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Kayla DiCello takes gold in USA Gymnastics Winter Cup
BY GARY B. GRAVES, Associated Press
Kayla DiCello takes gold in USA Gymnastics Winter Cup
22 MILLION FOR ONE MORE YEAR. AND CINCY TONIGHT, THE OLYMPIC YEAR UNDERWAY FOR USA GYMNASTICS THIS WEEKEND. THE WINTER CUP IN LOUISVILLE 2024 FIRST MEET ON THE ROAD TO PARIS. TEAM USA HOPEFULS COMPETE AND AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION AIMS TO DAZZLE THE GYMNASTICS WORLD AGAIN. TONIGHT OUR OLIVIA RAY IN LOUISVILLE, REIGNING ALL AROUND OLYMPIC CHAMP SUNI LEE IS RETURNING TO COMPETITION HERE IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY THIS WEEKEND AFTER A MONTHS LONG ABSENCE DUE TO A RECENT KIDNEY DISEASE DIAGNOSIS. AND LEE IS ABSOLUTELY NOT EASING HER WAY BACK INTO ELITE COMPETITION. SHE IS HERE AT THE WINTER CUP FOR ONE REASON, AND ONE REASON ONLY. THE DEBUT OF HER BRAND NEW SKILL, THE FULL TWISTING LAYOUT, YEAGER IT’S NERVE WRACKING, OF COURSE, BUT THAT’S THE REASON WHY I LOVE GYMNASTICS AND LOVE COMPETING. BECAUSE I LOVE THE NERVES. I LOVE PUTTING THE PRESSURE ON MYSELF AND JUST MAKING MYSELF BETTER EVERY DAY. BUT YEAH, I DON’T KNOW. I DON’T I HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES THIS MEET AND DOING THIS SKILL. THIS MOVE IS SO DIFFICULT THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED IT ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE. WHICH MEANS IF LEE CAN PULL IT OFF DURING THIS OLYMPIC CYCLE, ALL THE SKILL WILL FOREVER BE BE NAMED AFTER HER. IF ANYBODY ELSE CAN PULL IT OFF, MORE POWER TO THEM. BUT I DON’T THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE A LOT. I’M NOT SURE IF SHE FEELS ANY BETTER, BUT WHEN SHE MAKES HER MIND UP ON SOMETHING, THAT’S USUALLY WHAT IT IS. I WAS LOOKING BACK AT MY ONE YEAR GOES AND I THINK WE WERE IN KENTUCKY AND THAT’S WHEN LIKE I HAD THE FIRST FLARE UP AND I’M LIKE, WOW, IT’S CRAZY. LIKE WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN A YEAR? I’M IN REMISSION NOW. WE’VE GOT IT PRETTY MUCH UNDER CONTROL FOR NOW. THE COMP
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Kayla DiCello takes gold in USA Gymnastics Winter Cup
BY GARY B. GRAVES, Associated Press
Kayla DiCello allowed herself to sit and chill after a better-than-expected start to her season. Olympic champion Sunisa Lee was a bit steamed at herself for literally missing the high bar she set — twice, in fact.DiCello seized the accolades projected for some of her higher-profile counterparts by winning the uneven bars and floor exercise on the way to the all-around title at the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup on Saturday with an overall score of 56.850. Skye Blakely scored 54.650 for silver, while WOGA teammate Hezly Rivera took the bronze with 54.000.Video above: Olympic champ Sunisa Lee prepares for Winter CupFormer NCAA all-around champion Trinity Thomas was fourth at 53.250.Meanwhile, Lee tried to keep things in perspective after falling twice on the bars — her specialty — on a day she hoped would lay the path toward getting a skill named for her.Jump-starting a quest for an Olympic return at this summer's Paris Games was also on the table for the 2020 all-around champion, especially after battling a kidney-related health issue that halted her college career at Auburn. Both goals remain, but Lee has work ahead."It's good that it happened here rather than somewhere else," Lee said. "It's just annoying because that was the first one that I missed. So, that's what makes it so bad. But it's fine. I have time and I know that I can do it and I can hit it every single time. ... We just have to work on that."The Winter Cup was the first major American gymnastics competition for the 2024 season. It was expected to mark the return of 2012 Olympic champion Gabby Douglas after eight years away, but she withdrew on Thursday after testing positive for COVID-19.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

Kayla DiCello allowed herself to sit and chill after a better-than-expected start to her season. Olympic champion Sunisa Lee was a bit steamed at herself for literally missing the high bar she set — twice, in fact.

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DiCello seized the accolades projected for some of her higher-profile counterparts by winning the uneven bars and floor exercise on the way to the all-around title at the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup on Saturday with an overall score of 56.850. Skye Blakely scored 54.650 for silver, while WOGA teammate Hezly Rivera took the bronze with 54.000.

Video above: Olympic champ Sunisa Lee prepares for Winter Cup

Former NCAA all-around champion Trinity Thomas was fourth at 53.250.

Meanwhile, Lee tried to keep things in perspective after falling twice on the bars — her specialty — on a day she hoped would lay the path toward getting a skill named for her.

Jump-starting a quest for an Olympic return at this summer's Paris Games was also on the table for the 2020 all-around champion, especially after battling a kidney-related health issue that halted her college career at Auburn. Both goals remain, but Lee has work ahead.

"It's good that it happened here rather than somewhere else," Lee said. "It's just annoying because that was the first one that I missed. So, that's what makes it so bad. But it's fine. I have time and I know that I can do it and I can hit it every single time. ... We just have to work on that."

The Winter Cup was the first major American gymnastics competition for the 2024 season. It was expected to mark the return of 2012 Olympic champion Gabby Douglas after eight years away, but she withdrew on Thursday after testing positive for COVID-19.