Libertyville's Laura Zeng Is Headed Back To Olympics

LAKE COUNTY, IL —Libertyville's Laura Zeng will be headed back to the Olympics. Zeng is among nine rhythmic gymnasts from Deerfield's North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics Sunday at the 2021 USA Gymnastics Championships in St. Louis.

Zeng, a 2018 graduate of Libertyville High School, and Evita Griskenas, of Orland Park, will compete in individual events. This is Zeng's second trip to the Olympics; she placed 11th in the sport when she competed in Rio de Janeriro in 2016.

Her finish there went down in the history books as the highest Olympic rank in rhythmic gymnastics for the United States, tying with Valerie Zimring who also finished in 11th place in the sport at the 1984 Olympics.

The 1984 Olympics also happened to be the year rhythmic gymnastics became an Olympic sport.

Local group competitors who've earned a trip to Tokyo are Elizaveta Pletneva and Camilla Feeley, of Wheeling; Lili Mizuno, of Northbrook; Yelyzaveta Merenzon, of Buffalo Grove; and Nicole Sladkov, of Vernon Hills. Isabelle Connor, of Manhattan Beach, California, is also competing. Gergana Petkova of Barrington, is the reserve athlete.

Zeng is a six-time U.S. all-around national champion. Griskenas, a five-time gold medalist at the 2019 Pan American Games, is the U.S. national champion in ball, according to the news release.

"Our Olympic dream 16 years ago was to send two individual athletes and Group to the Games," said Natalia Klimouk, USA Gymnastics national team coach and director of North Shore Rhythmics, in a news release. "It's the first time the U.S. has qualified the maximum number of rhythmic gymnasts — an incredible accomplishment and testament to the dedication of our coaches and to the perseverance and commitment of our athletes."

Klimouk also praised USA Gymnastics Rhythmic Program Director Caroline Hunt, a Winnetka native.

RELATED: Orland Park Native To Compete In 2021 Summer Olympics

North Shore Rhythmics coaches Angelina Yovcheva and Margarita Mamzina are also part of the USA delegation. Dani Takova is co-director of NSR.

In rhythmic gymnastics, athletes perform on a mat with a hoop, ball, clubs or ribbon. The sport, which requires flexibility, strength and hand-eye coordination, combines elements of gymnastics and dance — and is harder than it looks, according to the news release.

"NSR is honored to so fully represent the United States in Tokyo," Klimouk said. “Rhythmic gymnastics is a beautiful sport, and we’re thrilled it continues to gain popularity in the U.S.”

The North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center is located at Sachs Recreation Center, 455 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield. Learn more at www.northshorerhythmics.com.

A record of 339 medal events in 42 venues at the Summer Games will kick off on July 23 and run through Aug. 8. For rhythmic gymnastics, the individual qualifications will compete on Aug. 6, while groups will compete on Aug. 7.

See the 2021 Summer Olympics schedule at olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/schedule/.