Tokyo, here she comes! UCSC student becomes first athlete from school to head to Olympics
Quick Take
UC Santa Cruz student Isabelle Connor will be representing Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, set to begin July 23, as part of the group rhythmic gymnastics team — a first in the school’s history.
UC Santa Cruz student Isabelle Connor will be representing Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics — a first in the school’s history.
Connor, who will turn 21 later this month, is studying astrophysics as an undergraduate at UCSC, the school wrote Thursday on Facebook.
She will be competing in the Tokyo Games — which are scheduled to run from July 23 to Aug. 8 — as part of the group rhythmic gymnastics team along with teammates Liza Pletneva, Lili Mizuno, Liza Merenzon, Camilla Feeley and Nicole Sladkov.
The Olympic berth is the latest career highlight for Connor, who competed in the 2018 and 2019 World Championships and was the all-around and five-balls silver medalist at the 2019 Pan American Games.
Becoming an Olympian was a dream Connor said she “never allowed myself to have,” in a Facebook post June 15. “I went through my career setting small goals fueled by the love I have for what I do, and suddenly looked up and found myself at the doorstep of the Olympics,” she added.
“This team has persevered through COVID, injuries, managing school, moving across the country from family, losing family members, and so much more,” she wrote. “Everyone dedicated their lives to this and my heart is overflowing with pride and love for you all, including those who are no longer on the team.”
See some of her competition videos and photos below:
UC Santa Cruz student Isabelle Connor will be representing Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics — a first in the school’s history.