For a young gymnast, there’s nothing quite like watching your hero dominate the sport you love. For Tiana Sumanasekera, that hero was always Simone Biles. Studying every move, every twist, and every celebration. Fast forward nearly a decade, and the girl who once idolized Simone now trains alongside her, chasing the same Olympic dream with the same coaches who helped sculpt the legend herself. It was that deep admiration and a desire to chase greatness at the highest level that led Tiana to make a life-altering decision: to train under Simone’s coaches, Cecile and Laurent Landi.

The 17-year-old phenom found not just guidance but purpose in Landis’ gym, and the results have been nothing short of electrifying. Her breakout floor routine at the 2024 Olympic Trials left the crowd breathless and earned praise from Simone herself. “Get back up,” Simone had told her when Tiana tried to exit the podium too soon, unaware the standing ovation was hers. Now, with LA 2028 in her sights, Tiana’s dream is bigger than medals because some dreams don’t just come true. They evolve into something even more powerful.

The image of a young Tiana Sumanasekera glued to a screen during the Rio 2016 Olympics, eyes wide as Simone Biles flew higher than anyone thought possible, feels like something out of a movie. Fast forward eight years, and the fantasy has turned into reality. Only now are they training side by side. Simone’s not just the inspiration on the screen anymore. She’s the teammate across the floor at World Champions Centre (WCC), the elite Texas gym owned by Biles’ family. It’s the kind of full-circle moment few athletes ever get to experience, and Tiana doesn’t take it for granted. “I mean, sometimes it doesn’t even hit me,” she admitted during a recent U.S. camp, “but when it does, it’s just like, ‘Wow. I’ve really come this far.’”

What started as pure passion. An 8-year-old chasing joy has grown into something far more profound. “Just being able to do it every day made myself happy and my heart happy. Just knowing that I’ve come this far is something that makes me so incredibly proud and emotional,” Tiana explained. That unshakable love for gymnastics carried her through the challenges of junior elite competition, like when she finished ninth all-around at the 2022 U.S. Championships. But deep down, she knew if she wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best, especially in the senior elite field, she needed more. And so came the boldest move of her young life. Leaving California for Texas and joining the powerhouse that is WCC.

“I knew I wanted to improve my bars if I wanted to be competitive in the senior elite field. I’ve always been inspired by and always looked up to Cecile and Laurent [Landi’s] coaching style, knowing they brought Simone from one level to the next is something that I was really in awe about. I really loved their coaching style, so I wanted to be a part of that as well and be a part of an incredible team and have the teammates that I do today,” Tiana said of her decision. But it wasn’t just about refining her technique. It was about surrounding herself with greatness. She had long admired Cecile and Laurent Landi, the coaching duo behind Simone’s legendary rise. That admiration became the catalyst for change. And today, she’s not just chasing Simone’s legacy. She’s part of the same team, in the same gym, driven by the same dream: to wear red, white, and blue together on the Olympic stage at LA 2028.

With fresh coaching and a California dream, Tiana eyes the world stage

Tiana Sumanasekera is charging into 2025 with renewed fire and a fierce vision for her future. After an impressive 2024 season, the California-born prodigy has transitioned to new coaches. Patrick Kiens and Daymon Jones, who bring a different dynamic than her former mentors, Cecile and Laurent Landi. The adjustment hasn’t been without its challenges, but Tiana has found her rhythm, mastering the intricacies of artistry deductions and the ever-demanding Code of Points. With each passing week, she’s showing that her evolution isn’t just physical. It’s mental, too.

The year ahead is packed with high-stakes milestones. From the Pan American Championships to the U.S. Classic and Xfinity U.S. Nationals, Tiana’s schedule reads like a blueprint for Olympic hopefuls. Each meet serves as a critical checkpoint on her road to the fall’s World Team Selection Camp. Her clearest shot at landing a place on the World Championship team. But her fire burns hotter for something even more profound: a chance to compete at the LA 2028 Olympics. “Being a California girl born and raised, when I found out… it would be in California, I was just like, ‘oh, you know, this is incredible,’” she shared. That dream of performing on the Olympic stage in front of a hometown crowd is what pushes her through the toughest practices.

Even as she moves forward with new coaches and bigger goals, Tiana still trains under the same roof that shaped Simone Biles, World Champions Centre. The gym’s legacy looms large, and Simone’s daily presence remains an inspiring force. With Biles’ energy around her and a powerhouse support system behind her, Tiana isn’t just dreaming of Olympic glory. She’s laying the groundwork to make it happen. And whether it’s a clean beam set or a perfectly stuck floor routine, she’s building her legacy, one routine at a time.