Katelyn Ohashi ended her gymnastics career on a high note on Saturday.
The 22-year-old University of California Los Angeles senior — who made waves on the internet in January whenfootage of her perfect 10-scoring floor routine went viral— performed her final collegiate floor routine at the 2019 NCAA women’s gymnastics championships in Fort Worth, Texas, over the weekend.
Like the routine that made her famous, Ohashi scored high with the updated version —earning 9.950 for her team, the Bruins,USA Todayreported.
All in all, UCLA finished third with a score of 197.5375,USA Todayreported, with LSU coming in second place (197.8250) and Oklahoma winning the NCAA title (198.3375) for the fourth time.
Ohashi, a gender studies major, will graduate from UCLA in June.
“I would have never guessed I have like senators reposting me,” she said, referencing the likes of now-presidential candidate Kamala Harris. “It’s just crazy and honoring.”
Katelyn Ohashi.Kyle Okita/CSM/Shutterstock
It was especially shocking since nearly six years ago, Ohashiunderwent double shoulder surgery, leaving her competitive future in the sport in jeopardy. Though she was a rising star at that time — even beatingSimone Bilesat the 2013 American Cup — Ohashi realized that the level of intensity required for elite gymnastics was not making her happy.
Now, the talented athlete is preparing to face down another challenge: life after college.
Her dream? A turn onDancing with the Stars— but beyond that, she’s hoping to pursue “a lot of projects that have to do with writing and photography.”
And her coach knows she’s bound for greatness.
Said Valorie Kondos Field, the celebrated longtime coach of the women’s gymnastics team at UCLA: “What I’m so proud of is, it’s not just about Katelyn Ohashi, this talented joyful athlete, but I think what comes through is she has such depth as a person outside of the gym. Her intention and attention goes to really serious social issues like body-shaming issues, abuse issues and homelessness. And that is what I am most proud of with her: she is not a two-dimensional athlete — she’s a three-dimensional human.”
source: people.com
