Team USA’s Riley Loos tumbles toward Paris Olympics

Team USA gymnast Riley Loos tumbles toward Paris Olympics

Updated: 1:20 AM EDT Apr 5, 2024

STANFORD UNIVERSITY FOR HIS SUCCESS. LONG BEFORE RILEY LUCE WAS DOING THIS AS A U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM GYMNAST, HE WAS DOING THIS AROUND HIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE ELSE. YEAH, THAT’S ACTUALLY WHY I JOINED GYMNASTICS. I WATCHED THE 2008 OLYMPICS, SAW SOMEBODY ON THE RINGS, AND I WAS LIKE, I WANT TO DO THAT. SO I JOINED THE NEXT YEAR AND QUIT BASKETBALL. SOCCER. AND BASEBALL QUIT AMAL AND JUST DID GYMNASTICS FOR THE NEXT 14 YEARS. THAT LED. HIM TO THE STANFORD GYMNASTICS TEAM UNDER 22 YEAR HEAD COACH TOM GILLIAM. NEARLY HALF THE NATIONAL TEAM HAS A CONNECTION TO STANFORD, AND THIS COACH, WHO ALSO LED THE TOKYO MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM. IT’S LIMITLESS. THERE’S THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GOT ME INTO THE SPORT WAS NOT JUST THE THRILL SEEKER IN ME AND THE ADRENALINE ADDICT, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE INFINITE POSSIBILITIES THAT CAN BE PUT TOGETHER WHEN YOU’RE TRAINING. ONCE YOU’VE GRADUATED, BUT YOU’RE STILL YOU STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRAIN WITH THE TEAM. WHY IS THAT SO CRUCIAL TO TRAINING AT STANFORD. IS LIKE A NATIONAL TEAM CAMP. EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND YOU’RE JUST BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY THE BEST GUYS IN THE GAME. IN WOBBLER’S GUYS SEEM TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE AIR. THE REALITY IS THEY SPEND MORE TIME IN THEIR HEAD. WHAT PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE, I’D SAY, IS, ONE THING I WANT TO MENTION IS HOW MENTAL THIS SPORT IS AND HOW MUCH WORK HAS TO BE DONE. JUST VISUALIZING AND THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU THINK ABOUT THINGS. AND THE ONE THING HE’S MAINLY THINKING ABOUT, BEING ONE OF THE FIVE MEN WHO WILL ULTIMATELY TUMBLE INTO THE OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER, WELL, THAT’S THE BIG GOAL THIS YEAR. THAT’S WHAT I’M GOING FOR. I DON’T THINK IT’S OUT OF REACH. UM, I THINK IF I DO MAKE IT, IT’LL BE MY LIFE GOAL ACCOMPLISHED AND I CAN JUST REST FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. HONESTLY, RUSTING. THAT MIGHT BE THE ONLY THING RILEY LUCE CAN’T HANG WITH ON THE ROAD TO PARIS. I’M DEIRDRE FITZPATRICK. THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES ON THIS WEEK’S DYING TO ASK THE ROAD TO PARIS PODCAST. RILEY AND DEIRDRE BREAKDOWN HOW STANFORD’S SYSTEM OF TIERED ACCOUNTABILITY WORKS, AND YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO APPLY

Team USA gymnast Riley Loos tumbles toward Paris Olympics

Updated: 1:20 AM EDT Apr 5, 2024

The road to Paris contains twists, turns and hundreds of backflips for Team USA’s top men’s gymnasts. And, Riley Loos is close to making his first Olympic Team.The California native fell in love with the sport after watching gymnastics during the 2008 Beijing Games.”I saw someone on the rings and thought, ‘I want to do that!’ Joined the next year and quit basketball, baseball, soccer. Quit them all and just did gymnastics for the next 14 years,” Loos said.Loos competed for both Stanford and the U.S. Men’s National Gymnastics Team at the same time under longtime Stanford head coach Thom Glielmi.Loos graduated last year but remained in Palo Alto to continue training with Glielmi and the Stanford Team.”Training at Stanford is like a national team camp every single day. And you’re just being held accountable by the best guys in the game,” Loos said.The top five gymnasts will make this year’s U.S. Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Team. Loos is ranked third on the national team after February’s Winter Cup meet.

The road to Paris contains twists, turns and hundreds of backflips for Team USA’s top men’s gymnasts. And, Riley Loos is close to making his first Olympic Team.

The California native fell in love with the sport after watching gymnastics during the 2008 Beijing Games.

“I saw someone on the rings and thought, ‘I want to do that!’ Joined the next year and quit basketball, baseball, soccer. Quit them all and just did gymnastics for the next 14 years,” Loos said.

Loos competed for both Stanford and the U.S. Men’s National Gymnastics Team at the same time under longtime Stanford head coach Thom Glielmi.

Loos graduated last year but remained in Palo Alto to continue training with Glielmi and the Stanford Team.

“Training at Stanford is like a national team camp every single day. And you’re just being held accountable by the best guys in the game,” Loos said.

The top five gymnasts will make this year’s U.S. Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Team. Loos is ranked third on the national team after February’s Winter Cup meet.