Gymnastics Giants: The schools that make the U.S. Olympic team
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An Axios analysis found that two-thirds of all U.S. Olympic gymnasts who attended college were from the same eight schools.
Why it matters: The U.S. women's gymnastics team is one of the most dominant in the sport, winning the all-around gold medal seven times, and producing some of the most iconic athletes of the Olympic Games.
By the numbers: UCLA dominates the gymnastics pipeline, sending 17 men and women to the Olympics.
- Many of the sport's most prominent athletes, like Katelyn Ohashi and Kyla Ross, were UCLA gymnasts.
- Beyond the top eight, 40 other schools have been home to 3 or less U.S. Olympic gymnasts.
Zoom in: Over 250 gymnasts have competed for the U.S. in the Olympics, and 106 of them also competed in the NCAA.
- Previously, women could compete professionally if they accepted sponsorships, but not in the NCAA. This changed in the 2021 NCAA ruling allowing athletes to participate in name, image and likeness deals. Now, more women are competing both professionally and in the NCAA, like Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee.
- For men, it has historically been different. NCAA gymnastics meets have historically been intertwined with elite competitions, acting as qualifiers for professional athletes.
Reality check: Being home to Olympic athletes does not necessarily correlate with collegiate success.
- While 17 Olympic gymnasts have competed for UCLA, they were ranked fifth in the NCAA 2024 women's gymnastics January 2024 season preview, but won first for men in the championships.
- University of Oklahoma was first for women and third for men, but historically has had only eight athletes go to the Olympics.
- All other schools that have produced the most Olympic gymnasts were not ranked in the 2024 NCAA top ten.
Flashback: After a string of silver and bronze medals, the U.S. women's "Magnificent Seven" won gold in the 1996 Atlanta games and kicked off the era of Olympics dominance.
- The 2012 and 2016 teams, labeled as the "Fierce Five" and "Final Five" respectively, also managed to snag gold medals.
What's next: Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, will compete in Olympic artistic gymnastics beginning on July 27, hoping to add a gold medal to her record.
