After an exhausting 2024, Simone Biles might finally catch her breath and take a well-deserved break from gymnastics after Paris and the blockbuster Gold Over America Tour. But her fellow U.S. gymnasts? They’re keeping the adrenaline pumping. Case in point: Leanne Wong, the 2023 World Championships standout, just threw a curveball by announcing her participation in the Swiss Cup. Yep, the same Wong who spent the Paris Olympics as the traveling alternate for Team USA’s mega-success squad. Most figured she’d be trading chalk dust for textbooks to focus on her pre-med studies at the University of Florida.

And with good reason—Leanne’s got her sights set on medical school. Now balancing elite gymnastics with the grind of becoming a doctor? Not exactly a walk in the park. But this girl’s not ready to hang up her leotard just yet. Enter the Swiss Cup at the Memorial Arturo Gander.

Leanne Wong and Fuzzy Benas are set to represent Team USA at the 2024 Swiss Cup! This dynamic duo will hit the mixed competition next Saturday, November 9th, while Fuzzy gets a head start, competing on November 6th. It’s her first time representing the U.S. since last year’s World Championships, and fans are buzzing about what this means for her future.

Talking to Olympics.com, Leanne Wong tried to give more context on the topic. “I wouldn’t really say I have a plan.” The gymnast said that she’s trying to enjoy her last gymnastics season of college to the fullest while taking everything day by day. “Med School will always be there,” she added.

Furthermore, she cited the example of another gymnast when she was asked about her plans to leave the sport behind. “I guess, like, you can never just close the door. So we’ll see. I don’t know… like even Gabby Douglas, she never closed the door.” Thus, it seems that Leanne Wong is playing coy about her future in gymnastics. Currently, she has her full attention on the upcoming tournament.

The Swiss Cup is a non-traditional gymnastics event that doesn’t require the gymnasts to participate in all four events. It pairs a female gymnast of a country with a male counterpart, both of whom act as teammates. For Leanne, University of Oklahoma gymnast Fuzzy Benas will compete alongside her.

The cup acts like a type of tune-in for the female gymnast as she prepares for the upcoming NCAA season, which will be her last. When asked about the reason she chose to compete at the tournament, Leanne Wong said, “It is kind of a fun competition, and I thought it would just be something different that I’ve never one,” said Leanne.

“It’s not a typical four-event meet format, so it’s like, ‘Alright, let’s do it.’”  It’ll be interesting to see how the Florida Gators gymnasts perform in the tournament. While this will be her first appearance for the country this year, she has also talked about her stint as an alternate member in Paris very fondly.

Leanne Wong’s role as an alternate on Team USA at the Paris Olympics was a total game-changer!

During the US Olympic gymnastics trials, Leanne Wong finished seventh in the individual all-around and third in the vault category with 28.95 points. Then on the uneven bars, she scored 27.825 points, and then 26.875 and 26.775 on the balance beam and the floor exercise. This performance managed to get her an alternative spot on the Paris Olympics team alongside Joscelyn Roberson.

It was her second time performing the role of an alternate, as she had done the same at the Tokyo Olympics. Despite being completely mentally prepared to perform, she did not need to step onto the mat. Thus, she spent her time in Paris cheering for her teammates from the stands. After the end of the competition, she uploaded a picture on her Instagram story with her family, expressing how grateful she was for the opportunity.

She said, “I may not have competed here in Paris, but I played an important role. I didn’t get to cheer on Team USA, sightsee, shop, or have my family with me at the last Olympics. So I’m grateful.” When she was the alternate in Tokyo, Leanne couldn’t visit the stands because of the heavily strict COVID regulations at that time.

So, instead of moping about missing out on competing, Leanne focused on the overall experience and ended up loving every minute of it. Now, she’s gearing up for the Swiss Cup, ready to help the U.S. snag a sixth gold medal at the event!