Many gymnasts are forced to walk away at their peak. A new women's league is hoping to change that

Many gymnasts are forced to walk away at their peak. A new women's league is hoping to change that Luisa Blanco knows her gymnastics career has an expiration date. The funny thing is, the older the recent Alabama graduate gets, the more it seems to keep getting pushed back.

Will Graves, The Associated Press Jun 20, 2024 11:01 AM Jun 20, 2024 11:05 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FILE - Alabama's Luisa Blanco competes during an NCAA Women's gymnastics meet Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Blanco, who will compete for Colombia at the Paris Olympics, is considering extending her career by participating in the Global Impact Gymnastics Alliance, a start-up professional league that is hoping to start holding events in 2025.

(AP Photo/Butch Dill, File) Luisa Blanco knows her gymnastics career has an expiration date. The funny thing is, the older the recent Alabama graduate gets, the more it seems to keep getting pushed back. For a long time, the 22-year-old Blanco figured her final season with the Crimson Tide this spring would be it.

Then she qualified to compete for Colombia in the Paris Olympics at last year's Pan Am Games, a dream she had long ago abandoned. And while Blanco — a Texas native whose family is from Colombia — is focusing her attention on getting prepared for the Games, she is not sure she wants to see this chapter of her life end with the closing ceremony. “Part of me wants to do gymnasti.