Orrego Qualifies For 2020 Olympic Games

AMES, Iowa – Cyclone Ariana Orrego has officially qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She secured her spot io represent in the Olympics with her performance at the 2019 Gymnastics World Championships where she finished 84th overall in the all-around.

The 2020 Olympic Games will mark Orrego's second appearance on the world's biggest stage representing her native Peru. At the 2016 Games in Rio, she ended 50th in qualifications for the individual all-around.

Orrego becomes the first Cyclone gymnast to qualify for the Olympic Games during or after her time in Ames. Having already competed at the Olympics, she was already the first Cyclone gymnast to have competed in the event.

"Ari has put in an incredible amount of hard work, sacrifice and passion into the pursuit of her second Olympic qualification," Iowa State gymnastics coach Jay Ronayne said. "Her official qualification to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics validates what I've known about Ari since she became a Cyclone: she is a very special competitor. I am very proud that we have the resources and personnel at Iowa State to help Ari train and prepare her for this accomplishment."

The 2020 Olympic gymnastics events will begin on Sunday, July 26, at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre with women's all-around qualifying. The all-around finals are set for Thursday, July 30, and the apparatus finals span Aug. 2-4.

"'Chasing dreams' is what we always talk about with our gymnasts, and this is an example of chasing a dream and catching it," Ronayne said. "Now we are ready to take on the challenge of helping Ari prepare for the Olympic Games."