Skye Blakely was recently seen performing a flawless Cheng on the vault during the podium training ahead of the 2024 U.S. Xfinity Gymnastics Championships. The championships are slated for May 30 to June 2 at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Blakely is a two-time world champion, securing gold medals with the United States team in 2022 and 2023 in Liverpool and Antwerp, respectively. The 19-year-old will be seen competing with other elite athletes with the likes of Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Shiles Jones, Suni Lee, Trinity Thomas, and Kayla Di Cello.
A day before the Championships' commencement, Blakely was seen honing her gymnastics skills on the vault. USA Gymnastics shared a video of her performing the Cheng on the vault with fans on social media.
Let's take a look at Blakely's impeccable display of "The Cheng."
Skye Blakely has had produced some impressive performances so far in 2024. She won the balance beam event and was the all-around runner-up at the Winter Cup.
The teenager also competed at the Core Hydration Classic, where she finished second in the vault event.
"I believe I am a lot more experienced" - Skye Blakely fixes her sights on 2024 Paris Olympics after missing the Tokyo Games
The postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics paved the way for Skye Blakely to compete at the world's highest stage. However, the opportunity was snatched away from her after she suffered an injury at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Nevertheless, she remained unfazed by the challenges her way and competed at the 2022 World Champiosnhips, showcaing her prospects as a significant player for the team.
During an interview with Olympics.com earlier this year, she spoke about how experienced she was at the time compared to when the Tokyo Olympics were around the corner.
"I believe I am a lot more experienced and I know what to expect a lot more and overall more confident going into this year," she said. "I’d say in 2021, it was kind of a surprise, just not sure, just going to go with the flow. But now, I feel like I’m a little more determined this year."
The 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships will serve as the final stop for Skye Blakely to punch her ticket for the Paris Olympic Trials.