One year after the Paris Olympics, New Orleans transforms into the gymnastics capital of the world. From Thursday through Sunday, the Smoothie King Center is hosting the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, where 140 athletes across men’s and women’s senior and junior divisions will battle for national titles and coveted spots on this year’s world championship teams. The competition began Thursday with the men’s prelims, then rolled into the women’s on Friday.
Headlining the women’s field is the lone representative from the gold medal-winning U.S. team in Paris — a 17-year-old phenom who committed to LSU last September. And she’s already turning heads, with Olympic champion Jade Carey, fresh off her own two-medal performance in Paris, showering her with praise as the next big name to