MINNEAPOLIS — The Twin Cities is abuzz as the best gymnasts in the world congregate in Minneapolis to compete for a spot on the Olympic roster.
These trials are inspiring for many people watching, but especially for young athletes like the ones at Mini-Hops Gymnastics in Plymouth.
“That’s where dreams start is here,” James Letzring, facilities manager at Mini-Hops, said.
Starting June 27 at the Target Center, fans can watch elite gymnasts, like Suni Lee, Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, work their way toward Paris.
“It’s the fact that they're able to see their role models. To be able to experience that, to be able to get autographs,” Letzring said. “These kids have been looking up to these athletes for years, and to be able to have that in their backyard, it's pretty incredible.”
Letzring is the parent of a 13-year-old gymnast, and the two have tickets to see the men’s events. The father-son duo will be cheering on Shane Wiskus, another Minnesotan - beside Lee - vying to represent the U.S.
“When Shane [Wiskus] was training here when he was younger and [to] see him on the stage that he has now, it's been very inspiring for my son,” he said. “I'm hoping that [Shane] will get a big boost from us in the crowd that is for sure.”
Coach Joey Ray already sees glimpses of the big stage on the mats in front of him. Similarities are found in “the satisfaction in working through, planning it out,” he said. “Pushing through the hard things, that comes I think from being a little kid.”
Ray was a hall-of-fame gymnast at the University of Minnesota and a member of the U.S. National Team. He coaches toddlers, and emotions swell when he thinks about who they can grow up to be.
“My hope is that I can participate and contribute to their joy, to their passion for the sport, that it starts here,” he said. “That's what sweeps them forward.”
The men's team trials officially begin on June 27, while the women's competition begins on June 28. The men will then wrap competition on Saturday, followed by the women on Sunday. Both teams will be announced in the hours following their respective competitions.
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