Ivana Hong in the News

Ivana Hong, the youngest member of the USA team that took home the gold at the 2007 Worlds, is the subject of a nice profile piece in The Kansas City Star. The article talks about her training (six days a week, six hours a day) and a tiny bit about her life outside of the gym (interestingly, she finds the time to play tennis).

One funny part worth mentioning:

From a distance Ivana appears to be much the same as the other young girls whirling and twirling their way around the gym. But up close, you realize that this little featherweight is “ripped.” The muscles in her arms, back and legs are so well developed that striations are clearly visible even when she is not performing. (Tommy Larsen, The Kansas City Star)

Journalists always seem to be a little unnerved by young girls with muscle! So here are a few other pictures of Ivana looking strong:

• On vault at Worlds podium training
• On bars at the 2007 Dragon Invitational meet
• And finally, on beam at USA Nationals

Seriously, though, you can't seem to take a bad picture of Ivana because her form is so good. It's what I love about her -- she really seems to pay attention to the details. Though her floor routine doesn't have the most difficult tumbling, it's one of my favorite routines being performed right now.