Overland Park’s Leanne Wong ‘looking forward’ to competing at USA Olympic Trials
In less than 10 days, Florida Gators junior Leanne Wong will hit the road from Gainesville to Minneapolis.
She’s a few months removed from the end of her third collegiate gymnastics season, where she finished with a third straight All-SEC nod, an uneven bars co-championship honor and her team’s most valuable player award.
More fanfare could soon be in store: For the second time in her young career, Wong is headed to the Olympic trials, which are set for June 28 and 30 at Target Center.
Wong, 20, has competed with a plethora of national teams throughout her time on the mat — including two straight gold medal-winning USA squads — but it’s been four years since she’s competed in the Olympics.
That prior experience should help as she looks to make the USA roster. But at the same time, the process and competition will look slightly different than it did back in 2020.
“Last time (I went) it was a COVID-19 year, and everything wasn’t yet back to normal,” Wong, an Overland Park native, said. “I think it will be a new experience this time.
“It’s great to have that experience under my belt. I’ve been to the Olympic trials (before). I remember people explaining the competition to me … but it’s really not the same until you’re out there.”
Wong attended Florida as a freshman in 2019 and has been with the Gators since, playing a large role for their collegiate competitions.
Competing in the SEC meant her Friday nights were normally booked, which — adding in the training she would do to stay in elite-level shape — meant her schedule was almost always busy.
With school done for the summer, she’s actually enjoying some much-needed rest.
“It feels like a little bit less now,” she said. “During the college season, I was competing every Friday night, balancing my classes and training elite. Now, having the college season out of the way, … It’s a little bit of a relief that I can focus on training for the Olympics.”
Wong is one of five women with collegiate experience on her resume of the 16 invited to Minnesota. So, not only has she been exposed to high-level competition, she’ll also have the support of her college coach, Jenny Rowland, who’s been with her since she joined the Gators.
Having Rowland nearby, Wong said, will certainly be an advantage given her own wealth of experience.
“She’s an elite judge, so she knows the code,” Wong said. “She can help me look through the books and figure out what my routine construction can be, (and) she’s also an amazing coach. She has been super helpful for me.”
As much as Wong enjoys working with Rowland, so too the coach enjoys working with her.
“If you’ve ever been around Leanne, she’s a joy to be around,” Rowland said. “She just makes it a lot of fun to be in the gym. She makes it easy on us and we love just being a part of it.
“I (don’t) just speak for myself, but for our entire staff.”
If the competition goes according to plan, Wong will be named to the Olympic roster for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. And when she hits the mat for the first time, she’ll be representing her country in the proudest way she can.
But until then, at the Olympic trials?
There, she’ll be representing Florida, Rowland and — if you go back all the way to where she grew up — Overland Park and Kansas City.
“I’m looking forward to a strong week of training,” she said. “Getting used to the arena and the equipment, but also to have a good time.”
