Team USA Gymnastics has been on a roll. Rio, Tokyo, and now Paris. Each Olympic cycle they’ve ended on the podium. In fact, they haven’t missed one since the 1992 Barcelona Games. And surely, they’ll settle for nothing less than that in the years to come. But staying on top isn’t just about big skills and clean routines—it’s about making the right calls. USA Gymnastics had to make one such tough decision recently, but if the fan poll is anything to go by? Looks like they made the right move!
Back in May 2022, Team USA Gymnastics put a powerhouse trio in charge—Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone Quinn, and Dan Baker—each taking on key leadership roles in technical, strategic, and developmental areas. But just last month, they decided it was time to shake things up a bit, setting out to find a new WAG developmental lead. And the name they have finalized is thankfully being well received.
And now the search is finally over! As of January 31, 2025, the official press release states that the role officially belongs to none other than Betty Okino. That name sounds familiar, right? Well, she’s a USA Gymnastics Hall of Famer, a 1992 Olympic bronze medalist, and an all-around legend in the sport. Well, with her experience and expertise, it’s easy to see why fans love the choice.
Moreover, as she takes on her new role, Betty Okino will be responsible for leading the USA Gymnastics’ Developmental Program and camps. Her duties would include facilitating an athlete’s initial introduction to and progression through the elite program. Also, as Okino joins Memmel and Sacramone Quinn, there will now be an all-women’s leadership leading the Team USA women’s artistic gymnastics side. This is something that fans are in awe of.
Initially, the role of a development lead on Team USA women’s gymnastics was called the high-performance director or national team coordinator role. And Dan Baker had been leading the same since 2022. He’d been their development coordinator for the past 4 years before 2022 and was serving the national talent pipelines very well. Similarly, Okino has been a member of the U.S. women’s program National Team clinician since 2018, attending training camps and competitions, helping athletes with technique, artistry, and choreography.
But now as she gets a chance to step into the limelight individually, here’s what the fans are saying about it.
Gymnastics fans chime in with support for this Team USA move
In a Reddit thread by r/track and field, fans poured in their reaction to this big news. One of them said, “Congratulations! It makes sense for a former gymnast to be head of the developmental program. I am hoping she does well.” Another one chimed in with a simple yet encouraging, “Go Betty, always been a fave of mine.” Well yes, Betty has been one of the most flawless gymnasts to have ever existed.
Okino was known for her elegance and skill on the balance beam, performing one of the most difficult moves—a triple pirouette. It was so impressive that the International Gymnastics Federation officially named it “The Okino” in her honor. Also, after retiring from gymnastics, she took a completely different path and that was acting. Since making the move to Hollywood, she’s landed roles in TV shows like The District, Sabrina, WB’s Popular, Moesha, Off Center, and MTV’s Undressed.
Yet with her return to core gymnastics, another fan chimed in with a sense of relief. They wrote, “After so many decades of male domination in coaching and in leadership, it’s nice to see three women heading the program.” Well just like Dan Baker, even Chelsie Memmel’s position was held by Tom Forster for three years. However, women have led the USA WAG program for the longest time, first Bela Karolyi (1999-2000), then Martha Karolyi (2001-2016), and Valeri Liukin (2017-18). But yes, women across all three positions, may be new.
Another fan chimed in, “So the three heads are all ex gymnasts now, cool” Starting with Chelsie Memmel, she was an alternate to the 2004 Olympic team. But in 2005, she won the 2005 world all-around title, the first American to take the crown since 1994. She continued in the sport until 2012 when she retired. Whereas, Sacramone Quinn made her first international splash at the 2005 Worlds, winning floor gold and vault bronze. Throughout her career, she’s racked up 10 medals at the worlds.
Still, not everyone is completely on board. While many believe Okino’s background in dance and choreography makes her a great fit for the role—especially given her work with elite routines—some fans have raised eyebrows about how the transition happened. One fan pointed out, “For some reason, USAG never talked about Baker leaving. They simply posted the job advertisement.” That lack of transparency has left some people wondering about the behind-the-scenes decisions. What do you think? Was this a smooth transition, or does it raise questions? Let us know below!
The post Gymnastics Future Looks Good as Fans Support Team USA’s Latest Decision Toward Sport’s Growth appeared first on EssentiallySports.