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Kyla RossAmerican gymnast
Date of Birth: 24.10.1996
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Kyla Ross
Early LifeKyla Briana Ross was born on October 24, 1996, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her father, Jason, comes from a mixed background of African American and Japanese descent, while her mother, Kiana, has Filipino and Puerto Rican roots. Kyla attended Aliso Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo, California.
Early Passion for Gymnastics
From a young age, Kyla showed great strength and energy. Her mother recalls, "She was born with muscles. We would go to the park, and everyone would ask, 'Whose child climbed to the top of that structure?' And I would reply, 'Oh, that's my child. Don't worry, she's fine.'" Kyla's father adds, "I had to use all my strength to get her to sit in her car seat, and I'm a strong guy... She was just super strong. I'm talking about going across the whole jungle gym without any help."
Kyla started gymnastics training at the age of three at a gymnastics center in Greenville, South Carolina. She later trained in Virginia and Aliso Viejo before settling in Costa Mesa, California in 2005. Her coach, Jenny Zhang, initially had doubts about Kyla's future in artistic gymnastics due to her "square body" and "square shoulders." However, another coach, Howie Liang, disagreed, saying, "Don't worry about her. She'll have long legs."
Rise to Success
In August 2005, Kyla competed in the "Visa" U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Dallas, Texas. She placed first overall, earning a total of 114.00 points over two days. In the finals, Kyla scored 30.350 on the uneven bars, 29.000 on the balance beam, and 28.200 on the floor exercise. Kyla expressed her joy, saying, "Competing at the Visa Championships has been my dream. I've been following them since I was seven."
At the 2010 Visa Championships in Hartford, Connecticut, Kyla once again emerged as a leader, scoring a total of 116.450 points over two days. She said, "Winning for the second time in a row feels really great. It's such an amazing opportunity, and I was really excited. I knew there were a lot of tough competitors out there."
In March 2012, at the Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships in Everett, Washington, Kyla helped the American team secure first place in the team competition. Individually, she took second place, conceding the gold to her teammate Jordyn Wieber.
Olympic Success
In July 2012, Kyla competed in the Olympic trials in San Jose, California. She finished in fifth place with a score of 120.000, securing her spot on the U.S. Olympic team for the London Games. Kyla described her feelings, saying, "It was the most unreal feeling. I heard my name being called, and I couldn't believe it."
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Kyla and the U.S. women's gymnastics team won the gold medal. Kyla expressed her pride in her team, saying, "We competed better than we thought we could in all the events, and we showed our class on our apparatuses. We are all very proud of each other. It was so much fun watching the floor exercise. McKayla Maroney and I were shouting as loud as we could. We were yelling so loud." The team's achievement was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, a first in the history of team gymnastics.
Overall, Kyla Ross's journey from a young, energetic child to an Olympic gold medalist is a testament to her incredible talent, determination, and strength.
