Madison Kocian

Madison Taylor Kocian (born June 15, 1997) is an American retired artistic gymnast. On the uneven bars, she is one of four 2015 World co-champions and the 2016 Olympic silver medalist. She was part of the gold medal-winning team dubbed the "Final Five" at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and she was a member of the first-place American teams at the 2014 and 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2020, where she was a member of its women's gymnastics team. She helped the UCLA Bruins win the 2018 NCAA Championships. She is the second female gymnast to win NCAA, World, and Olympic championship titles, after Kyla Ross.

Kocian was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Her parents, Thomas and Cindy Kocian, put her in gymnastics at a young age. At age five, she began training at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) in Plano, Texas. WOGA was the gym where Olympic all-around champions Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin trained. Patterson and Liukin served as early inspirations for Kocian, particularly Liukin, who Kocian has likened to an older sister. Kocian has one younger brother. She was raised Catholic. She attended Spring Creek Academy in Plano, Texas, and graduated in 2015.

Kocian made her elite gymnastics debut at the 2009 U.S. Classic, finishing 18th in the all-around. At the 2009 U.S. Championships, she placed sixth in the all-around competition and was added to the U.S. Junior National Team. Later that year, Kocian was selected to make her international debut at the Top Gym Invitational in Charleroi, Belgium. She won a bronze medal in the all-around behind Larisa Iordache and Julie Croket. In the event finals, she won a gold medal on the vault, and a silver medal on the balance beam behind Iordache.

Kocian began the 2010 season at the WOGA Classic where she finished second in the all-around to her club teammate Grace McLaughlin. She then placed fifth in the all-around at the U.S. Classic in Chicago. At the U.S. Championships, she won a bronze medal on the uneven bars and once again finished fifth in the all-around.

Kocian began the 2011 season by winning a silver medal in the all-around at the WOGA Classic. At the City of Jesolo Trophy, she won a gold medal with the American team and finished second in the all-around to Kyla Ross.

Kocian finished second in the all-around at the 2012 WOGA Classic behind club teammate Katelyn Ohashi. She missed the rest of the season due to a broken growth plate in the radius of her wrist.

Kocian became age-eligible for senior competitions in 2013. She returned to competition at the WOGA Classic competing on the vault and the uneven bars, where she finished third and second, respectively. She then won the all-around title at the American Classic. At the U.S. Classic, held in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, she placed seventh all-around and earned a silver medal on the uneven bars behind Kyla Ross. On the first day of the U.S. Championships, she led the all-around competition after two rotations. However, on the floor exercise, she rolled her ankle on a triple twist and suffered a third-degree sprain. She withdrew from the competition and did not compete for the rest of the year.

Kocian returned to competition at the WOGA Classic. She only competed on the uneven bars and the balance beam, winning gold and silver on the events, respectively. At the City of Jesolo Trophy, she stuck her full-twisting double back dismount to win the uneven bars gold medal. She once again only competed on uneven bars and balance beam at the U.S. Classic. She won the silver medal on the uneven bars behind Ashton Locklear, and she placed eighth on the balance beam. At the U.S. Championships, she again finished second to Locklear on the uneven bars and also placed fifth on the balance beam.