Jaycie Phelps-McClure followed her dreams to winning an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics in a dominating performance by the U.S. women’s team at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
She has a dream about the 2008 Games in Beijing, but instead of being on the podium, she sees a product of herself gaining the acclaim.
Phelps-McClure, 26, is coaching, and two of her protégés – sisters Sharaya and Alecia Musser – will compete this weekend at the Rocky Mountain State Games in Colorado Springs. As their coach, Phelps- McClure sees the Musser sisters as strong contenders for the U.S. Olympic team in 2008.
“I’m glad to be on the other side of it now,” Phelps-McClure said Tuesday before practice. “It’s rewarding to know that I have young people in the gym who have the same goals as I had and now I can help them reach those goals. I was on the 1996 team, and it would be really cool to help put a young competitor out there in 2008. That’s my goal.”
Competing in the State Games is somewhat of a bonus for her students. The gymnastics competition season ended in April and doesn’t resume until January. However, the level of competition at the State Games wouldn’t match the regular season.
“They can get a lot out of this competition,” Phelps-McClure said. “They can show some new skills, get the feel of competition, and it puts them under the pressure of competing in front of judges.”
Phelps-McClure sees Sha- raya, 15, and Alecia, 14, as Olympic candidates in 2008. The challenge is to continue an upward trend for U.S. gymnasts in international competition.
“Sharaya has impeccable form and is pretty to watch,” Phelps-McClure said. “Alecia is very powerful on the vault and the floor exercise.”
Phelps-McClure and her six teammates from the Atlanta Olympics will be honored Aug. 16-19 at the U.S. championships in St. Paul, Minn.
“We had a rough year in 2000,” Phelps-McClure said. “We came back in 2004 in Athens, and we’re looking to be very strong in 2008. But it’s never easy at the Olympic level. Russia, Romania and China always are contenders.”
Sharaya Musser looks at the credentials of her coach as a plus.
“It’s really good to have a coach who has been to the Olympics and knows what it takes to win,” Sharaya Musser said. “She’s very patient with us. When we’re struggling with something, she keeps working with us.”
Phelps-McClure coaches at a Colorado Springs gymnastics school. Her husband, Brett McClure, an Olympic silver medalist in 2004 with the U.S. men’s team in Athens, is an assistant gymnastics coach at Air Force.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
Rocky Mountain State Games
When: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Where: Colorado Springs (Air Force Academy, Colorado College, Olympic Training Center, Fort Carson, Tour InLine Hockey Arena, Rampart High School, Pine Creek High School, Hillside Community Center).
Opening ceremony: World Arena, Friday, 7 p.m.
