If you thought Katelyn Ohashi's showstopping floor routine you've seen all over social media this NCAA season couldn't get any better, you were wrong. So wrong. The UCLA senior debuted altered choreography and music at the Pac-12 Championships on March 23, where her team defended its conference title; she switched out Michael Jackson [1] songs, kept Tina Turner and Janet Jackson [2]'s hits, and added Beyoncé to the mix. The finished product includes a lineup of all-female artists.
Named Specialist of the Year for the second time in her career [3], Katelyn scored a perfect 10 on floor at the championships. She tied for first place with Utah's MyKayla Skinner [4] and teammate Kyla Ross, who earned Pac-12 All-Around Champion with a 39.800 and was dubbed 2019 Gymnast of the Year [5]. This was Katelyn's ninth 10.00 on floor — her sixth this season — and 11th collegiate perfect 10 overall. (Oh, and she won the beam title, too.)
Katelyn told ESPN that she [7] and five-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year [8] winner Valorie Kondos Field were in discussion about making a second floor routine ever since the Summer, but Katelyn admitted that sexual abuse allegations [9] disclosed in HBO's Leaving Neverland against Michael Jackson played a part in her decision to remove his influence from her routine. "I just really wanted a women's empowerment routine because it's a big part of my platform," she said.
So, there's no more moonwalk or "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5. But, you'll still see drop splits, lots of smiles, and an added bonus of Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)". We already brought you a preview of this new routine [10]; above, check out Katelyn's full perfect-10 performance at the Pac-12 Championships.