Marissa Oakley found herself in an unavoidable moment as she walked into the arena Friday night. She prepared for a bar routine that she was accustomed to, but a sense of doubt had set in.
Welcome to the stresses of gymnastics. Oakley had been confident in practice, but Georgia head coach Courtney Kupets Carter noticed a slight change in demeanor and had to prevent it from settling in.
“She was feeling the pressure to make up for what she’s done in the past,” Kupets Carter said. “I had to let her know to stay in the moment.