Tiana Sumanasekera

Tiana Sumanasekera
Sumanasekera at the 2024 U.S. Championships
Personal information
Full nameTiana Sumanasekera
NicknameT
Born (2007-09-15) September 15, 2007
Fremont, California, U.S
Gymnastics career
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
Country represented
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
(2026–present)
Former countries represented
United States United States
(2021–2025)
College team
UCLA Bruins (2026–2029)
ClubWorld Champions Centre
Head coaches
Laurent Landi
Cecile Canqueteau-Landi
Medal record
Women's artistic gymnastics
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place2023 SantiagoTeam
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 MedellínTeam
Gold medal – first place2023 MedellínAll-around
Gold medal – first place2023 MedellínBalance beam
Gold medal – first place2025 Panama CityTeam
Silver medal – second place2023 MedellínFloor exercise

Tiana Sumanasekera (born September 15, 2007) is a Sri Lankan and American artistic gymnast. Formerly representing the United States women's national artistic gymnastics team, she is the 2023 Pan American all-around and balance beam champion. At the NCAA level, she is currently a member of the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team.[1] Starting in 2026, she began representing Sri Lanka in international competition.

Early life

Sumanasekera was born to Rajitha and Ruwangi Sumanasekera in 2007. She started gymnastics in 2013.[2] She is of Sri Lankan descent.[3] Sumanasekera is believed to be the first gymnast of Sri Lankan descent to represent the U.S. in international competition.[4]

Junior gymnastics career

Sumanasekera competed at the 2021 Winter Cup where she placed seventh in the all-around.[5] She next competed at the American Classic where she placed eighth in the all-around but won gold on floor exercise and silver on vault.[6] Sumanasekera competed at the U.S. Classic where she finished tenth in the all-around.[7]

Sumanasekera at the 2022 Pan American Championships

In November, Sumanasekera was selected to represent the United States at the inaugural Junior Pan American Games alongside Katelyn Jong, Madray Johnson, and Kailin Chio.[8] While there, she helped the United States place first as a team, and individually, she won gold on vault.[9]

Sumanasekera competed at the 2022 Winter Cup where she finished seventh in the all-around but first on vault and floor exercise. As a result, she was selected to compete at the upcoming DTB Pokal Team Challenge in Stuttgart alongside Myli Lew, Ella Kate Parker, Ella Murphy, and Hezly Rivera.[10] While there, Sumanasekera helped the team finish first and individually, she won gold on vault and silver on balance beam. In April, Sumanasekera competed at the 2022 City of Jesolo Trophy alongside Lew, Murphy, Madray Johnson, Zoey Molomo, and Gabby Van Frayen. They won the team event, and Sumanasekera won the all-around competition. During event finals, she picked up an additional three gold medals on vault, balance beam, and floor exercise.[11]

In July, Sumanasekera was selected to compete at the 2022 Pan American Championships alongside Molomo, Dulcy Caylor, and Alicia Zhou, where she helped the United States win the team gold and won an additional three medals in the vault, balance beam, and floor exercise event finals.[12][13]

Senior gymnastics career

2023–2025: Representing the United States

Sumanasekera became age-eligible for senior level competition in 2023. She made her senior debut at the 2023 Winter Cup where she only competed on uneven bars and balance beam. In April she was named to the team to compete at the 2023 Pan American Championships alongside Zoe Miller, Addison Fatta, Joscelyn Roberson, Nola Matthews and traveling replacement athlete Madray Johnson.[14] During the competition she won gold in the all-around and on balance beam and won silver on floor exercise behind teammate Roberson.[15] During the team final Sumanasekera contributed scores on vault, balance beam, and floor exercise towards the USA's first place finish.[16] In September, Sumanasekera was named to the team to compete at the 2023 Pan American Games alongside Jordan Chiles, Kayla DiCello, Kaliya Lincoln, and Miller.[17] Together they won gold as a team.

Sumanasekera competed at the 2024 City of Jesolo Trophy where helped the USA finish third as a team behind Italy and Brazil. She next competed at the 2024 Core Hydration Classic where she finished sixth in the all-around. At the 2024 National Championships Sumanasekera placed ninth in the all-around and third on floor exercise behind Simone Biles and Kayla DiCello. As a result, she qualified for the 2024 Olympic Trials.[18] At the Olympic trials, Sumanasekera finished eighth in the all-around and third on balance beam behind Joscelyn Roberson and Hezly Rivera. She was named as a non-traveling alternate for the 2024 Olympic team.

Sumanasekera was selected to compete at the 2025 Pan American Championships alongside Dulcy Caylor, Jayla Hang, Gabrielle Hardie, Hezly Rivera, and alternate Alessia Rosa.[19] During the team final she contributed a score on the balance beam towards the United States' first place finish.[20] At the 2025 U.S. National Championships she finished ninth in the all-around.

