic silver
The uneven bars is the only event Simone Biles didn’t qualify for, leaving other gymnasts their only chance at gold. Dallas’ Madison Kocian had what she and her coach believed was a first-place performance Sunday, but she finished second to Russia’s Aliya Mustafina.
“The routine is good enough for gold,” said Laurent Landi, who coached Kocian for nine years at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano, Texas. “It’s subjective. Mustafina didn’t stick, so…”
I’m very proud of what I did. I know she starts one-tenth higher than me in start value so that could have been it. I’m happy with what I did.
Madison Kocian
Mustafina started with a difficultly score of 6.800, .100 higher than Kocian. While Kocian’s execution was better — 9.133 to 9.100 — she couldn’t make up the difference in difficulty.
“I didn’t really see [Mustafina’s] full routine, because I was after her,” said Kocian, who finished in a four-way tie for first at the world championships last year in the event. “But I did what I could. I got a 9.1 execution. That’s huge at the Olympic Games to get that. I’m very proud of what I did. I know she starts one-tenth higher than me in start value so that could have been it. I’m happy with what I did.”
Mustafina, the defending Olympic champion in the bars, scored 15.900 and Kocian 15.833. German Sophie Scheder took the bronze with 15.566.
“It’s very subjective,” Landi said. “There were two gymnasts, Mustafina and her, and they were a little bit ahead of everybody else. … It was a great finals, I believe. Besides one fall, it’s very difficult gymnastics. The precision of those two gymnasts just made the difference really.”
Earlier in the day, Biles won her third gold medal of these Olympics with two events yet to come. The Spring resident finished with a 15.966 score in the vault, killing the field as Russian Maria Paseka finished second with a 15.253.
American Alex Naddour won the bronze medal on the men’s pommel horse, ending a 32-year medal drought for the U.S. in the event.
Gabby Douglas, who won the all-around individual title in 2012, had a chance for her only individual gold. She finished seventh out of eight competitors in the bars.
“You always want the outcome to be more than what you put in, because you put in so much,” Douglas said. “Balancing that, I did want a little bit of redemption on bars, being up on the medal stand. But you know what? It’s fine. It’s OK. It’s fine. It really is.”
Douglas has faced intense criticism this Olympics, ripped for not supporting her teammates enough to not having her hand over her heart during the national anthem following the team gold.
“When they talk about my hair or me not putting my hand over my heart, or me being very salty in the stands, really criticizing me, it doesn’t, like, really feel good,” Douglas said. “For me, it was little bit, like, hurtful. … It was hurtful, and it was kind of a lot to deal with.”
Douglas, 20, praised Kocian, who also goes home with the gold medal she received in team competition as part of the “Final Five.” Kocian scored a career-high 15.933 on the bars — her only event — in team competition.
“Amazing. Her form is just so pretty, and she’s just so great to watch,” Douglas said. “I’m so happy for her, because she worked so hard. She puts a lot of numbers in the gym. Everybody does. And just to see her so happy, getting that [individual] medal, I was just like, ‘Yes! Congrats, Maddy.’ ”
Kocian, 19, heads to UCLA with no regrets. She broke her tibia in February, missing six weeks of training and just returned to competition in June.
Getting to Rio was an accomplishment itself, and now Kocian owns two medals.
“When I was hurt, all those negative thoughts pop into your head, and it’s very hard,” Kocian said. “But it only helped me to get to this point and pushed me even harder to want it even more, and now my dreams are a reality.”
Charean Williams: 817-390-7760, @NFLCharean
This story was originally published August 14, 2016 at 11:10 PM with the headline "Dallas’ Kocian has ideal execution but settles for Olympic silver."