SLO High gymnast aims for spot in 2020 Olympics at national championships

San Luis Obispo High School senior Tia Gin will compete against some of the top gymnasts in the country next week in the 2018 Women’s Junior Olympics National Championships.

The prestigious event, whose participants have gone on to compete in the Olympics and world championships, will take place May 11-13 in Cincinnati.

Gin is a 17-year-old Shell Beach resident who recently committed to San Jose State University on a full athletic scholarship and was one of seven gymnasts in her age group selected to compete from Region 1, which includes California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. Last year, Gin's regional group placed first in the Junior Olympic National Championship and she placed 13th out of 56 competitors.

The top four in the junior and senior divisions this year will train with the U.S. National Team and may have a chance to compete in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Gymnasts who have competed in the event and gone on to Olympic glory include 2012 team champions Jordyn Wieber and Kyla Ross and 2008 silver medalists Shawn Johnson and Samantha Peszek. Kayla Williams, vault champion in the 2009 world championships, also competed in the Junior Olympics.

Gin is a Level 10 gymnast, the highest Junior Olympic skill level that is just below the elite level. She trains at Performance Athletics Gymnastics in San Luis Obispo.

This story was originally published May 3, 2018 at 1:47 PM with the headline "SLO High gymnast aims for spot in 2020 Olympics at national championships."