Alabama Gymnast Luisa Blanco Earns Spot in Summer Olympics

Alabama senior gymnast Luisa Blanco may have ties to Central America, but she needs to start working on her French.

The four-time Southeastern Conference champion, and 2021 NCAA champion on balance beam, qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics on Monday night. Blanco will compete for for Columbia in Paris, when the Games are held July 26 to August 11 next year.

Blanco qualified by being the highest scoring eligible athlete in the all-around final after posting a 50.099 score in the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

“Life doesn’t even feel real right now," she said in a release by Alabama sports information. "I can’t really process what I just accomplished, but what I do know is that I did not do this alone. I wouldn’t have been able to go out with this level of confidence if it wasn’t for all the moments I’ve had competing with Alabama and representing the Script A. It takes a village to do something this amazing, and I just cannot thank my teammates, coaches and support system enough for their endless support toward my goals and for being such an influential part of my journey.”

Blanco helped lead the Crimson Tide to the 2021 SEC championship team title, and was named the SEC Gymnast of the Year. She'll be the sixth sixth gymnast in Crimson Tide history to earn a spot at the Olympics.

Blanco announced during the spring that she would return to the Crimson Tide for her fifth and final collegiate season for the 2024 season.