Shannon Miller Takes Us Back To Birmingham!

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7-Time Olympic Medalist Shannon Miller writes a column in each issue of Inside Gymnastics magazine. With individual World Championships taking place right now in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Leanne Wong and Dulcy Caylor set to compete in the women’s All-Around Final for Team USA, we asked Shannon about her experience at the 1993 World Championships in Birmingham, England!

Coming off of your incredible performance at the 1992 Olympics, how important was it to you to carry your momentum from Barcelona to Birmingham for the 1993 World Championships? Was it your goal to become World All-Around Champion? 

I’m not sure that I was thinking about the ’93 World Championship with regard to momentum. I tend to think of each competition as a new opportunity. We take a breath, assess where we want to make changes and where we focus for the next event. My goal was never to specifically win. That’s certainly the outcome you want as an athlete, however, in a subjective sport, that can be a difficult thing to control. I focused on getting as close to a 10.0, on every event, as I possibly could. After that, the medal order would take care of itself. That’s why the 1992 Olympics stand out in my mind as one of my best competitions overall. I hit 16 clean sets during those Games, exactly what I hoped to do. I may not have come home with gold, but I was extremely proud of that performance.

It was also important to focus on any new skills or routines. Although, heading into ‘93 Worlds, I kept mostly the same routines overall. I had broken my foot during the ‘92 Olympics (something I didn’t realize until I got home and got an X-ray). Waiting for that to heal left little time to learn and perfect new routines. However, one skill that wasn’t hard on my foot was a new skill on balance beam that would become “The Miller” during the 1993 World Championships!

You overcame such an obstacle not feeling well, missing that beam routine in beam finals, and then roaring back to win floor! How satisfying was it to overcome such a challenge?

The competition definitely came with some challenges. I still don’t know if it was viral or something I ate, but I became quite ill leading up to and through the finals. You’re never going to feel perfect, and I felt like I could work through it. I ate bland foods, focused on sleep and hydration, but nothing seemed to help. My worst day struck on the day of balance beam finals and it showed in my performance. Three falls during one balance beam routine…I still cringe. (And, yes, you can relive that wonderful moment on YouTube). The first fall was big and painful. The second was embarrassing and by the time I fell on the dismount I was just happy to crawl back to the warm-up gym.

I recall Kathy Johson-Clarke appearing with a protein bar and a banana. I was kept out of the award ceremony so they could check to make sure I was okay between hitting my ribs on the beam and not feeling well overall. I kept down half the banana, and after resting for a bit, Steve and Peggy asked if I wanted to try and do the floor final. I guess I figured it couldn’t be worse than my beam performance, and the competitive side of me likely wanted a little redemption. So, I went for it. I truly believe it was the amazing audience and maybe a little bit of sheer will that got me through that routine. I was so relieved to finish on a good note, on a routine that reflected all the hard training. That’s sport, (and that’s life). Sometimes you have a bad day or a bad event. It’s what you do next that matters most!

What are your favorite memories from that competition?

The competition had its highlights and lowlights for me personally. However, it’s always amazing to represent your country on the world stage and I still remember that incredible audience! That said, some of my favorite memories from the 1993 Worlds came after the competition. I was still not feeling great but my coaches Steve and Peggy had planned for us to take a train to London and see a show at the London Theater. We went to Harrods and saw a few sites. I look back at this time in my life so thankful for the opportunity to travel the world doing the sport I love and meeting so many amazing people.

The U.S. women compete in Jakarta Thursday, October 23 where Caylor and Wong will take on the All-Around final at 7:30 a.m. ET. Live scores will be available on the FIG website and the competition will stream live on Peacock.

For more on the U.S. Women, Click Here!

Inside Gymnastics magazine is onsite in Jakarta to bring you all of the latest from the floor! Stay tuned to our social media @InsideGym and right here on InsideGym.com for for updates! Video Coverage in Jakarta for Inside Gymnastics provided by Nate Salsman.

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