![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Dominique-Moceanu.jpg?width=600)
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Dominique-Moceanu.jpg?width=600)
As the 2024 Paris Olympics inches closer, Team USA is ready with its beautiful leotards in red, white, and blue. Decked with 47,000 crystals, Simone Biles, Jade Carey, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Leanne Wong, and Hezly Rivera are in love with it… And so is a certain 2-year-old—or more precisely, the daughter of the youngest gymnast to ever win an Olympic gold medal from the Magnificent Seven era!
Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Former American Olympic gold medalist, Dominique Moceanu was just a 3-year-old when her parents enrolled her in gymnastics class. But surprise, surprise! This is quite literally the case for Moceanu’s toddler Victoria Olympia, who was seen wearing the Team USA-inspired leotards and showing her support in a video on Tuesday. It began by presenting the scaled-down versions of all the previously seen unitards. Filmed at Moceanu’s gym, where she currently coaches, the video shows Victoria romping around and executing various exercises.
She captioned it, “CUTE content for your feed. Our 2-yr-old cardiac warrior, Victoria Olympia, is cheering on Team USA! A BIG thank you to GK for providing the stunning Team USA replica leotards!”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
CUTE 🥰 content for your feed. Our 2️⃣-yr-old🫀cardiac warrior, Victoria Olympia, is cheering on Team USA! 🇺🇸 A BIG thank you to 🤗 GK for providing the stunning Team USA replica leotards! @gkelite @TeamUSA @MoceanuGym #cardiacsurgery #heart #chd #congenitalheartdefect #tapvr… pic.twitter.com/g2gu7hO95N
— Dominique Moceanu (@Dmoceanu) July 16, 2024
Well, who can blame the 2-year-old for loving the outfit? GK Elite started its design process two years ago and took inspiration from ’80s fashion, the American flag, and Parisian haute couture. That’s how they came up with eight costumes that the team will be seen wearing throughout the Olympics. Each of these creations has different patriotic titles:
- Go for Glory
- Luminous Legacy
- Star Spangled Shine
- Freedom’s Grace
- American Anthem
- USA Elegance
- Patriotic Poise
- Sovereign Sparkle
What’s your perspective on:
Can Team USA's new leotards inspire the next generation of gymnasts like this two-year-old warrior?
Have an interesting take?
“Paris is known to be the fashion capital of the world, and we know all eyes are on Team USA, so we made sure that we had that cohesion of fashion throughout but also that the whole collection was unmistakably Team USA,” GK Elite Design Director Jeanne Diaz stated.
No doubt, Simone Biles loved the leotards. “Wait, this is beautiful!” she exclaimed when she first saw the costumes. Clearly, GK Elite, who has a dedicated leotard collection featuring Simone Biles, now has Olympia’s approval too. Moceanue and Simone Biles, moreover, have had connections in the past that supersede gymnastics glory.
When the movement that led Simone Biles and others to call out the abusive tactics under the U.S. women’s gymnastics national team training center gained traction, Moceanu, who was once personally coached by Bela and Marta Karolyi, also didn’t have it easy and was one of the first to express her lived experiences. In fact, as a response to the sex abuse scandal in 2018, Moceanu said this in support of the victims at a Capitol Hill news conference, “It’s been a long time coming to finally see this day.”
Moving on, the fans couldn’t help but gush over the little cardiac warrior—who shone through after a rough battle with cardiac disease and an open heart surgery as an infant—with many envisioning her as a future Olympic hopeful.
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Dominique-Moceanu-daughter.jpg?width=150&blur=15)
Do we have a future Olympian in Olympia? Moceanu has a better alternative for now as fans speculate!
The fans were compelled to drop their praises for little Victoria Olympia’s Paris Olympics moment. Fans admired the miniature gymnast. As one mentioned, “Congrats on Victoria being named a non-traveling alternate! She’s ready!!” hoping, like her mom, Dominique Moceanu, she too will represent Team USA one day. Another fan commented, “Victoria Olympia is doing a fantastic job cheering on Team USA! Tremendously adorable!!”
Fans might not be all that wrong in their expectations. After all, Moceanu’s son Vincent, 15, has his eyes on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. And so, Dr. Michael Canales, her husband, is coaching him. Hence, for the past six years, the 15-year-old has been focusing on training rather than competing. Though it may be an unorthodox approach, the parents know what they are doing. In an interview with FOX8, Moceanu announced,
“It’s a really big deal in our household. Our son is an L.A. 2028 Olympic hopeful. So next quad. I mean, he’s going to be one to watch. So, he’s starting to really make his way with my husband, Dr. Michael Canales, coaching him.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Michael Canales is a foot and ankle surgeon, who was a former collegiate gymnast. Together, the parents want to ensure Vincent’s longevity in the sport. So, if Victoria decides to go down the same path, people won’t be too surprised.
Meanwhile, someone commented on how Victoria’s surgery didn’t stop her, saying, “She runs so well! Heart surgery did not stop her! What a blessing!” This sentiment arose given that the champion experienced a challenging period shortly after her birth. Dominique even shared the entire episode on her Instagram account, explaining the pain of seeing the daughter struggle through a congenital heart defect.
While looking at her practice in the video earlier, a fan even hoped for the little one to join the world of gymnastics, commenting, “Maybe the next big-time elite gymnasts.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Gleaming over the giddiness of the little baby girl, a fan wrote, “She has your smile, energy, and muscles. Her running with the flag is awesome,” referring to her gymnastic genes from mother Dominique, who was a part of Magnificent Seven- the 1996 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Olympic Team.
The team involved Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug, Amy Chow, Amanda Borden, and Jaycie Phelps. And they created history. For the first time, the USA had won the team gold in women’s gymnastics. Now, as little Victoria Olympia cheers on Team USA’s women heading to the Paris Olympics, fans can’t help but remember Dominique Moceanu’s amazing legacy.
Debate
Can Team USA's new leotards inspire the next generation of gymnasts like this two-year-old warrior?