Jaycie Phelps is best remembered for calmly starting off the Mag 7 the night the U.S. team won its first Olympic gold medal.  Her uneven bar routine set the tone for the rest of the team to hit.  It’s hard to believe Jaycie almost quit the sport just three years before the Olympics.

Jaycie was born September 26, 1979 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Her name is combination of her parents’ first initials, Jack and Cheryl.  When Jaycie was four years old, her nursery school took a field trip to a nearby gym.  Coaches immediately spotted Jaycie’s talent and she was enrolled in weekly lessons.

By 1991, Jaycie progressed beyond what she could learn at her hometown gym in Greenfield.  Her family relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona so Jaycie could train with Geoff Eaton at the Desert Devils Gym.  The relocation was unsuccessful, however.  Jaycie did not progress and struggled in competition.  At the 1993 Junior National Championships, she finished 24th and decided to quit gymnastics.

Instead, her parents found Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy and thought Mary Lee Tracy could help Jaycie regain her confidence.  Just a year after her disappointing finish at the National Championships, Jaycie finished sixth all-around as a senior.  She also made the 1994 World Championships team and won a team silver medal.

Just weeks after finishing third all-around at the 1995 National Championships, Jaycie suffered a knee injury that required surgery.  With the World Championships fast approaching, Jaycie was determined to compete.  Despite the pain, she competed three events to help the U.S. team win a bronze medal.   Jaycie also had a vault named after her at the 1995 World Championships.  Her vault, a half-turn onto the horse, immediate half-turn to front layout, was removed from the Code of Points after the 2000 Olympics.

Jaycie peaked at the right time—in 1996.  She competed at the 1996 World Championships and made the uneven bars and beam finals.  Though she did not medal, it was good experience for the upcoming Games.  At the 1996 National Championships, she nearly defeated world and Olympic medallist Shannon Miller.  Her confidence was at an all-time high.  At the Olympic Trials, she and her gym-mate Amanda Borden were named to the Olympic team. 

Jaycie’s only mistake during the Olympics was a fall off beam during compulsories.  Her other routines were solid and done with the clean form that she exemplified.

After the Olympics, she toured with Mag 7 members and competed in a series of professional competitions.  She underwent further knee surgery and was absent from elite competition until the 2000 U.S. Classic, where she finished 14th all-around.  She had to scratch from the National Championships because of her knee.  

In 2005, Jaycie married Olympian Brett McClure in Hawaii.  She currently coaches at Colorado Aerials.