Each time rhythmic gymnast Laura Zeng steps out onto the carpet, her movements are smooth and elegant but precisely calculated, creating routines only a handful of athletes in the world could imitate.
With nine strong performances, Zeng, then 15 years old, danced her way to an eighth-place finish in the all-around competition — the highest in history for an American in the all-around — at the 2015 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart, Germany in September, earning a spot for the U.S. team in the Rio Olympics.
Only her performance against 19 other gymnasts at the USA Gymnastics Championships in June will determine if Zeng, now 16, gets to fill the the place she produced for her country.