Marvin Kimble retires one month shy of Olympic Trials
Five-time national team member Marvin Kimble announced his retirement last week, just a month shy of Olympic Trials, where he was expected to contend for the U.S. men’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic team.
The Milwaukee native cited a nagging wrist injury as the reason for his retirement when GymNow sat down with him earlier this week. He has been battling the injury for almost two years. The wrist pain started at the 2019 Winter Cup, and the 25-year-old has tried silencing the injury with Cortisone shots ever since.
Unknowingly taking his final bow on the elite stage, Kimble most recently competed at the 2021 Winter Cup, where he earned a bronze medal on high bar.
The 2017 World team member and 2018 World team alternate had previously decided that the 2021 season would be his last, but he was hoping he could push a little further to try for the Olympic team later this month.
“I still feel like, personally, I have a lot left,” Kimble said. “I felt good in the gym, physically. I felt good mentally. The wrist just couldn’t do it.”
Kimble’s head coach and 1996 Belarusian Olympian, Andrei Kan, will retire from the sport alongside his athlete.
Kan and Kimble have been together since the start of the athlete’s 15-year career. Upon hearing the news, Kan was initially upset with his athlete’s decision before eventually coming to terms with it.
In fact, Kan threw a party at his home earlier this week to celebrate Kimble’s career.
When Kimble’s mom, Carolyn Crenshaw, found out about her son’s decision, it was an emotional moment as the pair reflected on the gymnastics journey the two took together and the end of such a big chapter for both of them.
“It was hard. I was crying, she was crying,” Kimble said. “A lot of years, a lot of sacrifices. It was basically just me and her going through it [together].”
Kimble’s fellow National Team members and fans alike reacted to his announcement with an outpouring of love and support across social media, including USA Gymnastics’ Men’s High Performance Director Brett McClure.
“He’s such a great gymnast,” McClure said of Kimble during media day at U.S. Championships on Wednesday. “Always a big fan of Marvin and want to wish him the best… I know it’s been hard on everyone this last year and, specifically, [for] Marvin. I know it’s been a long road for him, and I think he’s had a very successful career… Good luck, Marvo!”
McClure also reiterated that he’s told Kimble he’s here for him and looks forward to supporting him in this next chapter.
“Those guys are like my brothers. Our bond is beyond gymnastics. They are always going to be there for me,” Kimble said of his fellow U.S. teammates.
Kimble plans to cheer on his former teammates this weekend when they take the stage at both the U.S. Championships and Pan American Championships. As he makes the transition from athlete to fan, Kimble said he looks forward to enjoying the competition stress-free and using his energy to support his friends.
And while he won’t physically be in Texas this weekend, Kimble plans to make the trip to St. Louis, Missouri, for Olympic Trials later this month.
Besides looking forward to being a fan of his sport, Kimble hopes to possibly become a coach in the near future. In particular, he’s interested in joining the staff of a women’s college team, as well as coaching at summer camps for young gymnasts. First, though, he wants to focus on finishing his degree before adding more to his plate.
Just like any athlete stepping away from the sport they’ve dedicated their life to, there is an air of uncertainty and discomfort about the thought of life beyond gymnastics. Regardless, Kimble looks forward to checking things off the ‘normal life’ bucket list.
“It’s just different. It’s scary, but I am excited and relieved,” Kimble said. “I’ve never had a spring break. I’ve never been on vacation. I never got to do that stuff.”
As Kimble prepares to spend his summer celebrating his accomplishments and enjoying his new-found free time, the rest of the National Team and U.S. elites have their sights set on Fort Worth for U.S. Championships. The senior men will take the stage on Thursday, June 3 at 8 p.m. ET for the first night of competition. See the full field, and find out how to watch here.
