Laura Zeng

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Laura Zeng
— Gymnast —
Full name Laura Yihan Zeng
Country represented  United States
Born (1999-10-14) October 14, 1999 (age 24)
Libertyville, Illinois, USA
Discipline Rhythmic gymnastics
Club North Shore Rhythmics
Head coach(es) Natalia Klimouk
Assistant coach(es) Angelina Yovcheva
World ranking 22 (2016 Season)-(As of 17 May 2016)[1]
8 (2015 Season) [2]
Medal record
Representing  United States
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto All-around
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto Hoop
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto Ball
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto Ribbon
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto Clubs
Youth Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Nanjing All-around
Laura Zeng
Traditional Chinese 勞拉曾
Simplified Chinese 劳拉曾

Laura Yihan Zeng (born October 14, 1999) is an American individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2015 Pan American Games All-around champion and the 2014 Youth Olympic all-around bronze medalist. In national level, she is the 2015 US National champion and two-time (2014, 2013) US Junior National champion.[3]

Personal life

After first studying Chinese dancing, Zeng started rhythmic gymnastics at age 7 after a friend told her about it. Her older sister, Yecca Zeng is a fashion designer.[4] Her favorite motto is: "Work hard and work smart". Her favorite rhythmic gymnast is three-times World All-around champion Yana Kudryavtseva.[5]

Career

Junior

Zeng appeared in international competitions in 2012, she won the all-around silver at the 2012 Junior Pacific Rim Championships behind Canada's Patricia Bezzoubenko and won bronze in all-around at the 2012 Junior World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria. In 2013, Zeng competed at the Gymnastik Schmiden International winning gold in all-around, hoop, clubs, ribbon and bronze in ball. She also won bronze medal as one-person team at junior World Cup at Lisbon. She won her first junior title at the 2013 US Junior National championships.

In 2014, Zeng started her season competing at the 2014 Rhythmic Challenge winning the all-around and the event finals. She competed at the World Cup series in Lisboa, Pesaro and Minsk, she won numerous bronze and silver medals in the all-around,event finals and team competitions. At the 2014 Junior Pan American Championships, Zeng placed 1st (all-around, hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon); Zeng defended her junior title at the 2014 US Junior National championships placing 1st (all-around, hoop, ball), 2nd (clubs), 3rd (ribbon). Zeng was selected as the representative of USA at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, she placed second in the qualification[6] and went on to take the all-around bronze in the finals with a total score of 56.750, just two hundredths behind Belarus’ Mariya Trubach who took the silver medal.[7] Zeng’s medal marks the first rhythmic gymnastics medal for the U.S. at an Olympic or Youth Olympic Games.

Senior

In February 2015, Zeng made her senior and international debut competing at the 2015 Moscow Grand Prix finishing 21st in the all-around. In March, Laura won 2015 Challenge Championship participated only by USA national team members. In March 27–29, Zeng competed at the 2015 Lisboa World Cup finishing 14th in the all-around. In April 10–12, she placed 11th in all-around among 56 competitors with a score of 68.40 at 2015 Pesaro World Cup in Italy. She also made Ribbon finals. In May 8–10, she competed at the Corbeil-Essonnes International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament and finished 3rd in all-around behind Russians Arina Averina and Dina Averina, she qualified to 3 event finals and won silver in clubs, bronze in ball and placed 4th in ribbon.

In June 25–27, Zeng won the All-around as first year senior in USA Nationals 2015 ahead of Jasmine Kerber. In apparatus finals, she won in Hoop, Clubs, and Ribbon titles. At the 2015 Pan American Games, Zeng swept the gold in the all-around with a total score of 64.575 points and all the apparatus finals, becoming the second American to win the all-around and all the apparatus finals at the Pan American Games since Mary Sanders in 2003.[8][9] In August 14–16, Zeng finished 15th in the all-around at the 2015 Sofia World Cup behind Spanish veteran gymnast Carolina Rodriguez with a score of 68.750. At the 2015 World Cup Final in Kazan, Zeng finished 10th in the all-around and qualified in ball finals finishing in 8th place. In September 9–13, Zeng competed in her first World Championships in Stuttgart and ranked 11th in qualifications. Zeng qualified to 1 apparatus final finishing 7th in Clubs ahead of Korean Son Yeon-Jae. In the All-around finals; Zeng finished 8th with a total of 70.416 points, the highest finish for an American rhythmic gymnast, bettering the 10th place from Mary Sanders in the 2003 World Championships.[10]

In 2016 Olympic season, Zeng was prepared with three new routines. On March 17–20, she first competed at the 2016 Lisboa World Cup where she finished 7th in the all-around with a total of 70.150 points and qualified to 3 event finals placing 8th in clubs, hoop and 5th in ball. On April 1–3, Zeng competed at the 2016 Pesaro World Cup where she finished 19th in the all-around and qualified to clubs final finishing in 7th place.[11] On May 20–22, Zeng competed at the 2016 Minsk World Cup finishing 7th in the all-around with a total of 70.850 points, she qualified to 3 apparatus finals where she became the first American in history to win a medal in a World Cup series taking 2 bronze medals (hoop: 18.050, ribbon: 18.050) and placed 4th in ball.[12]

Achievements

  • First American rhythmic gymnast to win a medal (bronze) at a World Cup series.
  • First American rhythmic gymnast to win a medal in Youth Olympic Games or Olympic Games.
  • Swept five gold medals in 2015 Pan American Games.
  • 2013-2015 USA national champions.

Routine music information

Year Apparatus Music title [13]
2016 Hoop Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor for Piano, Op.27:2 (Moonlight): 3. Presto Agitato by Jeno Jando, Georgii Cherkin
Ball Feeling Good by Jennifer Hudson
Clubs
Ribbon
2015 Hoop Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor for Piano, Op.27:2 (Moonlight): 3. Presto Agitato by Jeno Jando, Georgii Cherkin
Ball Tango by Dianne Reeves
Clubs Hip Hip Chin Chin by Club Des Belugas
Ribbon Zambra by Ojos De Brujo, Juno Reactor

References

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External links

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