BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — Two gymnasts from Great American Gymnastics Express in Blue Springs were selected for the U.S. Olympic Trials in St. Louis later this month.
Kara Eaker and Leanne Wong, who train at the GAGE Center earned spots at the trials with their performances last weekend at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Wong finished fifth in the all-around and Eaker placed 10th.
Now, it's go time for the women to prepare to shine on an even bigger stage.
Eaker and Wong are training twice a day to get ready for the competition, which will determine who represents the U.S. at the Olympic Games beginning next month in Tokyo.
"In these next two weeks, we are going to train as hard as we can and improve as much as we can in order to be at our peak," Wong said. "Just being ready to perform well for the Olympic Trials."
A third GAGE gymnast, Aleah Finnegan, competed at national championships, finishing 23rd overall. She did not qualify for trials.
"She is wonderful," GAGE coach Al Fong said of Finnegan. "Not everybody can make it. In this great sport of ours, there is always going to be people who are going to be left behind. They could give it 110% the whole time, and it broke everybody's heart. But we all go on and she is the biggest supporter of these two girls going forward."
Finnegan's gymnastics career isn't over. She will be compete at LSU starting in the fall.
The U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials starts June 24 in St. Louis and will air on 41 Action News.
