Florida Gators' Leanne Wong clinches 'Gym Slam' honor after shining vs LSU Gymnastics
Gymnast Leanne Wong recently won the ‘Gym Slam’ honor after delivering a terrific performance at the Florida Gators vs LSU meet. The 20-year-old gymnast became the 15th gymnast in NCAA history and also the fourth in Florida to win the gymnastics honor.
A ‘Gym Slam’ is an honor given to a gymnast who earns a perfect 10 score in every event at least once during their career.
On February 23, the No.5 Gators upset the No. 2 LSU with 198.15 - 197.95 scores. The match witnessed 15-time All-American gymnast Leanne Wong scoring her first ever perfect 10 in the floor routine to claim the victory for her team and a ‘Gym Slam’ for herself.
Leanne Wong scored 9.950 to place first in the bars event. When it was time to perform on the beam, the young gymnast attempted to inch closer to a perfect 10 score. She matched her teammate freshman Anya Pilgrim’s score of 9.975.
The Gators posted their season-high of 49.625 points on the beam. They were still 0.15 points behind entering the finale.
They had their final chance to make up the lead in the floor routine. Initially, Senior Payton Richards kickstarted the event with high energy, but experienced injury in her mid-routine.
Following Richards's exit, the Gators needed a full-fledged floor performance. Wong stepped up to by performing an electrifying floor routine and scored a perfect 10. Her ultimate score was 39.875, which was enough to secure her fourth all-around title of her junior season.
Leanne Wong on her experience of training with Simone Biles
Leanne Wong is one of the collegiate gymnasts who have made it to Team USA. She first entered the national team in 2017. Since then, she has helped her team win medals at reputed championships. Moreover, she is preparing with Team USA to make the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Besides training with young promising gymnasts like Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey, she has also had the opportunity to train with seven-time Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.
In an interview with Joy Sauce, the two-time world champion gold medalist shared her views on training with the legendary Simone Biles. She said:
"I definitely think the teams are getting a little bit older. It’s not just a bunch of young girls, but there is a mix. Simone (Biles), she's obviously had like 30 world medals and been to two Olympics. So I still feel like a young one because she's so experienced. But it's cool to learn from experienced gymnasts who have been to those big meets multiple times."