2026–present: Representing Sri Lanka

In June 2026, Sumanasekera announced that going forward she would be representing Sri Lanka in international competition, describing the decision as both a proud and emotional milestone in her career.[21] She announced that she would make her debut for Sri Lanka at the 2026 Commonwealth Games where she'd only compete on balance beam due to a shoulder injury.[22]

NCAA gymnastics career

Regular season rankings

SeasonAll-AroundVaultUneven BarsBalance BeamFloor Exercise
2026[23]1840881747

Competitive history

Competitive history of Tiana Sumanasekera at the junior level
Year Event Team AA VT UB BB FX
2021 Winter Cup741172nd place, silver medalist(s)
American Classic82nd place, silver medalist(s)14121st place, gold medalist(s)
U.S. Classic106172nd place, silver medalist(s)17
Junior Pan American Games1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)
2022 Winter Cup71st place, gold medalist(s)222nd place, silver medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)
DTB Pokal Team Challenge1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)
City of Jesolo Trophy1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)
Pan American Championships1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)
U.S. National Championships92nd place, silver medalist(s)2661st place, gold medalist(s)
Competitive history of Tiana Sumanasekera at the senior level representing the United States United States
Year Event Team AA VT UB BB FX
2023 Winter Cup127
Pan American Championships1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)
U.S. Classic1027510
U.S. National Championships823613
Pan American Games1st place, gold medalist(s)
2024 City of Jesolo Trophy3rd place, bronze medalist(s)86
U.S. Classic619174
U.S. National Championships92373rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Olympic Trials8123rd place, bronze medalist(s)6
2025
Pan American Championships1st place, gold medalist(s)
U.S. National Championships922613
Competitive history of Tiana Sumanasekera at the senior level representing Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
Year Event Team AA VT UB BB FX
2026
Commonwealth Games28
Competitive history of Tiana Sumanasekera at the NCAA level
Year Event Team AA VT UB BB FX
2026 Big Ten Championships1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)
NCAA Championships51221164125

References

  1. ↑ "Tiana Sumanasekera - Gymnastics". UCLA. Retrieved 2026-04-04.
  2. ↑ "Tiana Sumanasekera USAG profile". USA Gymnastics.
  3. ↑ "American athlete of Sri Lankan origin wins gold medal at gymnastics event". Hiru News. December 5, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Juniors Dulcy Caylor, Tiana Sumanasekera Represent A Talented Next Generation Of U.S Gymnasts". Team USA. August 21, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Chiles, Parker claim 2021 Winter Cup senior and junior all-around titles, four senior and five junior gymnasts named to U.S. Women's National Team". USA Gymnastics. February 28, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Chio takes junior all-around title at 2021 American Classic". USA Gymnastics. April 24, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Jong coasts to 2021 GK U.S. Classic junior all-around title behind top scores on vault, uneven bars and balance beam". USA Gymnastics. May 21, 2021.
  8. ↑ "USA Gymnastics names 2021 Junior Pan American Games women's artistic team". USA Gymnastics. November 17, 2021.
  9. ↑ "U.S. women's team golden in Cali, Jong and Chio take top-two all-around spots at 2021 Junior Pan American Games". USA Gymnastics. November 27, 2021.
  10. ↑ "World team members Frazier, McClain headline women's contingent for upcoming DTB Pokal Team Challenge and Mixed Cup in Stuttgart". USA Gymnastics. March 1, 2022.
  11. ↑ "U.S. athletes earn 14 medals, six gold, on final day of 2022 City of Jesolo Trophy". USA Gymnastics. April 10, 2022.
  12. ↑ "U.S. juniors sweep team, all-around titles on first day of artistic competition at 2022 Pan American Championships". USA Gymnastics. July 14, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Richard, Sumanasekera, Zhou golden on final day of Junior Pan American Championships". 17 July 2022.
  14. ↑ "Women's senior team named for 2023 Pan American Championships". USA Gymnastics. April 30, 2023.
  15. ↑ "U.S. women shine at Pan Ams with eight medals; Sumanasekera wins all-around". USA Gymnastics. May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  16. ↑ "U.S. claims men's and women's team titles at Pan American Championships". USA Gymnastics. May 28, 2023.
  17. ↑ "U.S. senior women's teams named for 2023 World Artistic Championships, Pan American Games". USA Gymnastics. September 20, 2023.
  18. ↑ "USA Gymnastics announces rosters for 2024 Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics". USA Gymnastics. June 3, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Women's 2025 Senior Pan American Championships team announced". USA Gymnastics. May 22, 2025.
  20. ↑ "U.S. sweeps team titles at Senior Pan Am Championships". USA Gymnastics. June 14, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  21. ↑ Price, Caroline (June 22, 2026). "Former U.S. Olympic Alternate Tiana Sumanasekera To Represent Sri Lanka". Forbes.
  22. ↑ Nottingham, Juliet (July 22, 2026). "Commonwealth Games 2026: Filip Novacki, Lachlan Kennedy, and Alana Reid: Meet the young stars on show in Glasgow". International Olympic Committee.
  23. ↑ "Standings". roadtonationals.com. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
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