"Aleah Finnegan's okay to make mistakes"- Coach Jay Clark makes his feelings known on 22-year-old's performance in LSU Tigers' win against Missouri

LSU Tigers gymnast Aleah Finnegan recently featured in the side's victory over No. 9 Missouri in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, prompting a response from head coach Jay Clark.

Finnegan, who is a two-time gold medalist of the NCAA Championship, performed well but faced some limitations while doing her routine on bars and specifically the landing. The 2024 NCAA National Championship head coach, Jay Clark, recently spoke to the media and expressed his opinions on Finnegan’s performance as per LSU Sports, “Gymnastic Post Missouri Press Conference.”

“I'm not (gonna) comment about that man. I think that's a ridiculous statement. What Aleah Finnegan's done for this program, she's allowed to have a routine or two that she's not at her best, I'm not even gonna, I'm not even going to justify that,” he said [19:31 onwards].

Clark further continued:

“Look, I'm not hacked off. I just, I don't want to talk. When you know Aleah Finnegan like I said what that kid has done around here. She's okay to make mistakes and she needs to know that she's okay. So I'm not gonna, I'm just not going to give commentary to that, that's all okay thank you.” [23:56 onwards]

Jay Clark, who has been at the helm of guiding the women’s LSU Lady Tigers program since 2020, mentioned during the press conference that Finnegan has the space she needs and is one of the best among the LSU team. He later reiterated Finnegan's importance to the program.

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Aleah Finnegan shares emotional message after NCAA Championship win

Aleah Finnegan at the 2024 LSU Archive - Source: Getty

Aleah Finnegan clinched the top spot in the 2024 NCAA Championship in both the team event and floor exercise and was emotionally elated after the LSU Tigers won the National Championship last year. She executed her routine, which was one of the most crucial parts of their win, down to the T. Afterwards, shared her thoughts with ESPN.

“We've all worked so hard this entire season and I looked to them before I went and I just—I wanted this so bad. I wanted it for them and that routine was for every single one of them and everybody in this room,” she shared [0:33 onwards].

Finnegan was sentimental after the win and expressed that she wanted to win the title for all the individuals associated with the program and every LSU supporter. Aleah Finnigan also represented the Philippines in the Olympics, as she is Filipino-American.