Mexican gymnast Alexa Moreno during the World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.YVES HERMAN (Portal)
Alexa Moreno can boast of being one of the great jumping specialists. He can also say that he has competed with the standouts Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade. But the Mexican has her own name, her own path, through which she has become accustomed to being among the elite of artistic gymnastics. A pioneer in a country used to seeing gymnasts from outside rather than inside, Moreno managed to finish fourth in vault at the world championships this Saturday.
Moreno arrived at the Sportpaleis Arena in Antwerp, Belgium, with the confidence he had spent years building, but which was shattered by a series of injuries that affected his shoulders and ankles. The digital harassment she faced in 2016 for not conforming to supposed “beauty standards” served as an impetus for her to take off in a sport in which Mexico did not particularly shine at the international level. Alexa Moreno, an anime lover, presented herself to the world with a K-pop star-style pose.
When the Mexican was about to go to the trampoline, Simone Biles dominated the test. The Mexican-born woman’s powerful career made her seem unstoppable. His two attempts earned him a total score of 14.166. With three remaining participants, she had already placed second best. The South Korean Yeo Seojeong stole the judges’ favor (14.416). Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade had the best possible performance (14.750) and edged out Biles, Seojeong and Moreno. The Mexican struggled a bit in the all-around competition and took 18th place.
29-year-old Alexa Moreno’s persistence in gymnastics has opened the door to success. His greatest achievements include bronze at the 2018 World Championships, a fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics, gold at this year’s Pan American Championships and five gold medals at the Central American Games. A few weeks ago in Paris she won gold in the vault and bronze in the floor exercise at the World Championships. Personally, she has written her own book and established herself as one of the best Mexican athletes. It is a symbol of an awakened Mexican gymnastics that has a promising future with Natalia Escalera, Paulina Campos, Cassandra Loustalot and Ahtziri Sandoval.
Mexico is happy about its favorite gymnast as she spent 2022 without competing after rehabilitating from ankle and shoulder surgeries. 2023 is the year of his resurrection and so far the body has responded well to it. Moreno leaves Antwerp with a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics, the third of his career.
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