Leanne Wong Confirms Stunning Return to Elite Gymnastics After Dominant Senior Year with Florida Gators and Nine Perfect 10s

In a move that has electrified the gymnastics community, Leanne Wong—the dynamic 21-year-old Florida Gators standout—has officially announced her return to elite gymnastics, just months removed from a sensational senior NCAA campaign. On July 12, 2025, Inside Gymnastics Magazine confirmed the news that Wong will compete at the U.S. Classic on July 18–19 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The decision, which Wong revealed through an elegant and heartfelt Instagram post, signals not only a personal turning point but also a powerful new chapter in her already decorated career.

For fans who’ve followed Wong’s journey since her teenage years, the announcement feels both nostalgic and full of promise. This will mark her seventh year as a U.S. National Team senior member—a rare feat in a sport defined by its brevity and physical demands. She enters this next phase as a four-time World medalist, with two of those medals earned in team gold performances. And while she was named an alternate to the 2024 Paris Olympics, Wong is clearly not content with watching from the sidelines. She’s returning with intention, with vision, and—if history is any guide—with podium-worthy potential.

Wong’s collegiate career at Florida, especially her senior year, was nothing short of breathtaking. The Gators opened their 2025 campaign with a 197.675, thanks in no small part to her leadership and consistency. Her poise and polish elevated Florida to win the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional with a 197.700. And although the team experienced a disappointing stumble in the NCAA Championship semifinals, Wong’s personal performances remained dazzling throughout the season.

In fact, she earned an astonishing nine perfect 10s, joining an elite echelon of NCAA gymnasts. She also racked up seven top-three NCAA finishes across various apparatuses, reaffirming her reputation as one of the most complete and elegant performers in the sport today. Whether it was her balletic floor routines, razor-sharp bars execution, or effortless beam work, Wong displayed the sort of mastery that makes gymnastics not just a competition, but an art form.

And yet, it is her composure—on and off the mat—that perhaps best defines Wong. Amidst the daily grind of elite training and competition, she managed to build a successful business, the Leanne Wong Bowtique, specializing in custom hair bows and accessories. The Bowtique has developed a loyal following and allowed Wong to express her creativity beyond the chalk and mats. More impressively, she continues to pursue pre-med studies, preparing for a career in medicine even while chasing Olympic and World Championship dreams. Balancing science, style, and sport, Wong is as multifaceted as she is focused.

Her return to elite competition comes at a pivotal moment for U.S. gymnastics. With veterans like Simone Biles and Suni Lee navigating the latter stages of their careers and younger talents pushing up through the junior ranks, Wong’s re-entry adds critical experience and depth to the senior national team pool. Her presence at the U.S. Classic will be closely watched not only by selectors but also by fans and competitors who know that she can anchor a lineup, deliver under pressure, and uplift a team’s spirit when it matters most.

What sets Wong apart isn’t just her resume—it’s her resilience. Many gymnasts retire quietly after college, content to close that chapter with team championships and individual accolades. Wong, however, is choosing the harder path. She’s choosing early mornings, long travel days, and the physically and emotionally taxing demands of elite-level gymnastics. She’s choosing to push herself beyond what most would consider already extraordinary.

That choice speaks volumes. It speaks to her love for the sport, yes, but also to a deeper fire—a belief that her best routines may still lie ahead. It also suggests that the disappointment of being an alternate in Paris in 2024 has not dimmed her Olympic aspirations, but rather fueled them. With the 2026 World Championships and future international meets looming, Wong is planting her flag again, ready to prove she belongs among the world’s best.

While the gymnastics world buzzes about her return, Wong remains grounded. Her Instagram announcement wasn’t grandiose or self-congratulatory. It was gracious, optimistic, and humble—very much in keeping with how she’s always carried herself. In the post, she thanked her coaches, teammates, and fans, while subtly hinting at bigger goals. “Back to where it started,” she wrote. “Let’s go to work.”

That work begins now.

The U.S. Classic is more than a warm-up meet—it’s a litmus test. A strong showing can position a gymnast for the U.S. Championships and, ultimately, selection for the 2025 World team. But for Wong, it’s also about sending a message: that she’s still a force, still improving, and still driven by the sheer joy and challenge of the sport.

She’ll be stepping onto the podium not just as a college star or Olympic alternate, but as a veteran who has seen both sides of the gymnastics world—the roar of packed NCAA arenas and the quiet solitude of elite training. She’ll bring with her the sharp execution of a world medalist and the polish of a collegiate gymnast who learned how to thrive under team pressure.

More than medals or scores, however, Wong’s return symbolizes possibility. That elite gymnastics isn’t a young person’s race against time, but a journey that can stretch, bend, and adapt—just like the athletes themselves. That women can excel in sports, run businesses, study medicine, and still find the hunger to start again.

So, what’s next for Leanne Wong?

First, the U.S. Classic. Then, perhaps, a return to the World stage. And if all goes well, maybe even redemption on the biggest platform of all: the Olympic Games.

For now, though, fans can relish the fact that Leanne Wong is back. That familiar grace, that quiet determination, that unwavering focus—it’s all still there, and maybe stronger than ever. In a sport often defined by early exits, her comeback is a welcome, powerful exception.

She’s not done. Not even close.