Evita Griskenas has been a rising star on the horizon of US Rhythmic Gymnastics of late. Qualifying for her maiden Olympics appearance in Paris, Griskenas, along with Team USA, was hoping to clinch a podium finish in Paris. Unfortunately, that did not happen, as both Team USA and Griskenas could not qualify for the all-around finals of the Rhythmic Gymnastics event. 

Competing in the qualifiers, Griskenas went up as the first athlete to compete on all four apparatuses. Unfortunately, despite trying her best, the efforts of the 23-year-old were not enough, as she finished 18th in the all-around standings. Griskenas garnered a total score of 118.500, which she will look to improve in her upcoming events. However, starting on the hoop, the gymnast looked composed and put up quite a display, clinching a 30.500. 

She kept the good work going as Griskenas managed to accumulate 31.200 on the ball. It was after this that her campaign went haywire. Performing on clubs and ribbons, the 23-year-old could only manage a meager 27.550 and 29.250 to conclude her disappointing outing at the Port de la Chappelle Arena. The top three qualifiers were significantly ahead of Griskenas’ score. Taking the first position was Italy’s Sofia Raffaeli with 139.100 points. Scoring a total of 136.850 and 136.450, Darja Varfolomeev(Germany) and Boryana Kaleyn(Bulgaria) completed the second and third positions respectively. 

Surprisingly, Evita Griskenas had a tense journey leading up to Paris. Back in June 2023, Griskenas suffered a horrific leg injury. Soon after performing her initial leap, the young gymnast realized something was not right. Surely enough, medical examinations revealed that Griskenas had fractured her foot. This was a huge setback for the rhythmic gymnast. Going into recovery mode, Griskenas took several months to return to the gym. In the meantime, she also missed an opportunity for qualifying into the Olympics. But Griskenas showed immense confidence in herself and won the silver medal in the Pan American Games to storm into the Olympics. Well, her Pan-American silver is not the only mentionable accolade Griskenas has. 

Evita Griskenas’ career at a glance

Evita Griskenas started taking her gymnastics lessons at the young age of four. Inspired by Alina Kabaeva, Griskenas found success early, finishing 11th in all-around at the 2013 US Rhythmic Championships. After turning professional, Griskenas dominated the American realm. Participating in the Pan American Championships, the 23-year-old clinched 8 gold medals along with 4 golds at the Pan American Games. 

Competing in the 2024 Grand Prix Final in Brno, Griskenas finished third to secure a bronze medal for herself. She has further won 3 silver medals in the FIG World Challenge Cup to establish herself as a dominant name. Griskenas’ level of grit and determination can be learned from her comeback to Paris, which, at one point, seemed impossible. 

 After securing her spot in the Olympics, doom again dawned on Griskenas’ life. Her earlier injury flared up and doctors suggested a bed rest for a minimum of three months. Devastated by the news, the gymnast stated, “I wasn’t in the gym for a few months and that’s hard because that was my entire life.” But once again, riding on sheer willpower, Griskenas recovered just in time to catch the flight to Paris. Thus, with so many instances of her coming back, fans can rest assured that come LA28, Evita Griskenas will surely be back with more firepower under her belt.