Sunisa Lee to Jordan Chiles: Stars to watch at 2023 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship
Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey are some of the names to look out for in the upcoming Super 16 event of the 2023 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship, in Las Vegas. The event is set to begin on the 6th of January and would see a number of American gymnastics superstars!
With the Paris Olympics coming up next year, all the participating athletes will like to hit top gear. For participants like Sunisa Lee especially, this event will be very important.
Sunisa Lee's last season
Last November, Sunisa Lee announced that this season would be her last competing for Auburn University. The 19-year-old gymnast posted a video on her social media platforms revealing the news:
"Today, I'm sharing a decision that has weighed on me for a very long time. This will be my last season competing at Auburn University. I'm so excited to share that after this season, I will be returning to elite gymnastics. I have my sights set on Paris 2024 and I know what I have to do to get there."
At the 2022 NCAA Championships, Sunisa Lee helped Auburn University gain their best-ever finish in fourth place. In 2023, it remains to be seen what she can do for her team. After her NCAA campaign, the American faithful are definitely expecting to see the star at the World Championships in Antwerp and the Olympics in Paris!
Jordan Chiles: Rising star
Chiles is also an Olympic medalist after her silver medal with Team USA in Tokyo. Chiles is definitely one of the favorites this season, and is expected to put on a performance for the UCLA Bruins on the floor.
Last year, Chiles gained rapid fame after her perfect 10 performance to a track consisting of famous artists Lizzo, Normani, Doja Cat, and Cardi B. In 2022, Chiles became a World Champion by helping her team win gold in Liverpool and also managed to win a silver medal on the floor.
In Chiles' own words, she feels as though she still hasn't hit her "peak" yet, and it feels like 2023 has some success brewing for her!
Jade Carey: Coming in hot
Carey is a floor exercise and vault expert. She is an Olympic gold medalist on the floor, having won in Tokyo. Despite being 22, she only made her NCAA debut on January 15, 2022, due to the Tokyo Olympics and the pandemic. This will be her second season with the Oregon State Beavers, who finished 17th last year.
Carey is a bright star and brings a lot to the table for her team. Last year, she, along with Chiles, won Team USA a gold medal at the World Championships in Liverpool. Individually, Carey also won a gold medal in the vault and a bronze on the floor.
While the Beavers are not expected to compete for the title, Carey is definitely in the running for individual success.
Trinity Thomas and Leanne Wong
While the other names, such as Sunisa Lee, presented here are all Olympic medalists, the University of Florida boasts an extremely strong roster led by the 2021 world all-around runner-up, Trinity Thomas. Another star on the team is Leanne Wong, a US Olympic alternate for Tokyo.
Florida proved that they do not need an Olympic medalist to compete for the NCAA title with their second-place finish last year, only 0.112 points behind Oklahoma.