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USA GYMNASTICS
Sunisa Lee is one of three Asian Americans who are vying for the 2020 US Women's Gymnastics Team. |
ASAM NEWS contributed to this report.
If the US women's Olympic gymnastics team was to be chosen right now, three of the top five would be Asian Americans.
The top five all-around women based on their performances on the four catagories: floor exercise, vault, uneven bars, balance beam; 2016 Olympic champion Simone Biles would lead all competitors. However, rounding out the top five would be three Asian American gymnasts Sunisa Lee, Morgan Hurd and Leanne Wong. Grace McCallum joins the top five all-around.
However, the competitors still have to perform at the US Olympic Trials next June in St. Louis before the final selection.
Like the men’s team, the five-member Olympic women’s team is selected by by committee. The committee weighed the performance of each gymnast at nationals and Olympic Trials, her strengths on each apparatus, and her past experience.
The 16-year-old placed second at the US Gymnastics Championships in Kansas City, MO. this weekend, behind first place finisher Simone Biles, who sealed her position by doing the first-ever, astounding triple double during her floor exercise.
Lee is the first Hmong American to make Team USA in gymnastics and could become the first Hmong American to make the Olympic team in 2020 in Tokyo.
“It’s crazy. I never thought that I could be that good,” Lee admitted to Team USA.org. “So when I saw that (finishing 2nd), I was just shocked and I didn’t know what to do. My coach, he always says, yeah, you can be second, but I never believe him. I guess he’s right this time.”
“She moves so fluidly – sequential movement for her is so beautiful,” team coordinator Tom Forster said . “She’s a really beautiful gymnast.”
According to Team USA, Lee began in the sport at age 6 and had Olympic aspirations once she made an elite program in her pre-teen years.
This was her first time ever competing in Nationals and the 2020 Olympics is within her reach.
“It adds a lot of pressure,” Lee said on realizing how capable she is of making it to an Olympic Games. “It’s really nerve-wracking; I try not to think about it a lot just because it gets me going a little bit, but it’s always in the back of your head.”
Senior Women All-around
- Simone Biles –118.500
- Sunisa Lee — 113.550
- Grace McCallum — 111.850
- Morgan Hurd — 111.700
- Leanne Wong — 111.250
Sunisa Lee of Minnesota surprised herself by coming in second in the all-around, behind Biles dominating performance.
The 16-year-old placed second at the US Gymnastics Championships in Kansas City, MO. this weekend, behind first place finisher Simone Biles, who sealed her position by doing the first-ever, astounding triple double during her floor exercise.
Lee is the first Hmong American to make Team USA in gymnastics and could become the first Hmong American to make the Olympic team in 2020 in Tokyo.
“It’s crazy. I never thought that I could be that good,” Lee admitted to Team USA.org. “So when I saw that (finishing 2nd), I was just shocked and I didn’t know what to do. My coach, he always says, yeah, you can be second, but I never believe him. I guess he’s right this time.”
According to Team USA, Lee began in the sport at age 6 and had Olympic aspirations once she made an elite program in her pre-teen years.
This was her first time ever competing in Nationals and the 2020 Olympics is within her reach.
“It adds a lot of pressure,” Lee said on realizing how capable she is of making it to an Olympic Games. “It’s really nerve-wracking; I try not to think about it a lot just because it gets me going a little bit, but it’s always in the back of your head.”
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