KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Olympic fans are just one step closer to knowing which athletes will compete for Team USA.
This weekend, gymnasts are competing in Fort Worth, Texas at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships.
Three women from GAGE Center in Blue Springs are hoping they score high enough to make it to the Olympic Trials. Right now, GAGE gymnast Leanne Wong sits at 5th place overall with fellow teammate Kara Eaker in sixth place. Their other teammate, Aleah Finnegan, is in 23rd place.
According to Eaker, they'll have several competitions leading up to championships. The next step is making the national team, then from there, the Olympic trials.
"The top athletes will also go to the Olympic trials, which is like three weeks later. From there, we will compete the same as championships and then hand-select the athletes for the Olympic team," Eaker said.
That might seem like a lot of pressure for these girls. Finnegan said you have to have the right mindset for competitions and trials.
"I really just try to take it one step at a time. I mean you kind of have to think in your brain, okay this thing first and then this and then this. Because if you go in there thinking about next year, then it's like oh my gosh and your brain kind of gets scrambled a little bit. But really just taking things one thing at a time. One meet at a time to not get ahead of yourself," said Finnegan.
The girls have given up a lot to accomplish their dreams, as well as their families.
"My beginning years of gymnastics, I just did private lessons on Saturdays once a week because my parents had to work. So, I couldn't workout. But after I started to go up levels, my mom had to quit her job and become a stay at home mom. She started to being able to take me and now just my dad is working," said Wong.
The women compete on Sunday starting at 6 p.m. on 41 Action News.
