Morgan Hurd.
DOHA: So much has changed for US gymnast Morgan Hurd since she won the world all-around title last year that she considers the 48th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships as an entirely new reality.
“I have different expectations for myself because I’m a different person and a different gymnast than I was a year ago,” said the 17-year-old in a recent media conference call.
Hurd’s updated perspective should help her cope with two game-changing dynamics that were not part of the programme at last year’s Worlds in Montreal, Canada. They are the team competition and the presence of Hurd’s team-mate, three-time world all-around champion Simone Biles.
Biles is making her return to international competition here after her quadruple gold medal-winning performance at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Hurd is eager to compete to her full potential, regardless of these aspects that were not part of her 2017 conquest.
“It’s a completely different energy because you’re competing not only for yourself but for five other girls,” she said.
“It’s going to be so much more exciting. I just want to focus on doing my absolute best.”
Meanwhile, Canadian-born Irish gymnast Meaghan Smith is motivated to do well in Doha.
Smith’s journey to the 48th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships began three years ago when she pondered her lineage and her competitive future.
“My gymnastics career in Canada was kind of over,” Smith told www.worldgymdoha18.com after Saturday’s training session at Aspire Dome.
“I was at the senior level, but I wasn’t at the top, so I knew I wouldn’t be going to international events, and I wanted that opportunity. I’m also proud to be Irish, so we thought, ‘Hey, I can compete for Ireland.’”
Smith, whose maternal grandmother is Irish, contacted a club that welcomed her to become a member. She made her international debut for Ireland at this summer’s European Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
The chance to extend her career on behalf of Ireland gave the 20-year-old a fresh incentive to work towards her potential.
“Now, I have a goal. I have things to look forward to like the World Championships,” she said.
“I know they are on my calendar, so when I’m in the gym, I think, ‘OK, how can I be better, how can I improve for this competition?’ And, I love the sport. I didn’t want to give it up. I wanted to keep going.”
