A Gymnast From Kansas Makes the Olympic Team

Gymnastics is a sport of physical endurance, precision and perseverance. It demands the ultimate commitment to training, and it requires the athlete to be mentally prepared to handle the pressure of competition. This is especially true in the case of elite-level athletes, who must perform at a high level to be considered for a place on the USA Olympic team.

One such gymnast from kansas is Keira Wells, who recently graduated from Augusta High School and will join the women’s collegiate gymnastics program at Oklahoma. Wells is a three-time national vault champion and has been training at the top level for years.

The teen from Wichita has already made a name for herself in the sport, but she hasn’t given up on her dream of competing at the Olympics. She says she is determined to prove herself in the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

In addition to being a gymnast, Wells is also a pianist and an honor roll student with a 4.28 GPA. She enjoys sight-seeing, cooking and rollercoasters in her spare time. But when she is in the gym, Barutyan describes her as “lemon-face” because of her serious demeanor. That discipline helps her work hard to achieve her goals in the gym and in the classroom. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine like her father and mother, who were research scientists so devoted to their jobs that they often worked overnight as babies.

Aside from the prestigious national titles that she has claimed, Wells is also an accomplished international competitor. She is a two-time world championship medalist and has qualified for the 2023 women’s World Championship Team in Belgium next month. She has been selected to compete alongside teammate Simone Biles and fellow members Kayla DiCello, Skye Blakely, Shilese Jones and Joscelyn Roberson.

Leanne Wong, a KC-area gymnast, will also be in Belgium. Wong, who trains at Great American Gymnastics Express in Blue Springs, is the only other KC-area gymnast to make the team. She will serve as the team’s alternate.

Despite missing out on the all-around title at the regional meet, the teen from Overland Park was still selected to compete in the national final. In the final, she finished second in the all-around behind Biles and in front of Angelina Melnikova, Mai Murakami and Kayla DiCello. She placed sixth in the balance beam and fifth in floor exercise.

Wong has a bright future ahead of her as she continues to work toward her goal of competing for the USA at the Olympics. She is a favorite to win a spot on the team after finishing second in the all-around at the upcoming trials. The event will be held from Oct. 21-22 in St. Louis. The top two finishers at the trials will earn a spot on the USA Olympic gymnastics team. The remaining spots will be filled by a selection committee. This year’s selection committee includes the head coaches of the men’s and women’s Olympic gymnastics teams, as well as three of the country’s most experienced gymnastics judges.