Courtney McCool

McCool was the runner-up in the junior division of the 2003 National Championships and won a silver medal on vault at the 2003 Pan American Games. The following year, her first as a senior international elite, she was the runner-up at the American Cup and the all-around champion at the Olympic Test Event in Athens.{{Cite web|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-06-03/sports/0406030279_1_aspiring-olympic-gymnast-american-cup-all-arounders|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817104442/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-06-03/sports/0406030279_1_aspiring-olympic-gymnast-american-cup-all-arounders|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 17, 2016|title=She's true to her roots|last=Garcia|first=Marlen|date=2004-06-03|website=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2016-07-25}} She was the only gymnast at the Test Event to qualify for all four event finals,{{Cite web |url=https://usagym.org/usa-men-women-bring-home-medals-from-spring-assignments/ |title=USA Men, Women Bring Home Medals From Spring Assignments |date=April 9, 2004 |website=usagym.org |access-date=February 26, 2025}} and she won a silver medal on vault and bronze on the uneven bars. She then placed fourth in the all-around at the National Championships{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/24/sports/gymnastics-being-good-isn-t-always-enough-for-us-team.html|title=Being Good Isn't Always Enough for U.S. Team|last=Macur|first=Juliet|date=2004-06-24|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-07-25}} and second at the Olympic Trials,{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/news/story?id=1830589|title=U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials Results|date=2004-06-28|website=ESPN.com|access-date=2016-07-25}} earning a spot on the Olympic team.{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jul-19-sp-gym19-story.html|title=Bhardwaj, Hatch Are on Team|last=Elliott|first=Helene|date=2004-07-19|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|access-date=2016-07-25}}{{Cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/athens/gymnastics/2004-07-18-gymnastics-team_x.htm|title=U.S. women's gymnastics squad finalized|last=Boeck|first=Greg|date=2004-07-18|website=USAToday.com|access-date=2016-07-25}}

At the Olympics, McCool competed all four events in the qualification round, but faltered on beam and floor and was excluded from the team finals lineup.{{Cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/athens/gymnastics/2004-08-16-mccool-dropped_x.htm|title=Coaches opt to drop McCool for final round of team event|last=Boeck|first=Greg|date=2004-08-17|website=USAToday.com|access-date=2016-07-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/summer04/gymnastics/news/story?id=1861555|title=McCools watch along with Courtney|last=Wickersham|first=Seth|date=2004-08-17|website=ESPN.com|access-date=2016-07-25}} The United States team won the silver medal behind Romania.{{Cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/athens/gymnastics/2004-08-17-womens-team-final_x.htm|title=Romania wins gold in women's gymnastics, U.S. silver|last=Boeck|first=Greg|date=2004-08-17|website=USAToday.com|access-date=2016-07-25}}

After the Olympics, McCool joined the T.J. Maxx Tour of Olympic Champions, a nationwide gymnastics exhibition tour.{{Cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tj-maxx-announces-sponsorship-for-tj-maxx-2004-tour-of-gymnastics-champions-72235072.html|title=T.J. Maxx Announces Sponsorship for T.J. Maxx 2004 Tour of Gymnastics Champions|date=2004-09-15|website=www.prnewswire.com|access-date=2016-07-25}} However, after finding out that the tour would not be stopping in her hometown, Kansas City, she joined the Rock 'N Roll Gymnastics Challenge, a rival tour, for its Kansas City show.{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/vault/2004/10/04/8187482/after-the-gold-rush|title=After the Gold Rush|last=Swift|first=E.M.|date=2004-10-04|website=Sports Illustrated|access-date=2016-07-25}} T.J. Maxx officials said they had not given McCool permission to do so, and dropped her from the rest of the tour.{{Cite web|url=http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2004/09/Issue-8/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/Performance-For-Rival-Gets-Gymnast-Cut-From-TJ-Maxx-Tour.aspx|title=Performance For Rival Gets Gymnast Cut From T.J. Maxx Tour|date=2004-09-22|website=Sports Business Daily|access-date=2016-07-25}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportsphotoworld.com/articles/04-1001_gymtours.htm|title=Two different gymnastic tours duel for post-Athens fans|last=Martinez|first=Paul|date=2004-10-01|website=Women's Sports Photo World|access-date=2016-07-25}}

