In Pictures: LSU Gymnast Aleah Finnegan shares glimpses of her first Olympic appearance in Paris

LSU gymnast Aleah Finnegan has unveiled the moments of her maiden Olympics in Paris. She was a part of the United States women's national gymnastics team from 2019 to 2021 but will now represent the Philippines at the 2024 Summer Games.

The 21-year-old gymnast qualified for the Paris Olympics in October 2023 after earning an all-rounder score of 51.366 at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp. After booking the berth for her first Olympics, she said that the accomplishment boosted her confidence (as quoted by Brproud):

"I think going into the summer, it really just if anything, it just helps build my confidence and knowing that like no matter what circumstance I’m in, no matter what kind of like the situation looks like, the gymnastics, at the end of the day, it stays the same," Finnegan said.

The gymnast has reached Paris and has shared some glimpses of her first Olympic appearance. She uploaded a bunch of pictures on her Instagram that carried moments of her on the podium, training for the Games, and pictures with her teammates and her LSU coach, Garrett Griffeth. The post's caption read:

"Soaking it all in❤️"

Aleah Finnegan backed Simone Biles during her twisties incident

Simone Biles navigated a major setback during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she was forced to withdraw from the events after facing twisties while vaulting. She decided to discontinue various events, including the all-around, floor, vault, and uneven bar finals. The LSU gymnast and former USA teammate, Aleah Finnegan, came in support of Biles.

She took to her X account and showcased support for Biles. She wrote:

"I’ve had the twisties since I was 11. I cannot imagine the fear of having it happen to you during competition," said Finnegan. "They have very limited equipment and mats in Tokyo to help something like this get fixed, let alone within a day. You have absolutely no control over your body and what it does.”

Simone Biles and Aleah Finnegan were teammates on the US national team, and now both the athletes will be squaring off against each other in the Paris Olympics, which are slated for July 26 - August 11.