Fresh Faces | 5 New Names To Watch This Season

It's crazy to think that another Olympic cycle has come and gone, and you know what that means. A new quadrennium equals new faces on the elite scene. The year after an Olympic games is a great time to start observing the up-and-coming talent in USA Gymnastics, so we've identified a few first year elites who we think could be fan favorites in the coming years.

Sienna Robinson- Browns Gymnastics 
Sienna Robinson is a little powerhouse. Formerly a teammate of  Junior National Champion Mailie O'Keefe, you might also recognize Sienna's name from all the crazy skills she's been seen doing in the gym--hello quad double! (Click here to see it). Sienna is only 11 years old and therefore isn't eligible for the 2020 Olympics, however, her future looks very promising. With a plethora of skills and a gold medal from the 2016 HOPES Championship in her back pocket, all Sienna needs is some experience and to polish up her skills. Sienna is now training at Browns gymnastics; the same gym that 2008 Junior National Team Member Asi Peko trained at.



Annie Beard- Texas Dreams
Kim Zmeskal has another rising star in her hands and that is 13 year old Annie Beard. Last season as a level 10, Annie won the all-around and floor title at JO Nationals and also won International Gymnast's "Gymnast of the Year" award; the perfect stepping stone towards having a strong elite career. Annie might not have all the big skills yet, but in typical Texas Dreams fashion, she's super clean and has all the basics down pat. This little one is definitely one you'll want to keep your eyes on in the next few years.



Lillian Lippeatt- Cincinnati Gymnastics 
13 year old Lillian Lippeatt caught a lot of peoples attention at the Nastia Cup earlier this year where she finished first on beam and floor. For her young age, Lilly shows a lot of confidence out on the competition floor and you can tell she loves to perform. Lilly is eligible for the 2020 Olympics, so as she gains some experience over the next few years she could become the next star from CGA!



Konnor McClain- Revolution Gymnastics
Konnor McClain has some serious star potential! At just 12 years old she's already making a strong case for herself. Last year at the HOPES Championships she took gold on vault, bars, beam and in the all-around. Her routines are packed with difficult skills and connections such as a standing full and a two foot layout series on beam. She has showed an impressive upgraded bar routine on her Instagram as well! (Click here to follow her and check it out!) Not to put too mush pressure on this young lady...but her routines already look like they could rival those on the international stage, so it will be exciting to see where she goes in the next few years. Unfortunately, Konnor misses the cut off for Tokyo by a few months so she'll have to hang on through 2024 if the Olympics are on her radar. (Fun Fact: Konnor was featured on the Steve Harvey show last year! You can watch it here.)



Anya Pilgrim- Hills 
Another promising prospect for 2020 is Anya Pilgrim. In 2016, Anya competed as a level 9 and won the Eastern National Championships. In the last year she has worked hard to compose elite level routines and has come a long way. Anya shows great flexibility throughout and is particularly impressive on beam where she competes two triple series! She has also been training an arabian double front dismount in combination, which she does very well! (Click here to see it.) Anya needs to clean up her skills a bit, but the potential is definilty there for her to have a strong elite career!