Back in 2024, Tiana Sumanasekera became a non-traveling alternate for the Paris Olympics after finishing 8th at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Although she missed out on the main team, she said, “I’ve come this far is really cool, so I’m just excited for what’s to come.” Because she knew 2025 could be an important year with a chance to reach the World Championships selection camp. However, just before the event, she picked up an injury that ruled her out of selection.

As a result, what felt like a strong build-up suddenly turned into a setback. But it was her UCLA coach who stepped in and guided her toward a fresh direction, now leading her to the LA 2028 Olympics.

“Worlds was my absolute biggest goal of 2025, but my ankle had been bugging me,” Tiana Sumanasekera recalled.

The issue had started earlier in the season during floor training, when a landing irritated her ankle. It was not one major injury, but something that kept coming back and affected her consistency. Even so, she continued competing and still went on to the 2025 Pan American Championships. She contributed to the beam to help Team USA win gold, scoring a solid 13.367.

Additionally, in the afternoon session, Hezly Rivera, Jayla Hang, Dulcy Caylor, Gabrielle Hardie, and Tiana Sumanasekera dominated for the U.S. women’s team, sweeping top scores across all events with a stellar 164.765. They finished more than 13 points ahead of silver medalist Canada, while Brazil took third. In the meantime, the ache of the injury lingered.

“It’s been on and off for a couple years now, but it’s much better,” Sumanasekera said at that time. But after Pan Ams, things still did not settle. Eventually, she withdrew from the U.S. Classic and soon after stepped away from the World Championships selection path. Explaining that moment, she said, “Six weeks is a pretty significant chunk of time, and I didn’t want to risk any sort of injury. It had already been a pretty long season.”

But withdrawing from the World Championships selection path was not a sudden decision. She thought about it for weeks before speaking with her UCLA head coach, Janelle McDonald, as she had verbally committed to UCLA  in November 2023.

“She obviously loved [the idea],” Tiana Sumanasekera added. “I haven’t looked back, and I’m so grateful that I made that decision.”

Soon after, she began her college journey with the UCLA Bruins nd made her collegiate debut on January 3, 2026, in a dual meet against the University of Washington. Since then, her NCAA season has given her more stability and confidence in competition. Now, as Sumanasekera continues her UCLA run, LA 2028 remains in sight.

Tiana Sumanasekera’s UCLA start fuels LA 2028 hopes

Sumanasekera opened her 2026 season on January 3 in her first college meet for UCLA and made an immediate impact. In beam, her best event, she scored 9.950. On floor, she followed with a 9.850 again finishing second behind Jordan Chiles. She added a 9.800 on vault and a 9.850 on bars in exhibition. That opening meet set the tone for her season. And UCLA won with a 196.975, and her beam performance played a key role in the team’s rotation.

From there, her consistency grew. She has even posted a career-high all-around score of 39.625 and delivered multiple 9.900-plus routines so far. She also helped UCLA secure a strong win over Michigan in February. Because of this consistency, UCLA has stayed strong through the season and moved into the NCAA Championship stage.

The final meet is set for April 18, 2026, the “Four on the Floor” final, where the top teams compete for the national title. As she said, “I’m having the best time, to say the least.” But away from scores and results, her freshman year has also helped her settle into a new rhythm.

Living in Los Angeles, she is close to where the 2028 Olympics will be held. She once said, “LA 2028 is always on my mind.” And now, UCLA’s journey has helped her to set goals for this. “With the Olympics being in LA and being able to hopefully compete at the Olympics, it would be an absolute dream come true. Kind of just like a full-circle moment.”

Now, as she stands in the middle of her freshman year, the bigger picture feels closer than ever. But the question is: Will Tiana Sumanasekera persevere despite the injury?