Luisa Blanco

Last updated
Luisa Blanco
Full nameLuisa Fernanda Blanco Saavedra
Country representedFlag of Colombia.svg Colombia
Former countries representedFlag of the United States.svg United States
Born (2001-11-18) November 18, 2001 (age 22)
Los Angeles, California
Hometown Dallas, Texas
Height5 ft 2 in (157 cm) [1]
Discipline WAG
Years on national team2023–present (COL)
ClubMidwest Gymnastics Center
College team Alabama Crimson Tide (2020–present)
Head coach(es)Jess Graba
Former coach(es) Yevgeny Marchenko
Medal record
Women's artistic gymnastics
Representing Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama Athletics logo.svg
NCAA Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2021 Fort Worth Balance beam
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2021 Fort WorthAll-around
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2023 Fort Worth Uneven bars
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2021 Fort WorthUneven bars

Luisa Fernanda Blanco Saavedra (born November 18, 2001) is a Colombian-American artistic gymnast. She competes for the Alabama Crimson Tide gymnastic team and is the 2021 NCAA Champion on the balance beam. She will represent Colombia at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Contents

Early life

Blanco was born on November 18, 2001, in Los Angeles, California. [2] Her parents, Sandra Saavedra and Mario Blanco, are immigrants from Colombia. [1] [3]

Gymnastics career

2017–2019: Elite

Blanco made her elite debut at the 2017 WOGA Classic. She did not compete in the all-around, but she posted the highest score of the competition on the balance beam, and she won silver with the WOGA team. [4] Then at the 2017 U.S. Classic, she tied with Kalyany Steele for the all-around bronze medal behind Alyona Shchennikova and Abby Paulson. [5] She then finished 12th all-around at the 2017 U.S. Championships. [6]

Blanco finished ninth all-around at the 2018 WOGA Classic and had the third-highest score on the balance beam. [7] Then at the International Gymnix in Montreal, she finished ninth in the all-around and on uneven bars and eighth on balance beam. [8] She also finished ninth all-around at the 2018 U.S. Classic. [9] She then finished 17th all-around at the 2018 U.S. Championships. [10] At the 2019 WOGA Classic, she competed on the uneven bars where she had the highest score of the meet and on the balance beam where she finished second behind Sloane Blakely. [11]

2020–2023: NCAA

Blanco graduated from Lebanon Trail High School one semester early and joined the Alabama Crimson Tide gymnastics team in January 2020. [12] Her freshman season was cut short due the COVID-19 pandemic. [13] At the 2021 SEC Championships, she helped her team win the title, and individually, she won the all-around, vault, uneven bars and balance beam titles. She was named the 2021 SEC Gymnast of the Year. [14] She scored her first perfect 10 at the 2021 Regional semifinal on the balance beam. [15] At the 2021 NCAA Championships, she won the balance beam title with a score of 9.9625, and she finished second in the all-around behind Oklahoma's Anastasia Webb. [16]

At the 2022 SEC Championships, Blanco helped Alabama finish second behind Florida, and she placed second on the uneven bars behind Sunisa Lee. However, she injured her ankle on the balance beam. [17] The injury was minor, and she competed on three events at the 2022 NCAA Championships where Alabama was eliminated in the semifinals. [18] During the 2023 regular season, she scored three perfect 10s on the balance beam. [1] Then at the 2023 SEC Championships, she finished second in the all-around to help Alabama finish second behind Florida. Alabama failed to advance to the 2023 NCAA Championships, but Blanco qualified as an individual on the uneven bars and finished in second place. [19]

2023: Elite return

In 2023, Blanco announced that she was returning to elite gymnastics and switching nationalities to represent Colombia. She began training at Midwest Gymnastics Center with Sunisa Lee's coach, Jess Graba. [3] She won the all-around and uneven bars titles at the 2023 Colombian Championships. [20] She was selected to represent Colombia at the 2023 Pan American Games where she helped the Colombian team place fifth. [21] Individually, Blanco qualified for the all-around final where she finished eighth with a total score of 50.099. [22] As the highest-placing athlete who was eligible for an Olympic berth, Blanco qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games. [23] [24]

