01of 06Sunisa LeeHarry How/GettyThe St. Paul native, 18,is making historyin Tokyo as the first Hmong American Olympic gymnast. “It’s surreal to say I’m an Olympian now,” Lee, who helped the U.S. team win gold at the 2019 world championships, told theStar Tribune.“I’ve been working toward this for so long.“On July 29, she made history again,winning goldin the women’s all-around final.“I am proud. The family’s proud. The community is very proud of her,“her father John toldTodayafter the big win. “It’s unreal.“She added a bronze to her tallyon the uneven bars on Aug. 1.
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Sunisa Lee
Harry How/Getty
The St. Paul native, 18,is making historyin Tokyo as the first Hmong American Olympic gymnast. “It’s surreal to say I’m an Olympian now,” Lee, who helped the U.S. team win gold at the 2019 world championships, told theStar Tribune.“I’ve been working toward this for so long.”
On July 29, she made history again,winning goldin the women’s all-around final.
“I am proud. The family’s proud. The community is very proud of her,“her father John toldTodayafter the big win. “It’s unreal.”
She added a bronze to her tallyon the uneven bars on Aug. 1.
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Simone Biles
Simone Biles.Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
On July 27, she shocked fans when she withdrew from the team final, telling reporters she was “just dealing with some things internally which will get fixed out in the next couple of days.”
Despite her move, Team USAtook home the silver medal, and Biles posted an Instagram celebrating her teammates.
One day later,she announced her withdrawalfrom the individual all-around competition;she later withdrewfrom vault, uneven bars and floor, and will make a decision about beam this week.
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Jordan Chiles
Jamie Squire/Getty
04of 06Grace McCallumJamie Squire/Getty ImagesThe 19-year-old overcame a January hand injury to earn a spot on the team.According toUSA Today, she had “strong performances” on the vault at the June olympic trials, and finished fourth overall behind teammates Biles, Lee and Chiles.
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Grace McCallum
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The 19-year-old overcame a January hand injury to earn a spot on the team.According toUSA Today, she had “strong performances” on the vault at the June olympic trials, and finished fourth overall behind teammates Biles, Lee and Chiles.
05of 06Jade CareyCarmen Mandato/Getty ImagesKeep an eye out for the 21-year-old individual competitor on the floor and vault: Carey is a four-time world championship medalist who is competing as an individual for the U.S. “Just being a role model for little kids is a really cool thing that happens,” Carey — who in June unveiled atriple-twisting double layouton floor, a skill no female gymnast has ever competed with —told PEOPLEearlier this year.With Biles out of the individual all-around competition on July 29, Carey stepped in, placing 8th on July 29.
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Jade Carey
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Keep an eye out for the 21-year-old individual competitor on the floor and vault: Carey is a four-time world championship medalist who is competing as an individual for the U.S. “Just being a role model for little kids is a really cool thing that happens,” Carey — who in June unveiled atriple-twisting double layouton floor, a skill no female gymnast has ever competed with —told PEOPLEearlier this year.
With Biles out of the individual all-around competition on July 29, Carey stepped in, placing 8th on July 29.
06of 06MyKayla SkinnerMyKayla Skinner.Carmen Mandato/GettyAlso competing individually, Skinner, 24, was an alternate on the 2016 Olympic team. She overcame a tough case of COVID-19 to make it to Tokyo — and hasn’t taken her spot for granted. “I survived, but I wanted to give up so many times,“she saidof grappling with the virus in aninterview withToday’sHoda Kotb. “I was like, ‘I don’t even know if I can do this anymore.’ But I feel like just having these girls and my family having my back through it all has really helped me to get to where I am today.“On July 25, the 24-year-old gymnast did not qualify for any event final after competing on all four apparatuses during the qualifying round, and finished the all-around in 10th place with a total score of 55.398.However, when Biles withdrew from several individual competitions, Skinner earned a spot on the vault —and won silver!
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MyKayla Skinner
MyKayla Skinner.Carmen Mandato/Getty
Also competing individually, Skinner, 24, was an alternate on the 2016 Olympic team. She overcame a tough case of COVID-19 to make it to Tokyo — and hasn’t taken her spot for granted. “I survived, but I wanted to give up so many times,“she saidof grappling with the virus in aninterview withToday’sHoda Kotb. “I was like, ‘I don’t even know if I can do this anymore.’ But I feel like just having these girls and my family having my back through it all has really helped me to get to where I am today.”
On July 25, the 24-year-old gymnast did not qualify for any event final after competing on all four apparatuses during the qualifying round, and finished the all-around in 10th place with a total score of 55.398.
However, when Biles withdrew from several individual competitions, Skinner earned a spot on the vault —and won silver!
source: people.com
