She didn’t just talk the talk—she walked the walk. Back in 2023, Konnor McClain said it best: “I’m brighter now; there’s a light in me.” And wow, she proved it on March 8. LSU’s sophomore gymnast brought that light—and some serious fire—to the uneven bars in front of a roaring crowd of 13,476, the fourth-largest in PMAC history. Her near-perfect gymnastics routine helped No. 2 LSU demolish No. 10 Georgia, 198.575-197.175! Oh, but what about her score that night? Well, nowhere near enough.

And man, LSU was on fire. It was the highest in LSU program history. They dropped a season-high 49.675 on beam, matched season highs on vault (49.600) and floor (49.675), and basically steamrolled their way to at least a share of every event title. But McClain? She was the showstopper. While her coach Jay Clark was watching closely, McClain stepped up on bars and crushed it.

This gymnastics star hit her handstand perfectly, arms locked, body tight, toes pointed, like she was frozen in place. Then came the big stuff—she swung into a huge Pak salto, dropping to the low bar with insane control. Momentum on point, she transitioned back to the high bar, keeping everything smooth. And then came the moment of truth: her dismount. McClain launched into a full-twisting double back, soared through the air, and landed like she had magnets in her heels—barely a wobble.

The crowd went wild. Surely this was it. A perfect 10 had to be coming. But when her score flashed “9.975 ” the arena buzzed with disbelief. Fans were shaken; what more could she have done? Despite a routine that looked flawless, the judges found something to deduct. But what? As soon as LSU posted a reel of her routine online, gymnastics fans wasted no time calling it out.

Fans up in arms as gymnastics star was robbed

Social media exploded with outrage, with fans demanding answers from gymnastics officials. One fan summed it up with a simple, “Robbed 😭.” Another gymnastics fan was stunned, writing, “H*ly smokes. Kon was ROBBED!!” And yet another made it clear: “She was robbed. She deserved that 10.” The routine looked flawless, so what happened? Turns out, there’s been some serious drama brewing with gymnastics scoring this season.

McClain’s score came from one judge giving her a perfect 10, while the other dropped a 9.95, leaving her just shy of perfection. It’s not the first time this has happened, either. Back in February 2025, LSU’s Olivia Dunne spoke up about this exact issue. She took to X and said, “At some point, it feels negative and loses the entertainment factor that draws the crowd in.”

An hour later, she followed up, making it clear her comments weren’t just about LSU—she was pushing for a system that keeps the sport exciting and fair for all athletes. So, what’s behind these scoring shake-ups? It’s tied to a new system called the Collegiate Judging Issue (CJI) — introduced by the WCGA in May 2024. The goal?

To make scoring more consistent by ranking judges based on how closely their scores match a target score. Sounds fair, right? Well, not exactly. While it’s meant to improve accuracy, critics say it’s made perfect 10s feel impossible—and that’s leaving athletes frustrated and fans furious. For gymnasts like McClain, who spend hours perfecting every detail, falling short of a 10 despite a seemingly flawless routine is tough to swallow.

Gymnastics fans didn’t hold back when Konnor McClain’s score came up just shy of perfection. One fan asked what everyone was thinking: “That was a 10 routine. Absolutely breathtaking. Where was the deduction???” Another added, “Should’ve been a 10!” Someone else pointed out her insane control, writing, “Honestly, she should’ve gotten a bonus for hanging onto that Pak 🤯.”

And of course, the familiar cry rang out: “She was robbed. She deserved that 10.” Frustration was boiling over—and for good reason. So far this season, only 14 perfect 10s have been handed out. McClain’s routine felt like it should’ve been number 15—but luck didn’t seem to be on her side. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time things haven’t gone McClain’s way.

In 2024, just as she was closing in on her lifelong Olympic dream, everything came crashing down. She had been building serious momentum, standing proudly on the podium at the Core Hydration Classic—her bronze on beam proving she was right in the mix for an Olympic spot. The Paris Games were within reach. But then disaster struck—a torn Achilles.

One of the most brutal injuries a gymnast can face. One minute, Konnor McClain was flying high, her Olympic dream right at her fingertips—the next, she was flat on her back, wheels instead of wings, watching it all slip away. Years of blood, sweat, and tears? Gone in the blink of an eye. But if you know McClain, you know she’s not one to back down. She dusted herself off, picked herself up by the bootstraps, and came back swinging. And when she nailed that gymnastics uneven bars routine? That fight, that fire—it was impossible to miss.