Utah gymnastics star MyKayla Skinner, as expected, has elected to defer her senior year of college competition to pursue a USA Gymnastics Team berth for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.
With a final year of NCAA eligibility left, the two-time NCAA champion says she intends to return for her senior year and compete for the Red Rocks during the 2020-21 season. Skinner, a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection, also plans on returning to finish her degree in communications from the U.
Skinner, one of the most decorated gymnasts in school history, has claimed two NCAA titles (vault, floor), eight NCAA regional titles, and seven Pac-12 individual titles. Skinner is also Utah’s all-time leader in All-America awards with 26, ranks second with 28 career all-around victories, and third with 111 individual victories.
In her previous quest to earn an Olympic berth, Skinner was named an alternate for the 2016 USA gold-medal Olympic team after placing fourth in the all-around at the 2016 Olympic Trials. The 2016 Glasgow World Cup all-around champion put a pause on her international career by signing on to compete for the Utes.
Skinner will continue to train at her home gym in Arizona, Desert Light Gymnastics, to prepare for elite competition. She will next compete next at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Aug. 8-11. The four-day event will be held at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.