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Opinion: Young gymnasts trying to capitalize on unexpected chance at Tokyo Olympics

INDIANAPOLIS – The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics forced athletes in every sport to revise their plans, with most having to push their timetables back.

For a few athletes, however, it meant speeding them up.

Female gymnasts are required to be 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible for the Games. Skye Blakely and Konnor McClain are among those who, because they were born in 2005, set their sights on the 2024 Olympics in Paris because they were going to be too young for Tokyo. But with the 2020 Games delayed a year because of COVID, they’ve found themselves with an unexpected opportunity.