| Jessica Gil Ortiz | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 December 1990 Miami, Florida, United States |
| Gymnastics career | |
| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics |
| Country represented |  Colombia |
Medal record | |
Jessica Gil Ortiz (born 7 December 1990) is a Colombian former artistic gymnast who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the first Colombian gymnast to win a gold medal on the World Cup series.
Ortiz was born in Miami; her parents were Colombian immigrants. Her mother owned a gym, which was how she was introduced to the sport. [1]
She studied business in Miami. [1]
Ortiz competed at the 2006 World Championships, where she placed 84th in all-around qualifications. [2] The next year, she finished in 59th place at the 2007 World Championships. [3] She had hoped to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics at the competition, but she missed doing so after she fractured her heel a day before the competition; she fell on the balance beam due to her injury. [1]
At the 2009 World Championships, held in London, Ortiz fell on a double front somersault during her second tumbling pass and landed on her head. She was taken to the hospital. Hers was one of several injuries that occurred at the championships. [4] [5] However, she was not seriously injured by the fall. [1] [6]
In January 2010, Ortiz went to a clinic with severe abdominal pain and had emergency surgery for appendicitis. She spent a month in the hospital. Afterward, she struggled to train and initially decided to leave gymnastics; however, her parents convinced her to begin training again. [1] She competed at the World Cup in Ghent in September, where she won gold in the vault final. [7] This was the first medal won by a Colombian gymnast on the World Cup circuit. [1]
She entered the 2010 World Championships but did not compete. [8] The next year, she competed at the 2011 World Championships and finished 77th in qualifications. [9]
At the 2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event in January, Ortiz qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. [10] She competed there later in the year, where she finished 42nd in the all-around qualifications. [11]
