Mattie Larson (born May 20, 1992) is an American former

artistic gymnast Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different apparatuses. The sport is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), which designs the Code of Points and regulates ...

. She competed at the senior elite level from 2008 to 2010. Larson was the 2010 U.S. national champion on floor exercise. At that year's

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

, she won a silver medal with the U.S. in the team competition. Larson then competed at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

from 2012 to 2014.

Junior career

2006

Larson first qualified to junior international elite in July 2006 at the

U.S. Classic The U.S. Classic is an annual summer gymnastics meet for elite artistic gymnasts of the United States. The meet occurs before Nationals and is a qualifier for it. In Olympic years, the aforementioned meets along with the U.S. Olympic Trials are u ...

, where she finished fifth all-around. Larson was supposed to compete at her first U.S. National Championships, but an injury forced her out of the competition.

2007

Larson returned to competition in 2007. She finished second all-around and first on vault at the WOGA Classic. She then finished third all-around at the U.S. Classic, qualifying once again to the National Championships. She performed well enough to make the national team. She then competed at the Junior Pan American Championships, her first international assignment, where she won gold in the all-around and on floor. She was named the November USOC Female Athlete of the Month.

Senior career

2008

Larson started her senior career in 2008. She finished second on beam and first on floor at the WOGA Classic. At the Gymnix International competition, she won the silver in the all-around and bronze on bars. She was also named to the Grand Prix Team in Italy but was unable to compete due to a foot injury. During the Friendship International Exchange, she placed 4th all-around and won silver on floor behind teammate

Alicia Sacramone Alicia Marie Sacramone Quinn (; born December 3, 1987) is a retired American artistic gymnast. She won a silver medal with the United States team at the 2008 Summer Olympics and is the 2005 World Champion on floor exercise and the 2010 World Ch ...

. At her first Senior Nationals, she finished seventh all-around to make the national team and qualified for the Olympic Trials. After the Olympic Trials she made the Olympic training squad. Larson had a leg injury and ultimately did not make the team.

2009

Larson opened her 2009 season at the Gymnix World Cup and earned gold medals on beam and floor. She was selected as part of the European Tour. She did not compete all-around but helped the team win against Germany and France. Larson suffered a double-ankle sprain shortly before the 2009 U.S. National Championships. Thus, she was unable to compete and did not recover in time to secure a bid to the 2009 World Championships.

2010

Larson came back in 2010 to win the all-around title at the CoverGirl Classic in July. A month later, she won three medals at the 2010 U.S. National Championships: gold on floor, silver in the all-around, and bronze on uneven bars. She was subsequently chosen to be a member of the U.S. team for the World Championships in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

College career

In 2009, Larson signed her letter of intent to

. She competed for the UCLA Bruins from 2012 through 2014 before retiring from gymnastics.

Personal life

Larson was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Her parents, Eric Larson and

Gail Boggs Gail Charlene Boggs (born August 10, 1951) is an American actress. She played Louise Brown in the 1990 film '' Ghost''. Career Gail Boggs, the daughter of Willie Boggs, a tree surgeon, and Alice, a dietitian, described having always dreamed of ...

, are actors. Larson was a

victim Victim(s) or The Victim may refer to: People * Crime victim * Victim, in psychotherapy, a posited role in the Karpman drama triangle model of transactional analysis Films and television * ''The Victim'' (1916 film), an American silent film by ...

of former

USA Gymnastics United States of America Gymnastics (USA Gymnastics or USAG) is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Established in 1963 as the U.S. Gymnastics Federation (USGF), USA Gymnastics is responsible for selecting and traini ...

national team doctor

Larry Nassar Lawrence "Larry" Gerard Nassar (born August 16, 1963) is an American former physician and convicted child rapist. For 18 years, he was the team doctor of the United States women's national gymnastics team. He used his employment as th ...

and gave a

victim impact statement A victim impact statement is a written or oral statement made as part of the judicial legal process, which allows crime victims the opportunity to speak during the sentencing of the convicted person or at subsequent parole hearings. Overview One ...

against him after his conviction and before his sentencing for the

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

of young female athletes.

Competitive history

References

External links

Mattie Larson Online
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Larson, Mattie 1992 births Living people African-American gymnasts African-American sportswomen All Olympia Gymnastics Center American female artistic gymnasts Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Gymnasts from Los Angeles UCLA Bruins women's gymnasts U.S. women's national team gymnasts 21st-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American women