Because the NCAA season attracts to an in depth, I’ve observed a surge in commentary relating to UCLA senior Norah Flatley. It goes with out saying that each gymnastics profession should come to an finish, and this time of 12 months at all times produces a wave of bittersweet moments as longstanding fan favorites compete for the final time.
However with Norah Flatley it has been totally different. In Norah’s case the gymnastics group has devoted further consideration to her profession and the thought that this is likely to be the final time we see her in a gymnastics competitors. Social media posts speculating on Flatley’s potential retirement have been particularly well-liked and followers have gone so far as to investigate the capitalization of Norah’s Instagram account to discover a signal that she is going to return to NCAA competitors in 2023.
As some followers see it, Norah solely stated that is her final competitors as a BRUIN which doesn’t technically exclude the potential for her transferring and turning into a Razorback, Sooner, Gator or Tiger. Why was Bruin the one phrase she capitalized? Whereas Flatley hasn’t formally declared for 2023, she has stated the choice is one thing she remains to be figuring out.
No matter whether or not we’re watching Norah’s last weekend of gymnastics, or her last weekend plus twelve months, there may be a lot to be stated over her standing as some of the well-liked gymnasts within the sport. Not like most fan favorites, it doesn’t come right down to a single purpose.
Norah Flatley doesn’t have a large social media following like Olivia Dunne, she isn’t a celeb exterior of the gymnastics group like Sunisa Lee, nor does she have a viral routine like Nia Dennis. She didn’t belong to a household dynasty like Sydney Johnson-Scharpf, grow to be an Olympian like Jordan Chiles, or obtain non-Olympic success on the senior elite degree like Riley McCusker.
And but, each gymnastics fan will passionately assert that Norah Flatley is as equally liked, revered, and admired as any of the beforehand talked about gymnasts. The distinctiveness of Norah Flatley’s profession is that she turned a fan favourite with out an Web algorithm, a significant senior elite project, or a extremely prestigious medal turning her into such a determine in a single day.
Norah has a tremendous popularity as a result of she labored laborious for it and slowly constructed it up over time. If the potential retirement of Norah Flatley feels extra impactful than your typical NCAA retirement, it’s as a result of Norah has been a giant title within the gymnastics group for roughly a decade.
Of all the good gymnasts the American program has produced which might be nonetheless actively competing whether or not it’s on the NCAA or Olympic degree, Simone Biles is the one who has been actively competing the longest. Simone’s breakout success got here through the 2012 and 2013 seasons when she rose from a low rating junior, to a quickly rising junior, and ultimately an iconic 1st-year senior in these two years.
Flatley achieved her breakout success the place gymnastics followers first began taking discover of Norah in 2013 when she received medals at two of the largest competitions on the home circuit. They have been a silver on beam on the 2013 U.S. Nationwide Championships, and later a gold medal on the identical occasion on the 2013 U.S. Traditional. On the time Flatley was just some months previous her thirteenth birthday, and on each events Norah had overwhelmed future Olympic beam silver medalist Laurie Hernandez.
That is the primary clue as to why gymnastics followers have had such a tragic demeanor in response to the prospect of Flatley competing for the final time. As issues stand now, Flatley is at present one of many longest operating headliners gymnastics followers have had. Solely the mighty Simone Biles exceeds Norah on this regard. For a lot of gymnastics followers, Norah Flatley is the gymnast that has at all times been there. For younger gymnastics followers, Flatley has had an affect just like Oksana Chusovitina with older followers the place she has been round for therefore lengthy, issues will really feel oddly absent when Norah is now not round.
Norah Flatley’s profession was distinctive in that she achieved success at an extremely younger age, and stayed related into her early 20s because of a protracted school profession. Longevity is likely one of the key causes for Norah’s recognition. However even again in her junior days Norah Flatley as a younger teenager was abnormally well-liked. Which brings us to the second component that has been key to her popularity as some of the well-liked gymnasts throughout the gymnastics group.
As a junior Norah had three issues going for her. The primary was that she had a confirmed monitor document by profitable medals as a junior. Secondly, she had success from the very starting of her profession and made a reputation for herself proper off the bat. Lastly, Norah was the pupil of a well-known coach. All three of these items put collectively gave Norah immediate credibility from the beginning, and solidified her popularity because the junior that everybody should comply with.
The coach in query was Liang Chow who rose to prominence because the coach of 2008 Olympian Shawn Johnson. Not solely was Shawn Johnson a confirmed winner, she achieved abnormally excessive recognition. Regardless of profitable the silver medal within the All-Round, Shawn efficiently rivaled the gold medalist Nastia Liukin in profitable over sponsors, showing in main media occasions, and constructing a following for herself.
