Tokyo 2020: Olympic gymnasts ready to make their marks
- Former world champion Morgan Hurd leads a fresh batch of athletes hoping to challenge for gold
- Japan’s Takeru Kitazono dominated at last Youth Olympic Games alongside Italy’s Giorgia Villa
There are some events and disciplines on show at the Olympics that are harder to fathom than others. Most people have run for a bus so it’s not impossible to imagine what the 100m would feel like. Like not making it on to the No 63 but much, much faster.
Gymnastics on the other hand consists of things that most people cannot do, done with aplomb and then made even more impossible to comprehend by being combined into routines that defy gravity as much as belief.
In Tokyo 2020 there will be some of the biggest names in the sport on show – the all-conquering Simone Biles is expected to compete once more – but the brief window that comprises most gymnastics careers means we will also have to get used to some new faces on the floor.
Thankfully for gymnastics fans, there are many proven names even in the new batch.
Takeru Kitazono (Japan)
The star of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Kitazono returned from Argentina with five golds. That was a first for an artistic gymnast at the youth games, with his five medals coming in the all-around, floor, rings, parallel bars and horizontal bar events. The 18-year-old is seen as the heir apparent to Japanese gymnastics legend Kohei Uchimura and with both set to be on show in Tokyo the baton could be passed this year.
Daria Trubnikova (Russia)
If Wada’s ban is upheld the 15-year-old will not be competing for Russia in Tokyo but should be allowed to enter as a neutral then she would be a favourite for gold. Trubnikova was another big winner at the Youth Olympics, where she topped the rhythmic gymnastics all-around table with a dominant four-point gap over second place. A similar performance on the biggest stage would continue Russian dominance, which goes back to Sydney 2000.
Morgan Hurd (USA)
The 18-year-old has become one of the biggest names in the sport despite being among the smallest competitors. Hurd, who was born in China before being adopted and moving to the US, stands at just 134cm and also competes wearing her glasses. She has become a key part of the US women’s team and won the worlds all-around at 16 – for which she was praised by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.
Giorgia Villa (Italy)
When the Olympic Channel marks you out to appear on its Heroes of the Future series then you better deliver. The Italian did just that at the Youth OIympics in 2018, backing up an all-around win at the European Juniors earlier in the year. Villa came home from Argentina with golds in the all-around, vault and floor, plus a silver in the uneven bars. Last year the 16-year-old helped Italy to a first worlds team medal since 1950, winning bronze.
