Delaware gymnast returns from world championships with more medals, goals

Tucked away in a business park among nondescript buildings is the second home to one of Delaware’s best athletes.

It’s where family, friends and fans celebrated Wednesday evening, welcoming Morgan Hurd and her three medals back from the Gymnastics World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

To young athletes at First State Gymnastics who posed for pictures with Hurd, the 17-year-old is a hero, with a team gold medal, a silver on the floor exercise and bronze all-around from the most recent competition.

Her profile is rising beyond Delaware, too. Hurd has more than 100,000 followers on social media and is one of the young artists, athletes and activists in singer Shawn Mendes and Khalid’s video for “Youth,” released earlier this week.

But in the long, boxy gym where she repeats skills for hours on end in what is essentially her full-time job, Hurd looks like any other teenager.

Except maybe for that smile.

Sitting in athletic wear on the side of a mat, her hair out of the bun she favors for competition, she watches other gymnasts practice on the bars. She’s playing on her phone as parents and coaches mill around, and young girls in leotards with chalky hands get ready for the celebratory reception with Hurd, who’s not much taller than them.

After a few moments to celebrate last week's successes, she will turn her energy to the biggest prize in gymnastics, the 2020 Olympic Games.

Secret of her success

Hurd has been a fixture at First State Gymnastics for years, or at least since getting serious about the sport in fifth or sixth grade, said her mom, Sherri Hurd.

That’s when she decided she wanted to be an elite gymnast and spend about seven hours at the gym every day. Sherri said they started homeschooling then, and have been taking everything one step at a time.

Longtime coach Slava Glazounov knew Morgan was capable before that. He knew it from day one.

“She was different, very little, very flexible, energetic, very bouncy,” he said. “ All the attributes of a good gymnast was exhibited in her from an early age.”

But it’s her work ethic that’s helped her move into the international elite.

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“I don’t know if this is something that she’s born with, is this something in her family, but her willingness to work harder than anybody else is really what made her what she is,” he said. 

Hurd earned a spot in last year’s world championships and surprised almost everyone – including Glazounov – by winning the gold in the individual all-around.

This year she came in third behind 2016 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, who won her record-setting fourth gold in the event, and Japan’s Mai Murakami, who bested Hurd by just .066 of a point.

“Last year was new and shocking to all of us,” Glazounov said. “This year was a lot of pressure” that she put on herself, he said.

Last year’s championships didn’t have a team contest, so Hurd competed in individual events only. This year’s event did have a team competition – one that the U.S. dominated, finishing nearly 9 points ahead of silver medalists Russia.

The win secured Team USA a berth in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, although the gymnasts representing the U.S. won't be determined until shortly before the games.

“There were expectations from us, from the public, from the social media, from the national staff, she was a veteran in a way, so there was a high expectation to help the team to achieve the gold,” Glazounov said of Hurd's ability to handle the expectations of her. “But she handled it well and she had fun this time. She was more focused, she was a little bit more relaxed.”

Hurd said competing as part of a team was a positive change from last year.

“It just brings a different energy because we’re all there and we’re competing as one. We’re not competing against each other... we’re competing with each other,” Hurd said. “Everyone’s cheering for each other, and it just gets you really excited to compete.”

Hurd described her performance as “so much more confident” than last year’s, in part because she had that experience under her belt.

“I’m more sure of myself because I know what I’m capable of,” she said.

To get her ready for this year they worked on “cleaning up” her routines. Increasing her difficulty on bars. Sticking landings. Working on dance elements on floor.

“Ultimately that’s what sealed it off, the tiny little details,” Glazounov said.

Those tiny details -- a step out of bounds, a crouched landing -- can be the difference between gold and off the podium.

“A tenth is like, just a little bent finger and that’s, 'here you go, you lost it,' ” he said.

Hurd said consistency was the goal they were working toward over the past year, and that means repetition.

“She takes the numbers (repetitions) she does double, triple amount of numbers that other kids do and that’s why she is being successful. Her work ethic is unbelievable,” Glazounov said.

Hurd said next up is increasing her difficulty and execution in all of her routines. She’s focused on slowing down for a while and then ramping up training before the American Cup in March.

That’s what she’s focused on -- not necessarily 2020.

But that’s what her coach said is her “dream goal,” and what they’re working toward.

Hurd has a deep field of competitors and the ever-present chance of injury to overcome to make it to Tokyo.

There’s also the uncertain future of USA Gymnastics, the sport’s beleaguered governing body. The fallout from former national team doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual assaults and the organization’s mishandling of it is still reverberating years after the first allegations came to light.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Olympic Committee took the first step to decertify USAG, which would have an impact on gymnasts and clubs nationwide.

“Unfortunately for us, that situation with USAG has been going for a while already,” Glazounov said. “We’re kind of used to it.”

So they focus on what they can control in the gym, he said. They work on being a good person first, and a gymnast second.

Sherri Hurd said that drama isn’t usually a topic of conversation at home. They leave the gym at the gym.

“As a mom, I try to keep home home, so that whatever stresses or whatever she has during the day, when she comes home it’s just regular home. Just laying on her bed, watching TV, whatever.”

At home, Morgan is just a regular teenager. One that will be able to drive alone soon.

So what’s scarier: Having a teen driver or watching Morgan compete?

Definitely driving, Sherri said.

“I’m used to the competing part at this point.”

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