Aleeza Yu (born 6 November 1998) is a Canadian artistic gymnast. She won two medals at the 2014 Pacific Rim Championships and competed at the 2014 World Championships.

Aleeza Yu
Born (1998-06-11) 11 June 1998 (age 28)
Height167 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Gymnastics career
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
Country
represented
Canada Canada
College team
Stanford Cardinal
ClubGemini Gymnastics
Head coach
Yelena Davydova
Medal record
Women's artistic gymnastics
Representing  Canada
Pacific Rim Championships
Silver medal – second place2014 RichmondTeam
Bronze medal – third place2014 RichmondFloor exercise

Gymnastics career

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Yu started gymnastics when she was seven years old. She was invited to join the Canadian national team when she was twelve years old.[1] She won a gold medal in the team competition at the 2012 Junior Pan American Championships,[2] and she won the all-around bronze medal, behind Rebeca Andrade and Victoria-Kayen Woo.[3] She also finished second to Woo in the uneven bars final.[4]

Yu finished second in the all-around at the 2013 Junior Canadian Championships, behind Shallon Olsen. In the event finals, she won a bronze medal on the vault and silver medals on the uneven bars and balance beam.[5] At the 2013 Junior Japan International, she finished fourth in the all-around competition. She qualified for all four apparatus finals but withdrew from the uneven bars due to a thumb injury. She competed in the other finals, finishing seventh on the vault and eighth on the balance beam and floor exercise.[6]

Yu became age-eligible for senior international competitions in 2014. She finished second in all-around in the Elite Canada, with a total score of 55.650 points.[7] She then competed at the 2014 International Gymnix and finished second in the all-around to teammate Ellie Black. She also won a bronze medal on the floor exercise.[8] At the 2014 Cottbus World Cup, she finished eighth on the uneven bars and seventh on both the balance beam and floor exercise.[9] She then competed at the Pacific Rim Championships with the Canadian team that won the silver medal behind the United States, and she won a bronze medal on the floor exercise.[1] She was selected for the team that competed at the 2014 World Championships,[10] but she injured her knee while competing on the balance beam and withdrew from the rest of the competition.[11]

Yu returned to competition at the 2016 Elite Canada and won a bronze medal on the balance beam. However, she was reinjured while competing on the floor exercise.[12] In 2016, she was awarded a full athletic scholarship at Stanford University.[13] In February 2017, she recorded the second-highest score in Stanford's 195.775-195.200 victory over Arizona State.[14] In January 2019 she scored the third highest vault score in the Cardinal's home opener against UCLA.[15] She retired from the sport in 2020 due to ongoing back injuries.[16]

Personal life

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Yu is the daughter of immigrants from Hong Kong, and her family practiced Falun Gong.[1][13]

Competitive history

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Competitive history of Aleeza Yu at the junior level[17]
Year Event Team AA VT UB BB FX
2013 Elite Canada3rd place, bronze medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)58
Nadia Comaneci Invitational2nd place, silver medalist(s)
International Gymnix162nd place, silver medalist(s)8
Canadian Championships2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)72nd place, silver medalist(s)
Junior Japan International47WD88
Competitive history of Aleeza Yu at the senior level[17]
Year Event Team AA VT UB BB FX
2014 Elite Canada2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)
International Gymnix2nd place, silver medalist(s)43rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Cottbus World Cup877
Pacific Rim Championships2nd place, silver medalist(s)553rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Canadian ChampionshipsDNF
Pan American Championships518
World Championships12
2015 Elite Canada73rd place, bronze medalist(s)8

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Yun, Zhang (2 August 2014). "The Story of a 16-Year-Old Canadian Gymnastics Champion". Minghui. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  2. "Campeonato Panamericano Juvenil y Adultos Por Aparatos De Gimnasia Artistica Competicion Por Equipos" (PDF). Gymnastics Results (in Spanish). 23 June 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  3. "Campeonato Panamericano Juvenil y Adultos Por Aparatos De Gimnasia Artistica Competicion Individual" (PDF). Gymnastics Results (in Spanish). 23 June 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  4. "Canadian Juniors Win Pan American Championships". Gymnastics Canada. 24 June 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  5. "2013 Canadian Gymnastics Championships Ottawa (CAN) 2013 May 17-25 Artistic Gymnastics Results Men and Women". Gymnastics Results. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  6. "Gemini gymnast Aleeza Yu fourth at Japan Junior International". Durham Region. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  7. "Cambridge gymnast Victoria Moors wins Elite Canada title". The Record. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  8. "Ellie Black, Canadians, Russians impress at Gymnix in Montreal". International Gymnastics Federation. 10 March 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  9. "38 th "TURNIER DER MEISTER®" FIG World Challenge Cup in Cottbus 13th – 16th March 2014 Directives" (PDF). Gymnastics Results. FIG. 24 June 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  10. "Aleeza Yu of Oshawa's Gemini Gymnastics competing at world championships". Durham Region. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  11. Sirois, Christine (5 October 2014). "Canadians 5th at gymnastics worlds after day 1". Sportsnet. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  12. Hopkins, Lauren (8 February 2016). "Hat Tricks for Onyshko and Chrobok, Rogers Exhibitions". The Gymternet. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Aleeza Yu Awarded Stanford Scholarship". Gemini Gymnastics. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  14. Sussman, Laura (19 February 2017). "Women's gymnastics triumphs in Tempe". The Stanford Daily. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  15. Zhang, Cybele (28 January 2019). "Women's gymnastics falls short to UCLA in front of sold-out Maples crowd". The Stanford Daily. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  16. "Perspectives: Aleeza Yu". Stanford Cardinal. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Aleeza Yu". The Gymternet. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
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