Morgan Hurd can feel when the pressure creeps up on her. The pressure — the kind that comes with the territory when you have the title “world champion” on your resume — isn’t just external.
It’s internal. She has been one of the best gymnasts on the planet for years. The only thing the 19-year-old Hurd hasn’t done is make an Olympic team, a byproduct of the calendar more than anything else.
Her first year competing as a senior came in 2017 when she practically willed herself to a world all-around title in Montreal.
Having a shot at the 2020 Olympics was always part of the plan. Hurd seemed to be on her way last March when she won the American Cup in what was supposed to be the first major step toward the 2020 Tokyo Games following an