KC-area gymnasts Eaker, Wong rank among top 10 after first day of U.S. Olympic Trials

Kansas City-area gymnasts Kara Eaker and Leanne Wong ranked among the Top 10 after Friday night’s opening rounds of competition at the 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials in St. Louis.

But with just four all-around spots and one individual ticket remaining for Team USA, a Top 10 finish won’t be enough secure passage to Tokyo for next month’s Summer Games.

Eaker, third in the balance beam competition after Friday night’s performances, was in seventh place overall with 55.565 points — well within striking distance of the top four, if she has a strong showing Sunday. At 14.400, she’s not even half a point behind second-place Sunisa Lee’s 14.733 on the beam, and she’s less than a full point behind Simone Biles’ first-place score of 15.133.

The 18 gymnasts competing this weekend are battling for four all-around spots on Team USA. One of two individual event spots is waiting to be filled, as well, with Jade Carey filling the other. The second and final day of the women’s competition is set for 7:30 p.m. Sunday on NBC Sports.

The men were competing Saturday.

It’s no secret Eaker’s been in the running for an individual spot for her beam routine, but the recent Grain Valley High grad entered this all-important weekend hoping for a strong showing in the all-around. She was tied for sixth in the floor routine event.

“There’s definitely some things that could have been better, but for an overall day one I was pretty pleased with what I did tonight,” she said. “(I’m) just looking forward to perfecting during tomorrow’s practice and getting back in there for day two.”

Biles was firmly in the lead after the opening night in St. Louis with 60.565 all-around points. Lee was close behind with 57.666. Of Friday night’s six 15-point-plus routines, three belonged to Biles. If she and Lee remain in the top two spots after Sunday’s rounds, they’ll secure their places in Tokyo.

The other two spots will be picked by the U.S. Gymnastics Committee.

“It’s already such a great achievement to be here at this competition at all, because we are the top 18 athletes,” Eaker said. “It’s just such an honor to be competing with these girls.”

Wong, who placed fifth at the recent U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, struggled on the beam Friday, scoring a 16th-place 11.500. The recent Blue Valley High grad ended the night on a positive note, however, picking up a fourth-place 13.933 in her signature event, the floor.

Wong, 10th overall with 53.799 points through Friday, said she was disappointed with her beam performance. She’ll aim to return refocused and refreshed for Sunday’s finals.

“Well, whatever happened is in the past, so (I) can’t really change that anymore,” she said. “All I can do is just change what I do on the next day.”

This story was originally published June 25, 2021 at 10:35 PM.