Gymnast Tiana Sumanasekera, who was a non-traveling alternate for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has announced she will represent Sri Lanka at future international competitions.
The 18-year-old, who represents the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) at the collegiate level, issued a statement on social media calling the decision a “special opportunity.”
Sumanasekera has competed for Team USA since 2021 and was part of the gymnastics team that won first place at the 2023 Pan American Games.
Context
Born to parents of Sri Lankan origin, she took up gymnastics at the age of six.
She began competing nationally in 2018, winning her first junior title in 2021 by placing first in the Floor Exercise at the 2021 American Classic.
The following year, she brought home five gold medals at the City of Jesolo Trophy in Jesolo, Italy, winning the All-Around gold in the junior division.
She placed ninth All-Around at the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships.
In her breakout freshman season representing UCLA this year, Sumanasekera earned Second-Team All-American honors in the all-around, was named First-Team All-Big Ten, and won Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times.
Her Bollywood-inspired Floor routine at the Corvallis Regional Final in April this year was shared virally on social media.
“I have decided to represent Sri Lanka. I could not be more proud and excited for this special opportunity. Competing at the Olympics would be an absolute dream come true, and having the chance to honor my heritage by doing it for a country I hold so close to my heart makes it that much more special. Gymnastics is so underrepresented in Sri Lanka and South Asia as a whole, so I am beyond honored to help bring representation to such a beautiful and diverse part of the world”
Tiana Sumanasekera’s statement on social media about being able to honour her heritage at an Olympic Games
Pic courtesy: Tiana Sumanasekera's instagram
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