GymDivas.Us

Last updated: March 22, 2010

Ivana Hong was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on December 11, 1992. A few years later, she moved to Southern California. At the age of five, she began gymnastics at the National Gymnastics Training Center. She was a Diamond TOPS Team Member in 2000. Also in that year, she switched to Gymmax, when she began competing as a level six.

Ivana qualified to the child national elite level in 2002. At the US Challenge, she finished first in physical abilities and second in the compulsory competition. Ivana ended up third overall. Because of this performance, she was able to attend a National Training Camp. She continued competing as a child national elite in 2003. She finished second overall at the American Challenge and the US Challenge. They renamed national elite in 2004 to pre-elite. At the American Challenge, Ivana competed her final child pre-elite competition. She finished first overall!

Her first junior international elite meet was the US Classic. She finished tenth all-around. This qualified her for the US National Championships. Ivana ended the two day national competition in sixteenth place. In October, she began training at GAGE in Kansas City, Missouri. In early 2005, she placed fifth all-around at the Coaches Cup and third all-around at the Dragon Invitational.

The 2005 elite season began in July at the US Classic. Ivana finished ninth all-around and second on beam. At Nationals, she placed fourth on beam and eighth all-around! This was her first year as a junior national team member. In the fall, she travelled to Belgium for the Top Gym Competition. Ivana won bars and beam. She finished third all-around. In 2006, she placed third all-around at the USA v. Japan and New Zealand. She finished third at the Manhattan Classic and first at the Dragon Invitational. The elite season began with the US Classic again in 2006. She was not able to compete at her fullest at the US Classic because of an injury. She was back by Nationals, where she finished fifth all-around!

She moved to the senior division in 2007. At the Houston International, she finished second all-around. She competed at the USA v. Great Britain meet in Ireland. She placed third on beam. Ivana made the Pan Am Games Team. She won a bronze medal in the all-around. Her next meet was the US National Championships. She finished fourth all-around. She was named to the World Team. The United States won the team title! In 2008, she finished fifth all-around at the US National Championships and Olympic Trials. She was named an Olympic alternate at the Olympic Training Camp.

After a long break to let an ankle injury heal, Ivana began training at WOGA in 2009. She returned at the US Classic in July. Ivana won beam and placed second all-around. Her next meet was the US National Championships. She finished second all-around! She won beam. Later that fall, Ivana was selected for the World Championships. She competed on bars and beam. She won a bronze medal on beam! Ivana tore her ACL in February at the 2010 American Cup Selection Camp.