Huntington Gymnast wins God at the World Gymnastics Championships (how much, high school)

[tbailey1138]

Gold! Williams wins vault

LONDON -- Kayla Williams is a world gymnastics champion.

The 16-year-old Huntington High School junior, who was still competing at the level below elite five months ago, looked like an old pro Saturday in winning the vault title at the World Gymnastics Championships. Only when she stood atop the podium did she seem overwhelmed, taking several deep breaths as she waited for the gold medal to be put around her neck and fighting back tears as the national anthem played.

Just how big a leap was this? Think LeBron James going straight from high school to the NBA -- if James had won the NBA title his rookie year.

"This past five months, or however long it's been, have been the most hectic and crazy," said Williams, whose Huntington training base is Bozhi's Gym Nest on Green Valley Road. "But I've learned a lot and I finished it off as best I could."

Williams' rise just doesn't happen in gymnastics. Newcomers do make a splash at a world championships or Olympics all the time, but odds are they've had some international seasoning at the junior level at least.

Not Williams. She was at the Level 10 championships in May, so far off the radar that her only trip to the Karolyi ranch before the world team was selected was for a developmental camp.

Gold! Williams wins vault - The Herald Dispatch


Pretty cool that she rose to such a level in such a short time.

[Katie1]

Wins GOD?? congratulation wow

[snorpus]

Wonder what she'll do with Him?

[Katie1]

Dont know! hehehehe I was just being snarky lol

[tbailey1138]

Fix it if I could but it isn't an option. Mods?

[WVUPharm2007]

I wonder how much God can fetch you on eBay. I guess it depends which god it is. If it was, like, Zeus or Poseidon, I figure I'd make the reserve at least a cool $1 million. If it was a pansy god like Hermes, meh...start it at $100k, no reserve...I'd hate to have to pay the property taxes on those things...probably through the roof...

[CTMountaineer]

Originally Posted by tbailey1138

Gold! Williams wins vault

LONDON -- Kayla Williams is a world gymnastics champion.

The 16-year-old Huntington High School junior, who was still competing at the level below elite five months ago, looked like an old pro Saturday in winning the vault title at the World Gymnastics Championships. Only when she stood atop the podium did she seem overwhelmed, taking several deep breaths as she waited for the gold medal to be put around her neck and fighting back tears as the national anthem played.

Just how big a leap was this? Think LeBron James going straight from high school to the NBA -- if James had won the NBA title his rookie year.

"This past five months, or however long it's been, have been the most hectic and crazy," said Williams, whose Huntington training base is Bozhi's Gym Nest on Green Valley Road. "But I've learned a lot and I finished it off as best I could."

Williams' rise just doesn't happen in gymnastics. Newcomers do make a splash at a world championships or Olympics all the time, but odds are they've had some international seasoning at the junior level at least.

Not Williams. She was at the Level 10 championships in May, so far off the radar that her only trip to the Karolyi ranch before the world team was selected was for a developmental camp.

Gold! Williams wins vault - The Herald Dispatch


Pretty cool that she rose to such a level in such a short time.

That's great news... perhaps she'll be the next Mary Lou. I think Tim meant Gold, not God.

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by CTMountaineer

That's great news... perhaps she'll be the next Mary Lou. I think Tim meant Gold, not God.

Maybe she competed in the Born Again World Championships?

[HomersBoy]

She's an Almost Heaven, West Virginia native so I'm sure God had a hand in it somewhere....

[Threerun]

Well put.