2024: NCAA and Olympics

Blanco announced on April 28, 2023, that she would be returning to the Alabama gymnastics team for her fifth and final year. [25] In Blanco's final home meet, which also celebrated senior night, she scored two perfect 10s, her first on vault and floor exercise. [26]

Competitive history

YearEventTeamAA VT UB BB FX
Elite Flag of the United States.svg
2017 WOGA ClassicGold medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svg
U.S. Classic Bronze medal icon.svg13Silver medal icon.svg12
U.S. National Championships 1217711
2018 WOGA Classic9Bronze medal icon.svg
International Gymnix998
U.S. Classic 912611
U.S. National Championships 17191714
2019 WOGA ClassicGold medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
NCAA Alabama Athletics logo.svg
2020SEC ChampionshipsCanceled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in the USA [13]
NCAA Championships
2021SEC ChampionshipsGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg
NCAA Championships Silver medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg
2022 SEC Championships Silver medal icon.svg12Silver medal icon.svg
2023SEC ChampionshipsSilver medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
NCAA Championships Silver medal icon.svg
Elite Flag of Colombia.svg
2023 Colombian ChampionshipsGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg
Pan American Games 587

Career perfect 10.0

SeasonDateEventMeet
2021April 2, 2021Balance BeamRegional semifinal
2023February 4, 2023Alabama vs Auburn
February 24, 2023Alabama vs LSU
March 3, 2023Alabama @ Missouri
2024March 8, 2024Vault & Floor ExerciseAlabama quad

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Luisa Blanco". Alabama Crimson Tide . Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "Blanco Luisa". International Gymnastics Federation . Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 Sandmaier, Christy (8 June 2023). "Alabama star Luisa Blanco Announces Plans to Compete for Colombia". Inside Gymnastics Magazine. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (20 February 2017). "2017 WOGA Classic Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "2017 U.S. Classic Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics . 29 July 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  6. ↑ "2017 P&G Championships – Women Day 2 Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics . 20 August 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (18 February 2018). "2018 WOGA Classic Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (11 March 2018). "2018 International Gymnix Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "2018 GK U.S. Classic Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics . 29 July 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "2018 U.S. Championships – Women Day 2 Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics . 19 August 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (11 February 2019). "2019 WOGA Classic Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Luisa Blanco and Ella Burgess Sign with Alabama Gymnastics and Will Join the Crimson Tide in January". Alabama Crimson Tide . 13 November 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  13. 1 2 "NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships due to coronavirus concerns". NCAA . March 13, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Alabama's Luisa Blanco Named 2021 SEC Gymnast of the Year". Sports Illustrated . March 24, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  15. ↑ DiLullo (April 2, 2021). "Luisa Blanco, Makarri Doggette score perfect 10s as Alabama gymnastics opens NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Alabama's Luisa Blanco and Lexi Graber Win NCAA Titles; Alabama Finishes 2021 Season in Fifth". Alabama Crimson Tide. April 16, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  17. ↑ Rankin, Kim (March 19, 2022). "Alabama Finishes Second in 2022 SEC Championship". Tide 100.9. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  18. ↑ DiLullo, Mike (April 14, 2022). "Alabama gymnastics season ends in NCAA Championships semifinals". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  19. ↑ DiLullo, Mike (April 13, 2023). "Alabama gymnastics star Luisa Blanco scores 9.95, falls short of individual national title". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  20. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (17 July 2023). "2023 2nd Colombian Championships Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  21. ↑ "XIX Juegos Panamericanos Santiago 2023 Women's Artistic Gymnastics Teams" (PDF). USA Gymnastics . Santiago 2023. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  22. ↑ "XIX Juegos Panamericanos Santiago 2023 Women's Artistic Gymnastics All-Around Final" (PDF). USA Gymnastics . Santiago 2023. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  23. ↑ "Luisa Blanco Earns Olympic Berth as Part of Team Colombia". Alabama Crimson Tide . 23 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  24. ↑ Walsh, Christopher (23 October 2023). "Alabama Gymnast Luisa Blanco Earns Spot in Summer Olympics". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  25. ↑ "Not Done Yet with Luisa Blanco". Alabama Crimson Tide. April 28, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Luisa Blanco Cements Legend Status With Two Perfect 10s in Final Home Meet". Sports Illustrated. March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
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