Congratulations to 25-year-old gymnast Lynnzee Brown, who is set to make history by becoming the first Haitian gymnast to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
According to Penn State Athletics, Brown will compete in the women’s qualifiers on July 28, aiming for a spot in the all-around finals. She will represent Team Haiti, a country she has close ties to through her father, who is a Haitian native.
A native of Raytown, Missouri, Brown earned his Olympic qualification through a university spot awarded by the Tripartite Olympic Commission. The opportunity is reserved for athletes in select sports, including gymnastics, from countries that have averaged eight or fewer athletes at the last two Olympic Games, promoting diversity in Olympic representation.
“I’m trying to find my words, but honestly, nothing feels good enough,” Brown said of her historic achievement in an interview with Penn State Athletics. “I’m grateful for this journey and for those who have supported me. I’m honored that the Haitian federation is supporting me in this process, and I can’t wait to see what the next generation of athletes will accomplish.”
Brown’s Olympic journey has been marked by exceptional performances, including at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp and multiple Pan American competitions. At the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, she earned a personal best score of 48.133 points, finishing 14th overall, as reported by the University of Denver.
Continuing to showcase her talent, Brown recently competed at the 2024 Pan American Championships in Santa Marta, Colombia in May, solidifying her position as one of the top gymnasts. She advanced to the all-around final, placing 18th with a score of 45.601 after scoring 46.633 in qualifying. Despite suffering two Achilles tendon injuries last year, her Instagram account highlighted the feat.
Brown began her career at the University of Denver, where during her six years she made history with a record fourth-place finish in the all-around at the 2023 NCAA National Championships. She left DU as one of the most decorated gymnasts in program history, winning an NCAA national title on floor in 2019 and four Big 12 Conference championships, including the all-around title in 2021.
Throughout her college career, she racked up an impressive 20 WCGA All-American honors and set Denver records with the highest overall score (39.825) and most perfect 10.0s in a career (five).
Following her successful stint in Denver, Brown took on an assistant coaching role at Penn State in the summer of 2023. Along with her fellow assistant coaches, she was recognized as one of the WCGA Northeast Region Assistant Coaches of the Year following Penn State’s remarkable 2024 season.
Brown’s feat is of historical significance, evoking parallels with the Haitian Revolution, which took place from 1791 to 1804. The period marked an anti-slavery and anti-colonial uprising led by freed slaves against French rule in Santo Domingo, on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The revolution resulted in the establishment of Haiti as an independent nation in 1804, making it the first independent black nation in Latin America and the Caribbean and the second independent nation in the Americas, according to Cambridge.
Similar articles
