Katelyn Ohashi’s gymnastics comeback continues next week in Hartford, Conn. The 29-year-old returned to elite gymnastics competition for the first time in 13 years in June, shocking and impressing the sports world.
“I have nothing to lose and everything to gain,” she said Thursday.
Ohashi competed on floor exercise and balance beam at the 2026 American Classic, finishing third on the latter. Next week, she brings her skills to a bigger stage at the 2026 U.S. Classic. The event has high stakes for Ohashi, who will need to combine for a total of 26.800 points to qualify for August’s U.S. Championships.
“So much has changed in elite gymnastics in the past 13 years, and even gymnastics in general,” Ohashi says. Now, she is finding her place within it.
A Very Good Baseline
Her American Classic debut provided a “very good baseline” for her scoring potential, Ohashi told media this week. While the former elite prodigy was all-business on the beam, she found the experience more amusing than nerve-wracking.
“Just being there was so funny,” she recalled. “Walking in, seeing the same judges that judged me 13 years ago – I thought it was hilarious. I was like having a blast saying hi to everybody.”
Ohashi’s approach starkly contrasted with that of her close friend, three-time Olympic medalist Jade Carey, who also made her comeback at June’s American Classic competition. Walking into the competition together, Carey was characteristically stoic, Ohashi says.
While Ohashi eagerly greeted familiar and new faces, Carey quipped. “Nothing about this is funny,” Ohashi recalls Carey saying. Funny or not, Ohashi impressed in her first routine back, scoring a strong 13.150 on beam.
A Return to Elite Gymnastics
Though she admits the U.S. Classic arrives on a quick turnaround, she hopes to bring upgraded routines to Hartford, especially on floor. In June, Ohashi performed a “dance-through” exercise on floor with limited tumbling.
Known for her power and charismatic choreography on floor, Ohashi achieved viral status in 2019 as a senior on the UCLA Women’s Gymnastics team, her perfect-ten floor routine amassing over 60 million views in just four days.
As an elite athlete, she was widely regarded as a prodigy and Olympic hopeful before her career ended in 2013 due to injuries. Ohashi’s abilities on the balance beam generated significant buzz, and the teen was often considered one of the best in the world on the event.
Now as she eases back into training, she plans to stick with just floor exercise and balance beam this season – but uneven bars are on the horizon. Ohashi hopes to add bars as a third event in 2027 and beyond.
Remaining injury-free is paramount. The 29-year-old’s training regimen differs dramatically from her early career as a teenage gymnastics prodigy.
“After every practice, I’m always going straight to [physical therapy],” she told me. She also prioritizes quality over quantity with her routines. “I don’t do too many reps, but I make sure the ones I do count.
Chasing the Qualifying Score
She names August’s U.S. Championships as her immediate goal. For now, Ohashi is content simply returning to the competitive stage in 2026. Make no mistake, though – the UCLA grad has her yes on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“At the end of the day, I think getting out there this year was really important to me, and I’ve done what I feel like I need to,” she says.
She will need to combine for a two-event total of 26.800 in Hartford to qualify for U.S. Championships. At the American Classic, she fell short of that total by over two points, scoring a 24.650.
Thankfully, the U.S. Classic’s environment could work to her advantage.
In Hartford, Ohashi will return to familiar territory: a big arena, bright lights, and a packed crowd. Though she admits the undertaking will be a “bit more nerve-wracking,” she is excited by the opportunity to compete in her first U.S. Classic as a senior elite athlete.
“I feel like I just thrive in those types of settings where there is a big arena and more of an audience,” she adds. “I’m actually super excited to be back in that environment, so we’ll see how it goes. But yeah, I’m just gonna have fun with it.”
Ohashi, Carey, and Team USA’s elite gymnasts will take to the stage at the 2026 U.S. Classic from July 17-18 in Hartford, Conn. The senior women’s session will be broadcast live from 7-9 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and Peacock.