Medal-winning gymnast previously stopped by Champaign gym

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — For the first time in 16 years, the U.S. men’s gymnastics’ team are bringing home medals at the Olympics , and one of the gymnasts has connections to central Illinois.

The owner of Champaign Gymnastics Academy, Ian Dennehy, had a watch party for his athletes when the men took home bronze in the team event Monday.

He said the boys he coaches were inspired by the athletes, and have been watching them for a while. One of the medal winners even stopped by the academy a few years ago to practice.

“It’s really cool to watch them kind of through the whole process of qualifying for the team,” said Dennehy. “And then a couple of the guys,  you know, we’ve met Paul Juda, one of the guys worked out here a couple of days when he was down visiting a friend of his who was down here. So having a guy who was like in the gym here rooting for him on the Olympic stage is really, really cool.”

The academy’s registration typically gets a 20% bump after the Olympics, but most of the new athletes are girls.

Dennehy said now that the men have medaled, he’s hoping more boys will be inspired to try the sport.

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