Shawn Johnson went on to grow to be arguably the most well-liked runner-up within the Olympic All-Round in the complete historical past of ladies’s gymnastics. Shawn Johnson’s recognition made Liang Chow well-liked as effectively. But it surely additionally revealed that Liang Chow had the power to teach a gymnast to an Olympic medal, whereas additionally instructing her how one can win over a big share of followers whereas doing it.
After already teaching some of the well-known athletes within the sport, Liang Chow then coached somebody who was much more well-known. In 2014 Gabby Douglas arrived in Iowa and skilled with Liang Chow. It additional raised the profile of Liang Chow who was now related to two of essentially the most iconic names of the period. However Norah Flatley benefited from this greater than anybody as a result of it meant she was coaching alongside the latest Olympic All-Round champion. Even in 2014, regardless of Simone Biles’ success, it was nonetheless Gabby Douglas who was essentially the most recognizable determine to the broader sports activities group. When folks got here to observe Gabby, Norah was alongside her to be observed too.
If Norah was getting the good thing about being photographed alongside Gabby Douglas, she additionally appeared to remind folks of Shawn Johnson. The Johnson-Flatley connection went past the mere affiliation of two gymnasts who occurred to be coached by the identical man. Shawn Johnson was an Olympic gold medalist on the steadiness beam and as a junior Norah Flatley achieved breakout success on beam.
When gymnastics followers noticed Norah Flatley in 2013, they noticed a lot promise as a result of Norah had the good thing about a confirmed coach who efficiently produced an Olympic gold medalist, whereas additionally progressing in the very same means Shawn had.
For all of the silver medals Johnson received on the 2008 Olympics exterior of her success on beam, Shawn may need effectively have turned all of them into gold in the best way she utilized her picture to develop a big model. Shawn Johnson’s joyful perspective was unequalled. Johnson maximized her younger facial expressions, youthful character, and had so many cases the place she produced a healthful second when the cameras have been watching.
It was as if all these traits have been instilled on Norah as she competed in junior occasions with the very same perspective. It was as if two issues have been sure anytime Norah appeared in a junior competitors. You have been going to see Flatley win a medal, and she or he can be laughing on the rostrum as she celebrated along with her fellow medalists. One extra profit was Liang Chow has confirmed to be a well-liked coach and has averted the animosity of followers who’ve come to query the techniques of nearly all his American rivals. In an period the place each high gymnastics membership is both scrutinized or is a mix of scrutinized and well-liked, Norah Flatley was the likable gymnast from a coach who himself has remained likable.
Every little thing about Norah Flatley’s junior profession was “likable.” She was the likable gymnast from a likable coach, in an period the place gymnastics followers had a extra optimistic viewpoint in the direction of younger juniors and the game itself. This was all earlier than the Larry Nassar scandal dropped at gentle conversations that ought to have been had way back relating to the abusive nature of the game. There was additionally the wave of junior burnout from quite a few Texas Goals gymnasts in addition to Russia’s Ekaterina Sokova. This has resulted in each followers and USAG doing extra to pivot the dialog towards younger juniors like Norah, in favor of a junior profession extra paying homage to Simone Biles’ junior profession.
The following component of Norah’s profession that was key to her recognition was Flatley’s resolution to attend UCLA. If Flatley was “gifted” in her affiliation with Liang Chow the place she was immediately empowered because of her affiliation with highly effective figures, UCLA took issues to a brand new degree.
UCLA would go on to be such a robust drive that its social media following will not be solely the biggest in school gymnastics, however is larger than the 2nd, third, 4th, and fifth largest packages mixed. Norah Flatley was a excessive profile junior in an period the place USA Gymnastics was in between its legendary 2012 and 2016 groups, skilled alongside Gabby Douglas when Gabby was on the peak of her recognition, and was related to Chow when he was on the peak of his recognition/recognition on the American leg of his teaching profession.
Now Norah was a UCLA gymnast competing proper in the course of UCLA’s personal golden age. UCLA was so well-liked that Oklahoma soccer followers who dared ventured into gymnastics on-line boards after studying the Sooners had taken the Nationwide Championship have been flabbergasted that gymnastics followers have been posting “UCLA loses” as a substitute of “Oklahoma wins.” The concept that one crew is so overwhelmingly well-liked that their loss is a much bigger story than the crew that received the season finale would confuse most fandoms of different sports activities.
However that was UCLA within the early years of Norah’s school profession. UCLA had all of the well-known gymnasts from the elite degree and bought so many fan favorites. The arrival of Norah Flatley, the broadly beloved junior was but another excuse why gymnastics followers all appeared to like UCLA. It was as if “in fact UCLA has Norah” as a result of there was no higher match than the favored determine going to a program identified for buying well-liked figures.
