Page 84 - SHARP Summer 2024

“Pretty early on, he made me a shirt that read, ‘Go hard or go home,’” recalls Dolci. “That same mentality was just repeated to me over and over again. I think it’s important that I had that at such a young age because, if it’s not a focus, that’s when everything can go away. Now, it’s just become a part of my DNA.”
To most, maintaining this constant state of discipline may seem extreme, especially when mounted on the shoulders of a 21-year-old. But, as Dolci explains, that’s what the sport demands. Gymnastics is uniquely constructed to find its future stars at a young age. While most sports allow for the late-bloomers and beloved underdogs, gymnastics offers no such grace. Its athletes need to be attuned to the sport from childhood, allowing endurance and power muscles to grow synchronously, and to maintain a necessary strength-to-weight ratio. More importantly, though, as Dolci explains, adopting the sport so early on in life gave him an insatiable appetite for winning.
This summer, the Olympics will provide Dolci with his biggest stage yet. He’s only just completed his previous international competition, and is taking minimal downtime before his next block of high-intensity training. I ask if his recent successes have sedated some of the pressure that he puts on himself. His smile disappears. He seems half-confused, half-insulted by the notion.
“Absolutely not,” he says plainly. “After the [Pan American Games], a reporter asked if I was happy with the performance. I thought, ‘Are you kidding me?’”
Across five events, Dolci earned two gold medals, a silver, and two bronzes. But discussing his performance has sparked memories of his perceived missteps during the competition.
“I lost myself two medal opportunities,” he explains. “I came in wanting to medal in all five events, plus the all-around, plus the team medal. That was my goal and I came up short. I think it’s important to admit that. I know my value. There’s no sense in saying, ‘Well, I did well enough.’ I’m happy, sure. But I’m not satisfied. I haven’t proven anything.”
Though two medals shy of perfection, Dolci’s excitement doesn’t dwindle as he explains where he went wrong. In fact, his energy only intensifies as he explains the adjustments he’s made in the months following the Pan American Games.
“I know basically every single gymnast on an international level and I can tell if they’re a real challenger or not,” he says. “I base my potential success and medal chances based on that. When I competed in Canada [as a junior] or when I walked through the hallways at the [Pan American Games], I expected to win. I’m not
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