Blugolds’ head gymnastics coach helped select women’s U.S. Olympic team

Like much of the country, Jessie DeZiel is passionately watching Simone Biles and the rest of the U.S. gymnastics team in their quest for gold medals at the Paris Olympic Games.

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women’s head gymnastics coach is not only a fan of the sport, but she is one of three members of the Team USA Gymnastics Athletes’ Council/Selection Committee that picked the women’s team made up of five members and two alternates.

“I will be watching every single women’s gymnastics competition, cheering my heart out for these incredible people and athletes that have worked incredibly hard to get to where they are now,” DeZiel says. “I got up at 4:30 a.m. Sunday to watch the qualification round. They did awesome and I am looking forward to team finals on Tuesday.”

DeZiel also was on the panel that selected the team that competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 where the U.S. team had two individual gold medalists and a team overall silver medal. Those Olympics were postponed a year by the pandemic, and when the Games were held, almost no spectators were allowed in the venues. Four of this year’s five team members also were at the Tokyo Olympics.

“After having to compete at the Olympics during the pandemic, it is so incredible that they will get the full Olympic experience; it is well deserved for them all,” DeZiel says.

DeZiel, who is in her fourth year as UW-Eau Claire’s head gymnastics coach, was a nine-time All-American at the University of Nebraska and a gold medalist at the 2011 Pan American Games.

DeZiel has been involved in USA Gymnastics since 2019 and says the gymnastics routines performed at the June Olympics Trials in Minneapolis were “just incredible.” With so much talent, it was difficult to select a team for the Olympics, she says.

“Selecting any team is always hard,” DeZiel says. “All these athletes work so hard for a spot, and it is absolutely heartbreaking when we only get to choose five athletes.”

DeZiel knows what gymnastics success looks like. During her time coaching at UW-Eau Claire, DeZiel’s teams have produced a national champion and three All-Americans, and set multiple program records in both individual and team competitions.

Jason Verdugo, UW-Eau Claire director of athletics, calls DeZiel “a tremendous ambassador” for USA Gymnastics and was not surprised the Blugold coach is part of the Olympic team selection process.

“The quality of our coaches is  undoubtedly one of our greatest strengths in our department, and Jessie certainly falls into that category,” Verdugo says. “The gymnastics program experienced some tremendous growth last year, and I anticipate we will continue to see that moving forward.”