Gold medalist Carly Patterson previews 2024 US Olympic Gymnastics Trials

Carly Patterson remembers the day she took home gold at the all-around competition at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The 36-year-old Texas native made history two decades ago when she became the first American woman to win all-around gold in a non-boycotted Olympic Games.

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"I truly cannot believe it's been 20 years,” Patterson said. "It doesn't feel like it was yesterday ... but here we are 20 years later.”

Patterson and her teammates walked away from Greece with a silver in the team final.

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The 2004 beam silver medalist believes Team USA can shine in Paris. But before the Opening Ceremony on the Seine, the vaunted Olympic Trials await America's top gymnasts.

Patterson is excited to see greatness unfold in Minneapolis, with returning stars and the emergence of new breakout competitors.

While Patterson knows the weight of the event, she also points out that the results are not the “end all be all,” based on her own experience.

In 2004, Patterson fell off the balance beam on both days of the competition. She dropped to third place in the field.

Team USA’s Carly Patterson vividly remembers the mounting pressure she felt after faltering during her gymnastics trials ahead of the 2004 Athens Olympics. Twenty years later, she’s working with the gymnasts vying to represent the U.S. at the 2020 Olympic trials.

While this result was disappointing, it was not detrimental to her making the final squad. Because her performances at the subsequent national training camp were strong, she was able to make the 2004 Olympic team.

"I didn't have the best showing at my Olympic trials, which was very uncharacteristic of me,” Patterson said. "And I think the selection committee and everybody knew that.”

"All of these competitions that they've been doing leading up to Olympic trials, each one that you do that you hit those stuck routines and sets, you're building that confidence not only in yourself, but in the selection committee at Team USA,” Patterson added. "At this point, you just have to trust in that process that you've already gone through and go out there and keep the mental part of it under control.”

ATHENS, Greece: Gold medal winner Carly Patterson (C) of the US, bronze winner Zhang Nan of China (R) and silver winner Svetlana Khorkina (L) of Russia hold up their medals from the podium at the end of the Women's Individual All-Around Gymnastics Final in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Olympic Games in Athens, 19 August 2004. Patterson became only the second American to win Olympic all-around gold, the first being Mary Lou Retton at the boycott-diminished 1984 Olympics. AFP PHOTO/KAZUHIRO NOGI (Photo credit should read KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images) — Gold medal winner Carly Patterson (C) of the US, bronze winner Zhang Nan of China (R) and silver winner Svetlana Khorkina (L) of Russia hold up their medals from the podium at the end of the Women's Individual All-Around Gymnastics Final in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Olympic Games in Athens on Aug., 19 2004. (Getty Images)

Patterson's path after winning gold

The year 2004 wasn’t all positive for Patterson. Her world came crashing down soon after her Olympic triumph when she was diagnosed with several bulging discs in her lower back that had gone unnoticed.

The injury forced her to officially retire in 2006 without getting to participate in any other major competition.

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While competing was taken away from her, she still stays close to the sport through mentorship, keynote speaking and now, making her own leotard line for the 20th anniversary of her Athens gold medal.

Patterson would love to see her mentorship tie into the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials by sharing her wisdom and experiences with girls who are going through exactly what the former star has been through.

"I feel so invested in each one of these girls and their performances," Patterson said. "I'm looking forward to everybody's performance, seeing what they do and just cheering them on ... just like another fan yelling in the crowd for them. This is one of those competitions that you're wanting to achieve your dreams."