It’s the end of an era in college gymnastics as Kathy Johnson Clarke, one half of the gymternet’s most-loved commentary duo, gave her final salute this weekend. As we wish her well, we took look back at some of the best moments of her college commentary career.
1983: NCAA Championships
https://youtu.be/m9rQm9h-F74?feature=shared
(Starting at 15:15.)
Twenty-three-year-old Kathy Johnson was still a year away from captaining the U.S. women’s gymnastics team at the 1984 Olympics when she made her NCAA commentary debut in Salt Lake City. Despite a lack of TV experience, Johnson’s technical expertise and passion for the sport were obvious right from the jump.
1984: “A little bit too low”
https://youtu.be/3IjF-M8rMoo?feature=shared&t=475
(Starting at 06:20.)
Just a year later, Johnson was notably more comfortable in her role, offering more nuanced observations and bolder takes. She’s been more vocal in recent years regarding loose judging, but here, she chided the judges for low-balling Donna Kemp’s beam routine.
1994: Reese’s World Gymnastics Cup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwjXkj_YIMk&t=217s
( Starting at 3:43.)
While not technically commentary, this featurette perfectly illustrates what makes KJC the gold standard in gymnastics coverage—her knack…
