Back in 2023, this young gymnastics talent stood on the podium at the Pan American Games with gold around her neck and a familiar face beside her—Jordan Chiles. The moment wasn’t just about the medals; it was about shared ambition and mutual respect between two generations of U.S. gymnastics talent. Fast forward to today, and that bond is about to grow even stronger. As this 17-year-old phenom prepares to start her NCAA journey, she’ll do it not only at her dream school but alongside the very Olympian she once competed with on the international stage. And ahead of all this, she has a message…

The center of the story is teen star Tiana Sumanasekera, the California native who helped Team USA win a gold medal at the Junior Pan American Championships and has soared high ever since. And now, she a is a part of the UCLA Bruins. “I mean, sometimes it doesn’t even hit me, but when it does, it’s just like, ‘Wow. I’ve come this far,” she revealed to reporters during a US training camp back in 2024. Guess what? She had no idea what she was going to achieve in July. With a splendid land on her double pike, she made the arena explode with cheers and a standing ovation at the 2024 Olympic Trials.

Now, Sumanasekera added another feather to her cap and joined the UCLA Bruins Gymnastics team for the 2026 NCAA season. To the California native, the scenic Westwood College campus felt like her home. However, UCLA has more to offer, and she revealed it herself. “Nothing stood out to me like UCLA did,” she said in Inside Gymnastics Magazine. “I just felt that feeling stepping on campus, that it was my home, it was the place I was meant to be, and I just felt all the good vibes from that school. I’m just so grateful that I got that opportunity.”

“I’m so excited,” she added. “I love Jordan, and I think she’s an incredible role model and team leader. I think she brings that team aspect together for the team, and I think she’s going to help us and guide us to where we need to be.”

Tiana’s freshman season is expected to coincide with Chiles’ final year. Alongside her power-packed team and seniors, Sumanasekera looks to take the collegiate gymnastics world by storm. She already cemented her name at the 2024 Olympic Trials as she got a shoutout not only from the crowd but also from gymnastics legend Simone Biles! Moreover, the California native is geared up for the second phase of 2025 after facing some changes this year.

Tiana Sumanasekera sets sights on the elite season alongside Jordan Chiles

2025 has already given her some unique experiences with her training at WCC, the gym owned by Biles. After the 2024 Olympics, WCC head coaches Cecile and Laurent Landi left the institution. Former head coaches of the Romanian National Team, Patrick Kiens and Daymon Jones, were hired after that. However, Sumanasekera liked the change in perspective that she experienced with the different coaches.

While speaking to Inside Gymnastics Magazine, she said, “Growing up with certain coaches and being trained by them for so long is difficult, but I think these coaches are very knowledgeable with the artistry deductions, with the Code of Points. And I think every coach brings in a different set of experience to the table.”

She is geared up to take on the elite season with a packed schedule and plans to compete in the U.S. Classic and the Xfinity U.S. National Championships, followed by the Pan American Championships. But her biggest goal? Competing in the LA 2028 Olympics.  “LA 2028 is always on my mind,” she said. “Being a California girl born and raised, when I found out a couple of years ago that it would be in California, I was just like, ‘Oh, you know, this is incredible.’”

With a calendar designed to hone her already impressive skill set, Sumanasekera’s path seems crystal clear, with her final Olympic goals in sight. Be it in Jakarta, Westwood, or at the 2028 Olympic Games, look out for Tiana Sumanasekera.