Olympic legends Rosie MacLennan and Dong Dong retire
Four-time Olympic medalist Dong Dong of China retired from the sport after the 2021 National Games. Dong owns a complete set of Olympic medals, including gold from London 2012. He has since moved on to coaching and leading the next generation of trampolinists in China.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist from Canada, Rosie MacLennan, also announced her retirement from the sport in December 2022, taking to Instagram to share the news.
"Trampoline has been such an integral part of my life and sport will continue to be, even if my role in sport is changing." MacLennan wrote. "My experience as an athlete has exceeded even my wildest childhood dreams."
MacLennan made history as the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic titles in trampoline. Her gold at London 2012 was one of only two gold medals for Canada at those Games. MacLennan finished fourth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
United States makes history at worlds
Although individual trampoline is the only Olympic event that will take place in Paris, the United States had a very successful showing in Birmingham, England during the 2023 T&T World Championships, showcasing some of the front-runners for the two berths the U.S. has secured for Paris.
The U.S. put men’s and women’s synchronized trampoline pairs on the medal stand for the first time since 1974. The duo of two-time Olympian Nicole Ahsinger and Tokyo Olympic alternate Sarah Webster won gold, becoming the first women’s pair since 1976 to win a synchro medal and the first men’s or women’s American duo to win gold since 1982. Tokyo Olympian Aliaksei Shostak, along with Ruben Padilla claimed silver to become the first U.S. men’s pair to secure medals since 1982.
Pan American Games champion in 2023, Jessica Stevens, netted bronze in women’s trampoline, becoming the first American to win an individual trampoline medal since 1974.
After three world championship all-around silver medals, the U.S. clinched its first team all-around gold in England, topping Portugal and Great Britain. Ahsinger, Stevens, Webster, Padilla, and Shostak all brought their medal tally to two, wrapping up a historic finish for Team USA.
Reigning world champions seek Olympic gold
Two-time Olympic medalist and two-time individual world champion (2021 and 2023), Bryony Page, of Great Britain will be one to watch in Paris. With a silver medal in Rio and a bronze in Tokyo, there’s one medal Page is missing and that’s Olympic gold. At the most recent world championships, Page upset Tokyo Olympic champion Zhu Xueying, setting the stage for a fierce battle in Paris.
On the men's side, Yan Langyu of China has emerged as a strong medal contender since Tokyo, winning gold in the individual event at the world championships in 2021 and once again in 2023. In Paris, he'll be looking to win his first Olympic medal.
Tokyo Olympic champ Litvinovich to compete in Paris under neutral flag
After Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from competition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) granted neutral status to 14 athletes almost two years later - with the ability to return to competition in January 2024 under a neutral flag. Among the athletes was Tokyo Olympic champion Ivan Litvinovich of Belarus. However, when the General Assembly of European Gymnastics voted against the decision presented by the FIG, the qualification path for Litvinovich became limited.
“The General Assembly of European Gymnastics has voted against allowing athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus to return to official European Gymnastics competitions from 1 January 2024 onwards, thus not following the FIG decision,” it said in a statement.
The decision eliminated the ability for Litvinovich to earn a berth through the continental championships, leaving just the Individual Trampoline World Cup series route. The series included five competitions, where gymnasts who had not previously qualified earned points based on their ranking. Litvinovich amassed enough points at the World Cup event in Cottbus to secure a non-nominative spot at the Games as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN).