Madison Kocian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Madison Kocian
Kocian at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Madison Taylor Kocian
Nickname(s)	Maddie
Country represented	United States
Born	(1997-06-15) June 15, 1997 (age 28) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Height	5 ft 3 in (160 cm)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team	2009–11, 2013–16 (USA)
Club	WOGA
College team	UCLA Bruins
Former coach(es)	Laurent Landi and Cecile Canqueteau-Landi Valorie Kondos Field Chris Waller
Retired	March 12, 2020
Medal record Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Uneven bars World Championships Gold 2014 Nanning Team Gold 2015 Glasgow Team Gold 2015 Glasgow Uneven bars Pan American Championships Gold 2014 Mississauga Team Silver 2014 Mississauga Uneven bars Representing UCLA Bruins NCAA Championships Gold 2018 St. Louis Team Bronze 2019 Fort Worth Team

Madison Taylor Kocian (born June 15, 1997) is a retired American artistic gymnast. She was amazing on the uneven bars. In 2015, she was one of four world champions on this event. She also won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Madison was part of the famous "Final Five" team. This team won the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics. She also helped the American teams win gold at the 2014 and 2015 World Championships. After her elite career, she joined the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team. She helped them win the 2018 NCAA Championships. Madison is one of only two female gymnasts to win NCAA, World, and Olympic titles. The other is Kyla Ross.

Early Life and Training

Madison Kocian was born and grew up in Dallas, Texas. Her parents, Thomas and Cindy Kocian, started her in gymnastics when she was very young. When she was five, she began training at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA). This gym is in Plano, Texas.

WOGA is famous because Olympic champions like Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin also trained there. These gymnasts inspired Madison. She especially looked up to Nastia Liukin, who she saw as an older sister. Madison has one younger brother. She went to Spring Creek Academy in Plano and finished school in 2015.

Junior Gymnastics Career

Starting Out: 2009–2010

Madison first competed as an elite gymnast in 2009. She finished 18th in the all-around at the U.S. Classic. Later, at the U.S. Championships, she placed sixth in the all-around. This earned her a spot on the U.S. Junior National Team.

In 2009, Madison also competed internationally for the first time. She went to the Top Gym Invitational in Belgium. There, she won a bronze medal in the all-around. She also won a gold medal on the vault and a silver on the balance beam.

In 2010, Madison started her season strong. She placed second in the all-around at the WOGA Classic. At the U.S. Championships, she won a bronze medal on the uneven bars. She also finished fifth in the all-around.

Challenges and Injuries: 2011–2012

Madison continued to do well in 2011. She won a silver medal in the all-around at the WOGA Classic. She also helped the American team win gold at the City of Jesolo Trophy. She placed second in the all-around at that event.

In 2012, Madison finished second at the WOGA Classic. However, she had to miss the rest of the season. She broke a growth plate in her wrist.

Senior Gymnastics Career

Becoming a Senior: 2013

Madison became old enough to compete as a senior gymnast in 2013. She returned to competition at the WOGA Classic. She competed on vault and uneven bars, placing third and second. She then won the all-around title at the American Classic.

At the U.S. Classic, she placed seventh all-around. She also won a silver medal on the uneven bars. During the U.S. Championships, she was leading the all-around. But she hurt her ankle on the floor exercise. She had to stop competing and missed the rest of the year.

Returning Strong: 2014

Madison came back to gymnastics in 2014. She competed on uneven bars and balance beam at the WOGA Classic. She won gold on bars and silver on beam. At the City of Jesolo Trophy, she won gold on the uneven bars.

At the U.S. Championships, she again placed second on uneven bars. She also finished fifth on the balance beam. Madison then competed at the Pan American Championships in Canada. She helped the American team win gold. She also won a silver medal on the uneven bars.

In September 2014, Madison was chosen for the World Championships in China. She helped the U.S. team win the gold medal. After the World Championships, Madison had wrist surgery. Her ulna bone had grown too long after her 2012 injury. She had to miss five months of training.

World Champion: 2015

Madison returned to competition in 2015. She competed on uneven bars and balance beam at the U.S. Classic. She finished first on uneven bars. At the U.S. Championships, she placed sixth in the all-around. She also won her first national title on the uneven bars.

She was again named to the senior U.S. national team. Madison was selected for the World Championships in Scotland. She helped the U.S. team win the gold medal. In the uneven bars final, she scored very high. She ended up in a four-way tie for the gold medal! This was a very rare event in gymnastics.

Olympic Glory: 2016

Kocian (right) at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Madison started her Olympic year at the WOGA Classic. She won gold medals on both uneven bars and balance beam. In March, she fractured her tibia and missed six weeks of training.

She returned to compete at the U.S. Classic and U.S. Championships. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, she won the gold medal on uneven bars. On July 10, 2016, Madison was chosen for the U.S. team for the 2016 Olympic Games. Her teammates were Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, and Laurie Hernandez.

Rio de Janeiro Olympics

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Madison competed only on the uneven bars. She scored very high and qualified in first place for the uneven bars final. The American team also qualified for the team final in first place.

In the team final, Madison again performed on the uneven bars. Her score helped the team win their second straight Olympic gold medal. On August 14, Madison won a silver medal in the uneven bars event final. She finished very close behind Russia's Aliya Mustafina.

College Gymnastics Career

Starting at UCLA: 2017

Madison started attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in late 2016. She joined the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team. Her first college competition was in January 2017. She won three individual titles and the all-around title. Madison and fellow Olympic gold medalist Kyla Ross were the first Olympic gold medalists to compete in NCAA gymnastics. In February 2017, she scored a perfect 10.0 on the uneven bars. She helped UCLA finish fourth at the NCAA Championships.

Winning a National Title: 2018

In August 2017, Madison had surgery on her shoulder. She had been dealing with this injury since the 2016 Olympic Trials. She returned to competition in January 2018, competing on the balance beam. She later added floor exercise and uneven bars to her routines. She helped UCLA win the Pac-12 Championships.

At the Super Six finals, she performed well on uneven bars and floor exercise. This helped UCLA win their first NCAA Gymnastics title since 2010!

More Success: 2019

On January 21, 2019, Madison earned her second perfect 10 on uneven bars. She helped UCLA win the Pac-12 Championships again. UCLA then finished third at the NCAA Championships. Madison received several awards for her great performances and good grades.

Final Season: 2020

Madison had shoulder soreness at the start of the 2020 season. She decided to delay surgery to compete in her senior year. She returned to compete on uneven bars and floor exercise. However, on March 12, all remaining competitions were canceled. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant Madison's gymnastics career ended. She confirmed in April that she would not return to elite gymnastics because of her injuries.

Madison was named the Pac-12 Conference scholar-athlete of the year for gymnastics. She also received other academic awards from UCLA.

Perfect 10 Scores

Madison Kocian earned a perfect 10 twice in her college career. Both were on the uneven bars.

Personal Life

In July 2022, Madison Kocian began studying at the Baylor College of Medicine. She is in their Physician Assistant Program.

Images for kids

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  Kocian (center) with her teammates at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

See also

In Spanish: Madison Kocian para niños