Meet the 10 American gymnasts going to the Tokyo Olympics
The U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team is poised to crush the competition in the Tokyo Games this summer.
The ten-person powerhouse has been training to get this far for years and isn’t stopping now. You already know Simone Biles for her record breaking moves. Now, meet the other nine gymnasts who will make their own mark on Japan this year.
There may be a total of ten athletes on the team, but they won’t all compete for gold in the same events. Four of the women (Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Grace McCallum) will compete in the team event, while Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner compete in the individual device events. The rest of the gymnasts are reserve athletes who step on the mat when necessary.
Get the 411 for everything Team USA below, including how to compete in next week’s games:
Simone Biles
You already know 24-year-old Simone Biles from Spring, Texas, when GOAT She comes to the Tokyo Games with 30 Olympic and World Cup medals (yes, you read that right!), And she’s not slowing down anytime soon. The queen of bars, vaults, floors and beams, Simone is set to make it big at the Games this summer.
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Look out for her latest move, the Yurchenko double pike jump (shown below), which was only performed by men at the Olympics – until now. Not to mention their characteristic trait, the galls. You can follow Simone’s Tokyo trip on her Instagram and Twitter.
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Jordan Chile
Jordan Chiles, 20, is from Vancouver, Washington, and trained next to Simone at the World Champions Center in Texas. She has been winning medals since 2017 and describes her favorite gymnastics event on her Team USA profile as “All of Them”.
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“My parents couldn’t stop me from pounding down the hallway of an open space or walking on my hands instead of my feet,” says Jordan. “People kept asking if I did gymnastics. I had a lot of energy! So they put me in the gym.”
This energy gives her the drive to be successful in Tokyo this summer. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
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Sunisa Lee
Sunisa Lee, also known as Suni, is 18 years old and is from Saint Paul, Minnesota. She dominates the uneven bars but says her favorite event is the bars.
As one in six, Sunisa had a difficult year after losing some family members to COVID-19. But she’s back in Tokyo and better than ever since she quickly recovered from a broken foot.
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With national and world medals in the bars, on the uneven bars and on the floor, Sunisa is a force to be reckoned with in the gym. Try to keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.
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Grace McCallum
Grace McCallum, 18, of Isanti, Minnesota, says she loves gymnastics because “I love knowing there’s always room for improvement. Learning new skills is always fun too.” She is looking to make an Olympic-sized comeback after an injury to the beam in January left her with a plate and seven screws in hand.
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Your sheer determination will definitely be an asset to Team USA this summer. You can follow her way to Tokyo on Instagram and YouTube.
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Jade Carey
Jade Carey, 21, is a jump and floor master from Phoenix, Arizona. She says her favorite part of being a gymnast is “being able to travel the world,” so she’s a perfect fit for Tokyo. She has been raised in a gym since childhood, so exercising is pretty much a given to her.
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She goes into the Games with an unstoppable record and her eyes are on the gold medal. Keep an eye on Jade’s Olympic adventures on Instagram.
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MyKayla Skinner
MyKayla Skinner, 24, from Gilbert, Arizona, loves to “compete and throw great skills!”
She is known for her accomplished ground skills and has won tons of jump and ground medals. This isn’t her first Olympics either – she was a substitute for the Rio 2016 Olympic team. She hopes the 2020 Games are her ticket to a medal or two in Tokyo, her ultimate goal.
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MyKayla will compete in the games in the individual events. “My hard work has paid off,” she says. Log into MyKayla on Twitter and Instagram.
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Kayla DiCello
Kayla DiCello, 17, trained for Tokyo in Boyds, Maryland. She has been twirling and staggering since she was two and is now known for her formidable performances on the floor and in the bar. Her massive, signature topknot should make it super easy to spot in games.
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Check out her Instagram and YouTube channel for more Tokyo updates.
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Kara Eaker
Kara Eaker’s future at the Games is uncertain after testing positive for COVID-19 in late July today. She is currently in quarantine in a hotel until further notice.
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18-year-old Kara is from Grain Valley, Missouri and has collected a number of medals for her work on the beam. “My goals are to get back into the national team, to come back to the 2019 World Cup and to get a place in the 2020 Olympic team,” she says in her profile.
She did all of that (and quite a bit more) so Tokyo would be a perfect next step. Stay up to date with Kara on Instagram.
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Emma Malabuyo
Emma Malabuyo, 18, is from Milpitas, California. She hasn’t won any medals yet, but her balance beam movements have earned her an alternative spot on the Tokyo team. She says she loves “the adrenaline rush of competition” and where better to compete than the Olympics?
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As a five-time member of the US national team, Emma is more than ready to make it big in Japan. Follow her on Instagram or Twitter for a sneak peek into Emma’s journey.
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Leanne Wong
17-year-old Leanne Wong was also quarantined after her teammate tested positive for COVID-19.
But the Kansas City, Missouri native is still looking forward to showing off her skills in Tokyo. With plenty of medals for her moves on the floor, balance beam, and uneven bars, Leanne is in a great position to step into the Tokyo spotlight.
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“My dad wanted me to be a skater, but I didn’t enjoy falling on hard ice and I decided to do gymnastics and I really loved it,” she says in her profile. Seems like she never looked back! You can follow Leanne’s journey through the games on Instagram.
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See all of Team USA’s gymnasts take to Tokyo on Friday, July 23rd.
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