As Norah’s profession progressed, her legacy was additional empowered because of Flatley’s presence alongside viral sensations reminiscent of Katelyn Ohashi and Nia Dennis. It was an period the place UCLA was on the peak of its recognition. Earlier than teaching adjustments, inner controversies, declining outcomes, and the surfacing of allegations relating to a previous coach has decimated a lot of the “really feel good, optimistic story” that made UCLA so likable. For the second time in her profession, Norah was a part of a wave of success that instantly ended as her time at that degree was coming to an in depth.
As Flatley’s school profession involves an in depth, this pattern seems to have resurfaced in a single extra means. The freshman degree of NCAA gymnastics has by no means been extra well-liked because of NIL giving well-liked Olympic gymnastics reminiscent of Jade Carey the power to crash onto the scene and immediately obtain success as a freshman. All whereas elite gymnastics is altering and the American system is now not discouraging its Olympic prospects from avoiding the NCAA.
These developments are overwhelmingly well-liked, however gymnasts who as soon as used the NCAA degree to flee the shadow of well-known Olympic gymnasts as Norah had executed will discover doing so tougher to perform in future years. Norah Flatley was a younger junior in a sport that has pivoted to discouraging extremely younger juniors in later years. Norah achieved a well-liked run of NCAA success as an upperclassman, in an period the place the game seems to be on the verge of a pivot in the direction of underclassmen having a bigger presence. She was a UCLA gymnast at a time when UCLA peaked in recognition and departs proper because the SEC and rival Pac-12 packages are pulling the rug out from underneath UCLA.
One of many key causes for Norah’s success is she has taken benefit of home windows of alternative proper earlier than they have been closed.
However most significantly, Norah’s longevity coupled along with her affiliation with first Liang Chow and later UCLA made Flatley a gymnast that for nearly a decade, was at all times round and at all times within the highlight. Norah has solely bounced from one well-liked establishment to the subsequent. Maintaining her instantly within the highlight always which is uncommon for many gymnasts. This irregular profession trajectory is how Norah achieved the bizarre standing of a fan favourite whose standing as a fan favourite can’t be defined in easy phrases.
It’s tough for any gymnast to be within the highlight for 9 years. Much more so to climate that highlight and at all times be on the precise facet of issues. Going 9 years as a public determine with out making a mistake is an accomplishment in its personal. Norah Flatley belonged to an period of troubled waters. In her time gymnastics has skilled three main actions. First there was #MeToo when Norah’s nationwide program got here to phrases with systemic sexual assault occurring inside its ranks.
Then there was #GymnastAlliance the place the dialog relating to sexual assault was expanded to discussing the rampant teaching abuse occurring throughout the sport that had harmed so many gymnasts. Lastly, there was #BlackLivesMatter when gymnastics which has lengthy been related to a largely white demographic needed to come to phrases with each its failures to attain a extra equally consultant demographic, and the exclusion many black athletes already collaborating within the sport felt after they competed as a minority alongside largely white teammates and coaches.
Throughout all three of those actions Norah Flatley was at all times there to both say the precise factor, or help her teammates who had ideas they needed to share. Throughout the latest school season this matter was dropped at the forefront as UCLA gymnastics mishandled an allegation of racism occurring inside its program.
Norah Flatley would take a management position as her crew was in disaster and questioned the selections UCLA directors had made because it tried to finish the controversy. Going so far as to publicly tag the UCLA athletic director on Twitter. Within the enterprise world, this might be like going round your boss and publicly criticizing his boss for everybody to see at an organization occasion.
It’s the least stunning component of Norah’s profession that she took a stand in a second of disaster, and didn’t cease till she had created the biggest ruckus potential to make the voice of her crew heard. As a result of Norah has lengthy represented each optimistic worth followers desire a gymnast to embody.
After all Norah would step as much as the plate and never stand idle when she was the one quite a few folks have been relying on to be a voice for the remainder of the crew. Norah was a senior and one of many largest names throughout the program, her stance mattered. For a gymnast that has by no means let the game down, having the braveness and bravado to take a stand for the remainder of the crew was a foregone conclusion.
In her youthful years Norah acted likable, after which gave you a purpose to love her with the best way she carried out herself. Norah was identified to followers as a younger gymnast who promptly received everybody over along with her cuteness, whereas additionally producing sturdy beam routines that made folks take this youngster athlete significantly. Followers then witnessed her development and later noticed a totally totally different Norah Flatley. One who had grown right into a younger grownup lady with the power and skill to criticize highly effective directors who doubled her in age.
Norah Flatley emerged as an lovable junior that many followers fell in love with, and spent the subsequent 9 years justifying all that love.
