Sports
The 2024 U.S. Olympic gymnastics trial has been a whirlwind, to say the least. Injuries have plagued one of the important important tip athletes in the times main as much as the opponents, ensuing in heartache felt across the country.
However it absolutely come any individual surprising will fulfill their Olympic dreams on Sunday evening. And Tiana Sumanasekera is one of them.
The younger famous person is on the upward thrust, having a breakout showing at national championships in early June. She’s acknowledged for her shapely, detailed performances, and brings a recent face to an in every other case experienced roster. While it seemed about a weeks ago her preference to the Paris Video games used to be a protracted shot, Sumanasekera proved in every other case on the foremost day of the Olympic trials in Minneapolis.
It be no shock that Sumanasekera is ready to be triumphant. She’s a made of World Champions Centre, one of the important handiest gyms in the arena. She trains alongside greats love Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Joscelyn Roberson and Melanie de Jesus dos Santos below coaches Cecile and Laurent Landi.
After in some unspecified time in the future of Olympic trials, Sumanasekera is a prime contender to assemble the five-gymnast team in Paris, ending second on beam, sixth on ground and ninth all-around.
Irrespective of how Sunday ends, the gymnast has proved herself as one of the important youngest in the discipline. Right here’s what to to find out about her age and background as she makes a final showing in Minneapolis.
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How broken-down is Tiana Sumanasekera? Sumanasekera is one of the important youngest energetic members of the U.S. gymnastics senior national team at lawful 16 years broken-down. She used to be born Sept. 15, 2007, in Fremont, California.
Will have to tranquil she be selected to compete in Paris, Sumanasekera will be one of the important youngest American gymnasts to enact so.
She grew to turn out to be a senior gymnast in 2023, making this 365 days lawful her second 365 days of opponents alongside Olympic-scramble gymnasts. Sumanasekera first competed at the 2023 Winter Cup, and about a months later used to be named to the Pan American Championship team in Medellín, where she gained four medals: gold in team, all-around and beam, and silver on ground. She used to be additionally selected to indicate the U.S. at the Pan American Video games that September.
On the 2024 Core Classics, Sumanasekera accomplished sixth all-around. She certified for the Olympic trials by inserting third on ground at the U.S. Championships.
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Once regarded as an substitute, Sumanasekera now poses as one of the important handiest gymnasts accessible for preference at the Olympic trials. Presumably joining Biles, Suni Lee, Chiles and Jade Carey, the U.S. wants a noteworthy beam worker in Paris, and that, alongside with ground, is Sumanasekera’s handiest tournament.
Even when the 16-365 days-broken-down isn’t any longer selected to drag to Paris, she will be able to be a prime-runner to indicate the U.S. in Los Angeles if she pursues a 2028 portray.
Tiana Sumanasekera faculty Of up-to-the-minute senior national team members, Sumanasekera is the youngest, and first of the class of 2025, to be committed to faculty. She’ll protect in her home assert and compete for UCLA starting up in 2026, joining Olympians Chiles and Emma Malabuyo.
“I am so incredibly furious to notify that I truly have verbally committed to UCLA on a elephantine athletic scholarship,” Sumanasekera wrote on Instagram. “This direction of has been unbelievable to say the least and I am so grateful to had been reached out by so many dazzling applications. I deserve to thank my household, company, and coaches for their continuous toughen right thru this direction of.
“I can not wait to affix the Bruin household and be a a part of this unbelievable team. GO BRUINS!!!🥹💙💛”
Tiana Sumanasekera (‘25) has committed to UCLA! #NCAAgym pic.twitter.com/lrBlXS3QgZ
— Gymnastics Now (@Gymnastics_Now) November 11, 2023 The Bruins are regarded as one of the important crucial adorned faculty gymnastics applications. Olympians Kyla Ross, Madison Kocian and Sam Peszek all competed in Westwood.
UCLA gymnastics has gained seven national championships, the latest in 2018. Janelle McDonald is the hot coach of the team, taking on in 2023.
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Tiana Sumanasekera pronunciation Born to Rajitha and Ruwangi, Sumanasekera is Sri Lankan. She’s believed to be the foremost of Sri Lankan descent to compete for U.S. gymnastics in global opponents.
She wears her ethnicity proudly right thru competitions. Her ground routine used to be even self-choreographed to showcase her heritage and background, she talked about in March.
Her name might well just be long, nonetheless it absolutely’s no longer noteworthy to teach. It sounds as or no longer it’s spelled, with an emphasis on the foremost “e.”