Late in 2004, it emerged that McCool had been suffering from Kienbock's disease, a wrist condition that required surgery and prevented her from performing in further post-Olympic exhibitions.{{Cite web|url=http://globegazette.com/lifestyles/dreams-can-come-true/article_b19a25cf-4951-596e-87e2-2c059c0209b2.html|title=Dreams can come true|last=Yanda|first=Steve|date=2005-02-21|website=Globe Gazette|access-date=2016-07-25}}

McCool earned a full scholarship to the University of Georgia beginning in the 2006–07 school year. In her freshman season, she helped the team win its third straight national title, scoring an event high of 9.95 on beam at the 2007 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships in Salt Lake City. At the 2008 Championships in Athens, Georgia, McCool won the floor exercise and contributed to Georgia's fourth consecutive title. In 2009, Georgia won a fifth straight title, and McCool was named an All-American on balance beam, where she scored her first 10.0.

McCool performed the following routines in 2004:

Vault (Start Value: 9.7): 1½-twisting Yurchenko

Uneven bars (SV: 9.9): Kip, cast handstand (KCH); stalder shoot to high bar; KCH; underswing to blind turn + Khorkina; KCH; Gienger; KCH 1/2 + giant 3/2 (Dawes) + Tkatchev; KCH; giant 1/1 + shootover to handstand + underswing shoot to high bar; KCH; giant + giant + double layout dismount.

Balance beam (SV: 10.0): Front handspring mount (McCool); front aerial + back handspring stepout + layout stepout + layout stepout; switch leap + Onodi; sheep jump; wolf jump 1/1; switch side leap; full turn with leg above horizontal + Popa; roundoff + triple twist dismount.

Floor exercise (SV: 10.0): Popa + tuck jump 2/1; roundoff + back handspring + 2½ twist + front 1/1; double turn with leg above horizontal + wolf jump 1/1; switch ring leap + Gogean; triple full; front double twist + front layout.

McCool's balance beam mount, a front handspring with a two-foot landing, is named after her in the International Federation of Gymnastics' Code of Points because she was the first to perform it at the Olympics.{{Cite web|url=http://www.redandblack.com/sports/balance-beam-dictionary-part-breaking-down-dismounting-from-the-beam/article_c12eaa60-cd29-11e4-9834-771625893b5d.html|title=Balance beam dictionary part 4: Breaking down dismounting from the beam|last=Grimsley|first=Elizabeth|date=2015-03-18|website=The Red & Black|access-date=2016-07-25}}

2004: "Peter Gunn Theme"

{{Reflist}}

• {{FIG|bio=24784|lic=3396|name=Courtney McCool}}
• {{Olympics.com|courtney-mccool}}
• {{Olympedia}}
• [http://www.sitesbymorgan.com/courtney/ A Site by Morgan dedicated to Courtney McCool]...great info, photo galleries, videos, animations, and more.
• [http://www.dragongymnastics.com/ Dragon Gymnastics official website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090802183300/http://www.gymnastike.org/search/video/courtney+mccool/ Courtney McCool videos on Gymnastike.org]

{{Footer USA Gymnastics 2004 Summer Olympics}}

{{Gymnastics at the Pan American Games – Women's team competition|2003}}

{{Footer NCAA Gymnastics Floor Exercise Champions (Women)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCool, Courtney}}

Category:1988 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Kansas City, Missouri

Category:American female artistic gymnasts

Category:Gymnasts at the 2003 Pan American Games

Category:Gymnasts at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Category:Georgia GymDogs gymnasts

Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in gymnastics

Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in gymnastics

Category:U.S. women's national team gymnasts

Category:Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games

Category:21st-century American sportswomen

Category:LSU Tigers women's gymnastics coaches